Laurel Run (Mill Creek tributary) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Laurel Run |
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Laurel Run in the late 1800s or early 1900s
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| Other name(s) | Laurel Run Creek |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Main source | mountain in Bear Creek Township, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania between 2,000 and 2,020 feet (610 and 620 m) |
| River mouth | Mill Creek in Wilkes-Barre, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania 548 ft (167 m) 41°15′40″N 75°51′22″W / 41.26113°N 75.85612°W |
| Length | 7.6 mi (12.2 km) |
| Basin features | |
| Progression | Mill Creek → Susquehanna River → Chesapeake Bay |
| Basin size | 12.8 sq mi (33 km2) |
| Tributaries |
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Laurel Run is a small river, also known as Laurel Run Creek. It flows into Mill Creek in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania. The stream is about 7.6 miles (12.2 km) long. It travels through Bear Creek Township, Laurel Run, Plains Township, and Wilkes-Barre.
The area of land that drains into Laurel Run is 12.8 square miles (33 km2). This stream is special because it's a "Coldwater Fishery." This means its waters are cold enough for fish like trout to live and thrive. In fact, wild trout naturally live in parts of Laurel Run. Many years ago, in the 1800s, people built different kinds of mills along the stream. It was also used to supply water to homes and businesses. Today, several bridges cross over Laurel Run.
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Where Laurel Run Flows
Laurel Run starts high up on a mountain called Rui Wang. This mountain is in Bear Creek Township. The stream first flows northeast for a short distance. Then, it turns northwest and enters a deep valley.
It continues flowing north-northwest for more than a mile. During this part of its journey, it enters the town of Laurel Run. The stream then goes into another valley and turns northeast for a few miles. This is where it enters Plains Township.
Deep Hollow: Laurel Run's Tributary
In Plains Township, Laurel Run gets water from its only named smaller stream, called Deep Hollow. After this, Laurel Run turns north. It flows close to Pennsylvania Route 115, and its valley becomes much narrower.
Soon, it turns north-northeast, then west-northwest. It passes through Meadow Run Lake and goes under Interstate 81/Pennsylvania Route 309 and Pennsylvania Route 115. A bit further downstream, it crosses Pennsylvania Route 315 and enters Wilkes-Barre. After a short distance, it turns east. Finally, it turns northwest and joins Mill Creek. Laurel Run meets Mill Creek about 0.70 miles (1.13 km) before Mill Creek reaches its own end.
Deep Hollow joins Laurel Run about 3.84 miles (6.18 km) upstream from where Laurel Run ends. The area of land that drains into Deep Hollow is 1.45 square miles (3.8 km2).
Water Flow and Levels
The amount of water flowing in Laurel Run can change a lot. For example, there's a 10 percent chance that the highest water flow at its mouth will reach 1,240 cubic feet per second in any given year. There's a 2 percent chance it could reach 2,210 cubic feet per second. There's also a 1 percent chance of it reaching 2,800 cubic feet per second. For a very rare event, there's a 0.2 percent chance of the water flow reaching 4,420 cubic feet per second.
Land and Rocks Around the Stream
The land around Laurel Run changes in height. Near where Laurel Run joins Mill Creek, the elevation is 548 feet (167 meters) above sea level. Near where the stream begins, its source is much higher. The elevation there is between 2,000 and 2,020 feet (610 and 616 meters) above sea level.
You can see where water flows out of pipes (called outfalls) into Laurel Run in a few spots. These include Trethaway Street, the Mill Street bridge, and the Scott Street bridge. In some places, there are also walls built to hold back the soil, called retaining walls. For part of its journey, Laurel Run flows between Wyoming Mountain and Wilkes-Barre Mountain. It also passes through a narrow passage called the Laurel Run Gap.
Laurel Run's Watershed
The watershed of Laurel Run covers an area of 12.8 square miles (33 km2). A watershed is all the land where water drains into a particular river or stream. Laurel Run's watershed makes up a large part of the southern area that drains into Mill Creek. It includes parts of Bear Creek Township, Plains Township, Laurel Run, and Wilkes-Barre.
The mouth of Laurel Run is located in the Pittston area on maps made by the United States Geological Survey. However, its source is shown on the Wilkes-Barre East map. Laurel Run is considered one of the main streams that feed into Mill Creek.
History of Laurel Run
Laurel Run was officially added to the Geographic Names Information System on August 2, 1979. This system keeps track of names and locations of places in the United States.
In the early 1800s, people started building mills along Laurel Run. Hezekaiah Parsons built a mill for processing cloth around 1813. John Holgate built a turning-mill in 1832. Jehoida P. Johnson built a small gristmill, which grinds grain, in 1817. For some years in the 1820s, this mill also operated next to a distillery, which makes alcoholic drinks. The gristmill was made bigger in 1843. A powder mill, which made gunpowder, was built nearby in 1844. Sadly, the powder mill exploded in 1848, destroying the gristmill, which was never rebuilt.
A book from 1909 called A History of Wilkes-Barré, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania said that Laurel Run used to be "of considerable size and importance." But today, it's described as a "trickling flow of water." In the past, the Wilkes-Barre Water Company used Laurel Run as a source of drinking water.
Over the years, several bridges have been built over Laurel Run:
- A concrete bridge for State Route 2020/Scott Street was built in 1929 in Wilkes-Barre. It is 44.9 feet (13.7 meters) long.
- A concrete culvert bridge for Interstate 81 was built in 1963 in Plains Township. It is 23.0 feet (7.0 meters) long.
- Another two-span concrete culvert bridge was built in 1991. It is 46.9 feet (14.3 meters) long.
- Another two-span concrete culvert bridge was built in Wilkes-Barre in 1991. It is 40.0 feet (12.2 meters) long.
In 2006, Laurel Run experienced a sudden, heavy flood, called a flash flood. This caused a lot of damage in areas like Scott Street. After this, a big cleanup project was announced, costing $2,000,000 and planned in six stages. The first stage cost $360,000 and was done by the Slusser Brothers.
In 2015, a group called the Eastern Pennsylvania Coalition of Abandoned Mine Reclamation received a $5,000 grant. They used this money to study how acid mine drainage and abandoned mine lands affect Laurel Run. They also studied the natural trout populations in the stream.
Wildlife and Fish
Laurel Run is officially known as a Coldwater Fishery. This means it's a good place for cold-water fish to live. Wild trout naturally reproduce in a part of the stream. This section runs from where the stream begins all the way to the Colebrook Dam. This stretch of the stream is 5.19 miles (8.35 km) long.
