Keyser Creek facts for kids

Keyser Creek is a small river, also called a tributary, that flows into the Lackawanna River in Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania. It's about 6.1 miles (9.8 km) long. This creek flows through several towns like Newton Township, Ransom Township, Scranton, and Taylor.

The area of land that drains into Keyser Creek, called its watershed, covers about 8.59 square miles (22.2 km²). Keyser Creek is special because it's a designated Coldwater Fishery and a Migratory Fishery. This means it's a good place for fish that like cold water and for fish that travel to different places. The creek has two smaller streams that flow into it: Lucky Run and Lindy Creek.

In the past, coal mining greatly affected Keyser Creek. Parts of it were even straightened by people. Sometimes, when it's dry, the creek doesn't flow at all, but it gets water during and after storms. Most of the land around the creek is covered in forests. The very first European settlers in Lackawanna County built their homes near this creek in 1769. Keyser Creek is an important stream that feeds into the Lackawanna River. Since 2013, you can find a starting point for the Lackawanna River Heritage Trail close to the creek. Many bridges have also been built over it.

The Creek's Journey

Satellite map of Keyser Creek

Keyser Creek starts in a deep valley on West Mountain in Newton Township. It flows south-southeast for over a mile, leaving Newton Township and passing through Ransom Township before entering Scranton.

The creek then turns southeast for about a mile, going under Interstate 476. After that, it turns southwest and meets Lindy Creek, its first named tributary, coming from the right side. The creek continues south-southwest for a bit and then receives Lucky Run, its last named tributary, also from the right. It then turns southwest again. After a short distance, it turns south-southwest once more, eventually turning southeast and then south-southwest. Finally, it reaches where it joins the Lackawanna River.

Keyser Creek meets the Lackawanna River about 7.20 miles (11.59 km) upstream from the Lackawanna River's own mouth.

Smaller Streams Joining Keyser Creek

Keyser Creek has two named smaller streams, or tributaries: Lucky Run and Lindy Creek. Lucky Run joins Keyser Creek about 2.32 miles (3.73 km) before Keyser Creek meets the Lackawanna River. The area that drains into Lucky Run is about 1.66 square miles (4.3 km²).

Lindy Creek joins Keyser Creek about 2.86 miles (4.60 km) before Keyser Creek meets the Lackawanna River. The area that drains into Lindy Creek is about 1.53 square miles (4.0 km²).

How Water Flows in Keyser Creek

Some parts of Keyser Creek sometimes lose all their water, and the lower parts of the creek often have no regular flow. There are also large piles of coal waste, called culm, and fine dirt, called silt, along the creek's banks. These are left over from the coal mining days.

Sometimes, dirty water from sewers can overflow into the creek. As of 2013, there were about four places in the creek's area that collect stormwater. The creek doesn't flow all year round because its water can sink into old mine tunnels during dry weather. This makes it hard for the creek to support the fish and other life it's supposed to. However, it still flows during storms. During these storms, the creek carries a lot of dirt and coal waste. Also, some rusty water and mixed sewer water can flow into the creek.

In the early 1900s, Keyser Creek was a clear stream. But then it reached the train repair shops of the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad, where it got some oil and trash. Later, at a place called Capouse Shaft, the creek picked up ash and coal waste, which added sulfur to the water. More dirty waste came from the Archbald Colliery, and a fertilizer plant also put waste into the creek.

Land and Rocks Around the Creek

The land near where Keyser Creek meets the Lackawanna River is about 643 feet (196 m) above sea level. Near where the creek starts, the elevation is much higher, between 1,760 and 1,780 feet (540 and 540 m) above sea level.

In its upper parts, the creek drops very steeply, about 400 feet per mile (76 m/km). But in its lower parts, after it flows off Bald Mountain and into Keyser Valley, it's much flatter, dropping only about 40 feet per mile (7.6 m/km).

There's a beautiful waterfall called Fawnwood Falls in the area that drains into Keyser Creek. You can also find the Moffat Breaker, which was a coal processing plant, and the ruins of other Moffat Colliery buildings and old water works nearby.

The creek's water comes from springs and wetlands on Bald Mountain or West Mountain. The creek flows through stone and concrete tunnels, called culverts, when it goes under Main Avenue. Many parts of the creek have water flowing in many small channels or even disappearing underground. The creek flows through 21 pipes that are between 3 to 36 inches (7.6 to 91.4 cm) wide.

Keyser Creek is very similar in shape to the nearby Saint Johns Creek. Where it starts, the creek is steep and has several small waterfalls. In its lower parts, it flows through a shallow flat area called a floodplain. The creek begins in springs and wetlands on a mountain called Bald Mountain, which is about 2,000 to 2,300 feet (610 to 700 m) high. In some places, Keyser Creek has worn away a lot of its banks, causing dirt and burned coal waste (called red ash) to fall into the water.

The banks of Keyser Creek are not very stable because of the old abandoned mines. In its lower parts, the banks are shallow and made of natural cobblestone. However, further upstream, the creek has been straightened and has a steep bank.

At the mouth of Keyser Creek, there's a fan-shaped pile of eroded red ash dirt. The creek flows over different rock formations like the Llewellyn Formation and the Pocono Formation. You can find rocks like conglomerate (rocks made of pebbles) and limestone near the creek. There are also coal layers in the area. The watershed has volcanic ash materials from foundry slag and coal mining waste. Large piles of sand and gravel, called drift, have been seen near the creek, as well as thick layers of till (rocky soil left by glaciers) in its valley.

There's an old flume structure, which is a channel for water, along Keyser Creek. The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection straightened about 1 mile (1.6 km) of Keyser Creek and its tributary Lindy Creek in 1999 and 2000. About 600 feet (180 m) of the creek flows through a rectangular concrete channel. In 2001, a group called the Lackawanna River Watershed Conservation Project suggested a big project to restore the creek's channel.

The Keyser Creek Watershed

The watershed of Keyser Creek covers an area of 8.59 square miles (22.2 km²). This watershed is in the western or southwestern part of the larger Lackawanna River watershed. It includes parts of Taylor, Scranton, and Ransom Township, plus a small part of Newton Township. The entire stream is located within the Scranton area on United States Geological Survey maps.

As of 1991, almost 80 percent of the Keyser Creek watershed is covered by forests. About 20 percent is residential land, meaning homes. There are also a few small areas with businesses and factories. Keyser Creek is an important "second-order" stream, meaning it's a significant branch of a larger river. It's one of the bigger streams that flows into the Lackawanna River. Major roads in the watershed include Keyser Avenue, Luzerne Street, North South Road, Simplex Drive, Washburn Street, and Sherman Avenue.

Keyser Creek is one reason for flooding in the town of Taylor. In fact, it's the only recent source of flooding there. In 1971, the creek overflowed after a rainstorm, causing damage to several yards and lots near Oak Street and First Street. This flooding happened because of a faulty culvert, which was later replaced by the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation.

History, Naming, and Fun Activities

Keyser Creek was officially added to the Geographic Names Information System on August 2, 1979. Its official ID number is 1198972.

The first European settlers in Lackawanna County made their homes near Keyser Creek. Timothy Keys, Solomon Hocksey, and Andrew Hickman built houses here in 1769. The creek is named after Timothy Keys. The Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission put up a historical marker near the creek in 1948 to remember these early settlers. Another early settler, Cornelius Atherton, arrived at a hill overlooking the creek in 1782. On maps from the 1700s, the creek was called Beaver Run or Beaver Creek.

Since the 1800s, Keyser Creek has been greatly changed by coal mining and railroads. Three steel girder bridges that once carried the Central New Jersey Railroad now carry the Lackawanna River Heritage Trail near the creek's mouth. The creek also flows under a stone arch tunnel, 250 feet (76 m) long, near the Canadian Pacific rail yard in Taylor. A modern bridge was built over the creek in 1996. It's 117.1 feet (35.7 m) long and carries Washburn Avenue.

In the early 2000s, the Lackawanna River Watershed Conservation Plan suggested that Ransom Township, Newton Township, and Scranton should include protecting Keyser Creek in their town plans and rules for land use. The creek is on a special list of important places for restoration by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection and the Lackawanna River Corridor Association.

Wildlife and Plants

The entire area that drains into Keyser Creek is designated as a Coldwater Fishery and a Migratory Fishery. This means it's important for fish that like cold water and for fish that travel. In the late 1800s, there was a swamp with laurel plants along the creek.

The area around Keyser Creek has lost some of its natural habitats because of the old abandoned mines. What's left of the natural plant buffer along the creek in some places is taken over by invasive plants. The plants under the trees in the creek's natural area are covered in knotweed. However, some parts of the creek still have natural plant buffers with trees like red maple, silver maple, and river birch.

Fun Things to Do

The Lackawanna River Watershed Conservation Project suggested creating a trailhead, or starting point, for the Lackawanna River Heritage Trail where Keyser Creek meets the Lackawanna River. The part of the trail from Keyser Creek to Taylor is 2 miles (3.2 km) long and is called the CNJ Extension. Work on this trail began on May 14, 2012, and it opened in 2013.