Kinney Run facts for kids
Kinney Run, also known as Kinney's Run, is a small stream that flows into the Susquehanna River. It is located in Scott Township and Bloomsburg, Columbia County, Pennsylvania. The stream is about 3.1 miles (5 kilometers) long. Some of the first people to settle near Kinney Run arrived in 1769. The area around the stream has many wetlands and a special type of wetland called a bog, known as the Espy Bog.
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Where Does Kinney Run Flow?
Kinney Run begins in Scott Township. It flows through moderately steep hills along 5th Street Hollow Road. Then, it crosses this road and passes through a wooded area. The stream also goes under a major road, U.S. Route 11.
After crossing under U.S. Route 11, Kinney Run flows through the Espy Bog. The last 2 miles (3.2 kilometers) of the stream's path are on a flat area called a floodplain. This floodplain is also shared by another small stream.
Kinney Run then enters the town of Bloomsburg. Here, it flows past three wetlands and the Bloomsburg Town Park. Finally, Kinney Run empties into the Susquehanna River at the end of Market Street. Most of the steep areas along the stream are found within Bloomsburg.
How Water Moves in Kinney Run
When new buildings are constructed, pipes are often installed to carry stormwater (rainwater runoff) into Kinney Run. This has caused the stream banks to wear away, a process called erosion, especially in the upper parts of the stream. This erosion washes dirt and tiny bits of rock, called silt, downstream.
There are also structures that help move water away from Kinney Run. One such structure was built in 1972, after a very large storm called Hurricane Agnes. This structure helps to direct water from the stream under the runway of the Bloomsburg Municipal Airport directly into the Susquehanna River. This helps protect the airport from flooding.
Kinney Run often floods at the same time as the Susquehanna River. The stream has flooded twice during two major storms. The first flood was caused by heavy rain. The second flood happened about 24 hours later, due to water backing up from the Susquehanna River. These double floods occurred during Hurricane Agnes in 1972 and a flood in January 1996. In other storms, Kinney Run has only flooded once.
The Area Around Kinney Run
The area of land that drains water into Kinney Run, called its watershed, covers about 3.2 square miles (8.3 square kilometers). Managing stormwater in this watershed has been a challenge for many years. The entire watershed is located in southeastern Bloomsburg and southwestern Scott Township.
The Kinney Run watershed is home to many large wetlands. It also has areas designed to store stormwater. These storage areas exist because of fills (raised ground) created for railroad tracks and highways in the watershed. In two places along the stream, stormwater is directed either to the Susquehanna River or to another nearby stream.
History of Kinney Run
In 1769, Evan Owen, who founded the community of Berwick, settled near where Kinney Run flows into the Susquehanna River. Before the late 1800s, people who floated rafts down rivers knew Kinney Run well.
Since the 1970s and early 1980s, the area around Kinney Run has seen a lot of new buildings and homes. Most of this development happened in Scott Township, as much of the Bloomsburg part of Kinney Run was already developed.
