List of tributaries of Mahanoy Creek facts for kids
Mahanoy Creek is a stream in Pennsylvania that is about 51 miles (82 km) long. It flows into a bigger river called the Susquehanna River. Mahanoy Creek has eleven smaller streams, called tributaries, that flow into it. These smaller streams include seven creeks and four runs.
The largest tributary is Schwaben Creek, which is about 10.7 miles (17.2 km) long. It drains an area of about 30.2 square miles (78.2 km2). The second largest tributary is Zerbe Run, which is about 8.3 miles (13.4 km) long and drains an area of about 13.1 square miles (33.9 km2).
Many of Mahanoy Creek's tributaries have been affected by mining activities. This includes Zerbe Run, Shenandoah Creek, and North Mahanoy Creek. However, Schwaben Creek and Little Mahanoy Creek are two large tributaries that have not been impacted by mining. Many of the streams closer to the start of Mahanoy Creek are in an area known for old coal mines.
Scientists measure how much water flows in a stream; this is called discharge. In March 2001, Zerbe Run had the most water flowing (30.2 cubic feet per second), while Lost Creek had the least (1.03 cubic feet per second). In August of that same year, Little Mahanoy Creek had the most water (6.80 cubic feet per second), but North Mahanoy Creek had no water flowing at all.
Scientists also measure the pH of water, which tells us how acidic or basic it is. A low pH means the water is acidic, and a high pH means it's basic. In March 2001, the pH in these streams ranged from 4.7 (acidic) in Lost Creek to 8.4 (basic) in Schwaben Creek. Some streams were acidic because of polluted water from old mines flowing into them.
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Fish and Other Water Life
In 2001, Schwaben Creek was the only named tributary of Mahanoy Creek where scientists found fish. It had twenty different kinds of fish!
However, almost every named tributary, except for Rattling Run, had tiny creatures called macroinvertebrates. These are small animals without backbones that live in water, like insects and worms. Scientists use a special score called the Hilsenhoff Biotic Index to see how healthy a stream is based on these creatures. Lower scores mean the stream is healthier. The scores for these streams ranged from 10 for Shenandoah Creek (which is "very poor") to 3.76 for Schwaben Creek (which is "excellent").
Mahanoy Creek itself is known as a "Warmwater Fishery," meaning it's a good place for fish that like warmer water. But most of its tributaries are "Coldwater Fisheries," which are better for fish that prefer colder water. Schwaben Creek and its smaller streams, Mouse Creek and Middle Creek, are "Trout Stocked Fisheries," meaning they are regularly stocked with trout. Little Mahanoy Creek is the only named tributary that has wild trout, but both it and part of Schwaben Creek are also stocked with trout for fishing.
Tributaries of Mahanoy Creek
Here is a list of the main streams that flow into Mahanoy Creek:
| Name | Length | Area Drained | Distance from Mahanoy Creek's Mouth | Mouth Elevation | Source Elevation | Mouth Coordinates | Image |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Schwaben Creek | 10.7 miles (17.2 km) | 30.2 square miles (78 km2) | 6.18 miles (9.95 km) | 463 feet (141 m) | 980 feet (300 m) | 40°43′04″N 76°47′32″W / 40.71778°N 76.79222°W | |
| Zerbe Run | 8.3 miles (13.4 km) | 13.1 square miles (34 km2) | 10.74 miles (17.28 km) | 509 feet (155 m) | 861 feet (262 m) | 40°45′16″N 76°45′24″W / 40.75444°N 76.75667°W | |
| Crab Run | 2.5 miles (4.0 km) | 3.50 square miles (9.1 km2) | 32.08 miles (51.63 km) | 742 feet (226 m) | 897 feet (273 m) | 40°44′28″N 76°23′23″W / 40.74111°N 76.38972°W | |
| Little Mahanoy Creek | 7.5 miles (12.1 km) | 11.0 square miles (28 km2) | 35.67 miles (57.41 km) | 794 feet (242 m) | 1,449 feet (442 m) | 40°45′16″N 76°20′39″W / 40.75444°N 76.34417°W | |
| Shenandoah Creek | > 5 miles (8.0 km) | 12.1 square miles (31 km2) | 41.72 miles (67.14 km) | 958 feet (292 m) | 1,300 feet (400 m) | 40°47′42″N 76°16′36″W / 40.79500°N 76.27667°W | |
| North Mahanoy Creek | 4.4 miles (7.1 km) | 5.99 square miles (15.5 km2) | 49.27 miles (79.29 km) | 1,224 feet (373 m) | 1,889 feet (576 m) | 40°48′50″N 76°08′28″W / 40.81389°N 76.14111°W |
Tributaries of Schwaben Creek
These streams flow into Schwaben Creek:
| Name | Length | Area Drained | Distance from Schwaben Creek's Mouth | Mouth Elevation | Source Elevation | Mouth Coordinates | Image |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mouse Creek | 5.6 miles (9.0 km) | 7.19 square miles (18.6 km2) | 0.48 miles (0.77 km) | 476 feet (145 m) | 850 feet (260 m) | 40°42′50″N 76°47′08″W / 40.71389°N 76.78556°W | |
| Middle Creek | 3.5 miles (5.6 km) | 3.70 square miles (9.6 km2) | 3.28 miles (5.28 km) | 551 feet (168 m) | 817 feet (249 m) | 40°43′17″N 76°44′08″W / 40.72139°N 76.73556°W |
Tributaries of Little Mahanoy Creek
This stream flows into Little Mahanoy Creek:
| Name | Length | Area Drained | Distance from Little Mahanoy Creek's Mouth | Mouth Elevation | Source Elevation | Mouth Coordinates | Image |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rattling Run | 2.3 miles (3.7 km) | 2.75 square miles (7.1 km2) | 0.32 miles (0.51 km) | 810 feet (250 m) | 1,460 feet (450 m) | 40°45′10″N 76°20′22″W / 40.75278°N 76.33944°W |
Tributaries of Shenandoah Creek
These streams flow into Shenandoah Creek:
| Name | Length | Area Drained | Distance from Shenandoah Creek's Mouth | Mouth Elevation | Source Elevation | Mouth Coordinates | Image |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lost Creek | 1.3 miles (2.1 km) | 1.32 square miles (3.4 km2) | 1.28 miles (2.06 km) | 1,053 feet (321 m) | 1,600 feet (490 m) | 40°48′40″N 76°14′31″W / 40.81111°N 76.24194°W | |
| Kehly Run | < 2 miles (3.2 km) | 1.63 square miles (4.2 km2) | 5.01 miles (8.06 km) |
|
1,675 feet (511 m) | 40°49′35″N 76°11′39″W / 40.82639°N 76.19417°W |
See also
