Kitchen Creek (Pennsylvania) facts for kids
Kitchen Creek is a cool stream in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, USA. It flows into a bigger stream called Huntington Creek. Kitchen Creek is about 10.6 miles (17.1 km) long. It flows through two areas: Fairmount Township and Huntington Township. The land area that drains water into Kitchen Creek is about 20.10 square miles (52.1 km2). This creek is known for its very clean, cold water, which is great for fish.
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Where Kitchen Creek Flows
Kitchen Creek starts in Fairmount Township. This is close to the border between Sullivan County and Luzerne County. The very beginning of the creek is just south of a place called Cherry Ridge.
The creek first flows southeast, passing by Lake Lehigh. Then, it turns towards the south-southwest. Here, it enters a deep valley called the Kitchen Creek Gorge. As it goes through Ricketts Glen State Park, the creek flows over many beautiful waterfalls. Along the way, smaller streams like Shingle Cabin Brook and Maple Spring Brook join it.
After leaving Ricketts Glen State Park, Kitchen Creek turns south-southeast. It then meets another small stream called Boston Run. Further down, Maple Run also joins the creek. The creek then flows through Patterson Grove. Finally, it enters Huntington Township. Soon after, Kitchen Creek joins Huntington Creek. Kitchen Creek meets Huntington Creek about 16.02 miles (25.78 km) before Huntington Creek ends.
The Land Around Kitchen Creek
The land around Kitchen Creek is very interesting. Near where the creek joins Huntington Creek, the elevation is about 797 feet (243 meters) above sea level.
At the start of Kitchen Creek, you can find lakes, swamps, and mountains. A book from 1921 described the land around the creek as "rough and hilly."
The path of Kitchen Creek is not straight; it has many curves. The creek flows through rock formations made of sandstone and shale. There is a special gorge and waterfall system along the creek. This area is known as the Kitchen Creek Ravines. The Kitchen Creek Falls are a series of waterfalls and fast-flowing water. They are found inside Ricketts Glen State Park. This amazing system has more than 25 waterfalls! It drops about 1000 feet (300 meters) over a distance of 3 miles (4.8 km).
The amount of rain and snow in the area around Kitchen Creek is usually between 40 inches (100 cm) and 50 inches (130 cm) each year.
Kitchen Creek's Watershed
The watershed of Kitchen Creek is the entire area of land where water drains into the creek. This watershed covers about 20.10 square miles (52.1 km2). It is located in southeastern Sullivan County and northwestern Luzerne County.
There are several lakes in the Kitchen Creek watershed.
- The biggest lake is Lake Jean, which covers 296.0 acres.
- The second largest is Lake Lehigh, covering 137.0 acres.
- Ganoga Lake is the third largest, with 78.8 acres.
- Lake Rose is the fourth largest, covering 47.0 acres.
In the early 1900s, the main way people made a living in the Kitchen Creek watershed was through agriculture (farming).
One community in the watershed is Red Rock. In 1921, about 27 people lived there.
Plants and Animals of Kitchen Creek
The Kitchen Creek Ravines are home to many interesting plants. You can find the creeping snowberry plant here. Other plants include Braun's holly fern, swamp currant, great-spurred violet, and white twisted-stalk.
A type of bird called Swainson's thrush lives in the ravines of Kitchen Creek. The creek itself is known as a high-quality coldwater fishery. This means its cold, clean water is perfect for many types of fish.
In the early 1900s, there were still virgin timber (very old, untouched forests) at the beginning of Kitchen Creek.
