Laurel Run (West Branch Fishing Creek tributary) facts for kids

Laurel Run is a small stream, also called a tributary, that flows into West Branch Fishing Creek in Sullivan County, Pennsylvania. It's about 1.2 miles (1.9 km) long. This stream runs through a place called Davidson Township. You can find it on maps in the Elk Grove area. The land around Laurel Run shows signs of ancient glaciers and different types of rocks like sandstone and shale. There's even a cool old wooden bridge that crosses the stream!

Where Laurel Run Flows

Laurel Run starts its journey in a valley within Davidson Township. It flows south for a while, then turns to the southeast. After a bit more flowing, it turns south again. Finally, it turns southeast one last time and leaves the valley.

The stream crosses Fishing Creek Road. Soon after, it meets and joins West Branch Fishing Creek. Laurel Run adds its water to West Branch Fishing Creek about 8.54 miles (13.74 km) before that creek reaches its own end.

Land and Rocks Around Laurel Run

The land where Laurel Run meets West Branch Fishing Creek is about 1,657 feet (505 m) above sea level. Where the stream begins, its source, the elevation is higher, between 2,260 and 2,280 feet (690 and 690 m) above sea level.

Glacial History and Rocks

The valley of Laurel Run has special glacial till called Wisconsinan Flow-Till. This is a unique type of soil left behind by glaciers. It's the only place in the Elk Grove map area where you can find this specific kind of glacial soil. This soil is found in the upper parts of the stream's valley.

Lower down the valley, you'll find "Boulder Colluvium". This is a mix of loose rock and soil that has moved downhill. It contains large boulders made of quartz, sandstone, and conglomerate. Conglomerate is a rock made of different sized pebbles cemented together.

Higher up in the area where the stream gets its water, there's more glacial material. This includes Wisconsinan Till Moraine and Wisconsinan Till. These are also types of soil and rocks left by glaciers. Near the mouth of the stream, you can see Alluvium and alluvial fan. Alluvium is soil deposited by flowing water, and an alluvial fan is a fan-shaped deposit of sediment.

The sides of the stream's valley are made of bedrock. This bedrock is mostly sandstone and shale. Sandstone is a rock made from sand, and shale is a soft rock made from mud or clay.

Ancient Glaciers

During the late Wisconsinan glaciation, which was a very cold period, glaciers covered much of the land. The edge of these glaciers, called the terminus, pushed out in a small bulge near where Laurel Run starts today. This shows how far the ice once reached.

Laurel Run's Area and Bridge

Laurel Run is located entirely within the area covered by the United States Geological Survey map called Elk Grove.

There is a bridge that crosses Laurel Run. The Pennsylvania Game Commission has a special permit to take care of this bridge. It's a wooden plank bridge with strong abutment walls made of stone. The bridge is about 10 feet (3.0 m) long. The opening under the bridge, where the stream flows, is about 65 square feet (6 square meters).

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. Its special ID number in this system is 1209307.