Little Meshoppen Creek facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Little Meshoppen Creek |
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| Physical characteristics | |
| Main source | small, unnamed pond in Auburn Township, Susquehanna County, Pennsylvania 1,325 ft (404 m) |
| River mouth | Meshoppen Creek in Mehoopany, Wyoming County, Pennsylvania 627 ft (191 m) 41°36′50″N 76°02′52″W / 41.6138°N 76.0478°W |
| Length | 9.5 mi (15.3 km) |
| Basin features | |
| Progression | Meshoppen Creek → Susquehanna River → Chesapeake Bay |
| Basin size | 13.8 sq mi (36 km2) |
| Tributaries |
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Little Meshoppen Creek is a small river that flows into Meshoppen Creek in Susquehanna County and Wyoming County, Pennsylvania. It is about 9.5 miles (15.3 km) long. The creek flows through Auburn Township, Meshoppen Township, and the town of Meshoppen.
The area of land that drains into the creek (its watershed) is about 13.8 square miles (36 km2). Little Meshoppen Creek is a good home for coldwater fish and for fish that travel (migrate). It is considered a healthy waterway. In the 1800s, many businesses used the creek, like a leather factory (tannery), several mills, and a water company that built a dam.
Where the Creek Flows
Little Meshoppen Creek starts in a small pond in Auburn Township, Susquehanna County. It flows south through a wide valley for over a mile. Then it reaches White Pond.
From the end of White Pond, the creek flows southwest for a few miles. It gets water from two small streams joining it from the right side. The creek then turns south, passing near another pond. It also gets water from a small stream joining it from the left.
After this, the creek flows through Carlin Pond. At the end of Carlin Pond, another small stream joins it from the right. The creek then winds south for a few miles, getting more water from a stream on the left. Finally, it leaves Susquehanna County.
When Little Meshoppen Creek enters Meshoppen Township, Wyoming County, it continues to wind south. It gets another small stream from the right and crosses Pennsylvania Route 267. The creek flows next to Route 267 for a short distance.
It then turns southeast and gets another small stream from the left. The creek then flows south into the town of Meshoppen. Here, Little Meshoppen Creek joins Meshoppen Creek. It meets Meshoppen Creek about 0.12 miles (0.19 km) before Meshoppen Creek ends.
Creek Water and Land
The elevation of the land where Little Meshoppen Creek meets Meshoppen Creek is 627 feet (191 m) above sea level. The elevation where the creek begins is 1,325 feet (404 m) above sea level. This means the creek flows downhill quite a bit!
Little Meshoppen Creek is not listed as a polluted or "impaired" waterbody. This means its water quality is good. In the 1890s, some people thought the creek was getting smaller. Measurements showed that the amount of water flowing in the creek was 150 US gallons per minute (0.57 m3/min) above a dam. Below the dam, it was 141 US gallons per minute (0.53 m3/min).
The area of land that drains into Little Meshoppen Creek is about 13.8 square miles (36 km2). The mouth of the creek is on the United States Geological Survey map called Meshoppen. The source is on the map called Auburn Center.
A company called Roundtop Energy has permission to build things near the creek. They can build an electric line over a small stream that feeds the creek. They can also build a 4-inch (10 cm) steel natural gas pipeline across two other small streams. They are also allowed to add and remove material from the floodway of a stream for their work.
Little Meshoppen Creek is known as a Coldwater Fishery. This means its water is cold enough for certain types of fish. It is also a Migratory Fishery, meaning fish travel through it to other places.
History of the Creek
Little Meshoppen Creek was officially added to the Geographic Names Information System on August 2, 1979. This system keeps track of names for places in the United States.
In 1809, Ezekiel Mowrey built a sawmill on Little Meshoppen Creek. A sawmill is a place where logs are cut into lumber. Later, in 1840, a doctor named John Smith built a gristmill on the lower part of the creek. A gristmill grinds grain into flour.
In 1860, Clark Burr and his sons built a tannery near the sawmill. A tannery is a factory that turns animal hides into leather. Daniel Hankinson later owned the gristmill. In 1868, he made the mill almost twice as big and improved it a lot.
The Meshoppen Water Company started in 1869. By 1880, they had an iron water main (a large pipe) running 1 mile (1.6 km) up Little Meshoppen Creek. Also around this time, a quarry was being used by Brownscombe and King in the creek's watershed. A quarry is a place where stone is dug out of the ground.
In the 1890s, the Meshoppen Water Company was sued by Dennis Harley. He claimed they replaced their water main with a bigger one and took too much water from the creek.
A 23.0-foot (7.0 m) stone arch bridge was built in 1893. This bridge carries Pennsylvania Route 267 over Little Meshoppen Creek in Meshoppen. In 1927, a 36.1-foot (11.0 m) concrete bridge was built over the creek in Meshoppen. The Pennsylvania Route 267 bridge in Meshoppen was replaced in November 2017. The new bridge is longer and wider and is built to last for 100 years.
