Meeker Run facts for kids

Meeker Run is a small stream located in Sullivan County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. It flows into Heberly Run. The stream is about 0.9 miles (1.4 km) long and runs through Davidson Township. Its watershed, which is the area of land that drains into the stream, covers about 0.41 square miles (1.1 km2).

The water in Meeker Run is quite acidic. This acidity can be fixed. The land around the stream is made of certain types of rock, like the Huntley Mountain Formation and Burgoon Sandstone. The soil nearby includes types like Deep-Wellsboro-Oquaga and Wellsboro.

Stream's Path

Meeker Run starts on a flat, high area (a plateau) in Davidson Township. It flows south for a short distance. Then, it turns east and flows into a valley.

Along its journey, another small stream joins it. At the end of the valley, Meeker Run meets and joins Heberly Run. This meeting point is about 2.93 miles (4.7 km) upstream from where Heberly Run itself ends.

Joining Streams

Meeker Run has one unnamed stream that flows into it. This smaller stream is known as Unt 28006.

Water Quality

Meeker Run has a water flow (called discharge) of about 320 gallons per minute when the water levels are normal. The pH of the stream, which tells us how acidic or basic the water is, is 4.37. This means it's quite acidic. The water also has 0.260 milligrams of aluminum per liter. The stream suffers from ongoing acidification, meaning it's always too acidic.

The overall water quality of Meeker Run is considered "severe." This is even worse than "very poor." This is true during both normal and high water flow conditions. However, Meeker Run only significantly affects the water quality of Heberly Run when there is a lot of water flowing.

To improve Meeker Run's water, it needs more alkalinity. This means adding about 16 pounds (7.3 kg) of a substance that can make the water less acidic each day. One way to do this is by adding lime to the forest surface nearby. This is the only practical way because the stream is hard to reach.

The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection considers about 0.96 miles (1.5 km) of Meeker Run and 0.55 miles (0.89 km) of its unnamed tributary to be harmed. This harm is due to air pollution affecting the pH and metal levels in the water.

Near where Meeker Run starts, the amount of dissolved organic carbon is 15.0 milligrams per liter. This is almost twice as much as in any other stream studied in the East Branch Fishing Creek watershed.

Land and Rocks

The land around the mouth of Meeker Run is about 1,935 feet (590 m) above sea level. Where the stream begins, the elevation is higher, between 2,360 feet (720 m) and 2,380 feet (725 m) above sea level.

The lower parts of Meeker Run flow over rocks from the Huntley Mountain Formation. The upper parts flow over Burgoon Sandstone. Below its unnamed tributary, the stream flows over Deep-Wellsboro-Oquaga soil. Upstream from this point, it flows over other soil types like Wellsboro, Oquaga, and Norwich. Most of the soil in the watershed is very acidic.

Stream Area

The watershed of Meeker Run covers an area of about 0.41 square miles (1.1 km2). There are about 1.2 miles (1.9 km) of streams within the Meeker Run watershed.

In the upper parts of the Meeker Run watershed, you can find wetlands like marshes and fens. There is also a tannic bog on one of the stream's smaller branches.

You can only reach Meeker Run if you have a four-wheel drive vehicle.

Stream's History

Efforts to restore Meeker Run are part of the first stage of the East Branch Fishing Creek Restoration Plan. This first stage, which also includes Heberly Run, is expected to cost around $230,000.

Meeker Run was first identified as a stream with problems in 2002. As of December 2011, a plan to set a total maximum daily load (TMDL) for it was scheduled for 2015. A TMDL sets the maximum amount of a pollutant that a body of water can receive and still meet water quality standards.

Stream Life

The community of small water creatures (called macroinvertebrates) living in Meeker Run is considered the worst among several streams in the East Branch Fishing Creek watershed. This means there are fewer types and numbers of healthy insects and other tiny animals living there.