Little Black Creek facts for kids

Little Black Creek is a small stream, or tributary, that flows into Black Creek in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania. It is about 2.2 miles (3.5 km) long. The creek flows through towns like Lattimer, Harleigh, and Hazle Township.

The land around Little Black Creek has a lot of coal mining history. Because of this, the creek doesn't always flow with water; it's often intermittent. Some of its water even goes into an underground passage called the Jeddo Tunnel instead of flowing directly into Black Creek.

About Little Black Creek

Little Black Creek is located in an area known as the Eastern Middle Anthracite Field. This region is famous for its hard coal, called anthracite. The area that collects rainwater and sends it to the creek is called its watershed. This watershed is mostly on land that has been used for coal mining.

Where Does It Flow?

Little Black Creek starts where two smaller streams meet. This meeting point is on the border between Hazle Township and Lattimer. From there, the creek flows west and a little south for over a mile.

Then, it turns more directly south. As it flows, it follows the border between Hazle Township and Harleigh. After a short distance, the creek fully enters Hazle Township. It then flows under Pennsylvania Route 309, a major road. Soon after, it joins Black Creek.

Land and Geology Around the Creek

The land where Little Black Creek joins Black Creek is about 1,492 feet (455 m) above sea level. Where the creek begins, its elevation is higher, between 1,740 feet (530 m) and 1,760 feet (540 m) above sea level. Both the start and end points of the creek are in the Hazleton area.

An important feature nearby is the Jeddo Tunnel. This tunnel helps drain water from the Little Black Creek Coal Basin. The Jeddo Tunnel A, a part of this system, goes right through this coal basin. Little Black Creek is one of only four surface streams that successfully get water out of the Jeddo Tunnel area. It is the third largest of these streams.

The creek's path changes fairly often. About 30 percent of the land that drains into the creek is part of coal basins. The area around the creek has been heavily mined for coal in the past.

Water Flow and the Watershed

The area that collects water for Little Black Creek, its watershed, covers about 4.64 square miles (12.0 km²). Most of this watershed is in Hazle Township and Butler Township. A small part of it is in the town of Freeland. All of the watershed's water eventually drains into the Jeddo Tunnel system. The creek's watershed makes up 14 percent of the Jeddo Tunnel's total watershed.

The watershed of Little Black Creek is mostly in the Eastern Middle Anthracite Field. This area is part of the Ridge and Valley Province, known for its long, parallel ridges and valleys. The land around Little Black Creek is next to the watersheds of Black Creek and Nescopeck Creek.

The very beginning of Little Black Creek is east of Pardeesville. The end of the creek is close to Hazleton. There is also a small pond in the upper part of the watershed.

Little Black Creek does not always have water flowing in it. It has an intermittent flow, meaning it flows only at certain times, like after heavy rain or snowmelt. Scientists measured the water flow, or runoff, six times over a year. Most of the time, there was no flow. But sometimes, the flow was measured at 1 cubic foot per second or even 2.4 cubic feet per second. The Little Black Creek Coal Basin adds about 11.43 cubic feet of water per second to the Jeddo Tunnel's outflow.

History of the Creek

Long ago, a Native American trail called the Nescopeck Path crossed Little Black Creek.

In 1928, a concrete slab bridge was built to carry Pennsylvania Route 309 over Little Black Creek. This bridge is 22.0 feet (6.7 m) long. There are plans to fix or rebuild the creek's channel in its upper parts. This is because mining activities have changed the creek's original path in those areas. There are ten mining permits in the Little Black Creek Coal Basin.

Little Black Creek was officially added to the Geographic Names Information System on January 1, 1990. This system helps keep track of names for places like rivers and mountains.

The creek is even mentioned in a historical book called The North American Journals of Prince Maximilian of Wied.