Mill Creek (Susquehanna River tributary) facts for kids

Mill Creek is a cool stream in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. It's about 8.7 miles (14.0 km) long, which is like walking for a few hours! This creek flows into the big Susquehanna River. Its watershed, which is all the land that drains water into the creek, is about 36 square miles. Mill Creek travels through towns like Plains Township, Bear Creek Township, and Wilkes-Barre.

Mill Creek's Journey

Mill Creek starts its adventure in Plains Township at a place called the Mill Creek Reservoir. From there, it flows southwest into Bear Creek Township. It even goes under a major highway, Interstate 476, before turning northwest and heading back towards Plains Township.

The creek then turns west, passing by the Mill Creek Intake Dam. Along the way, it gets more water from a smaller stream called Deep Creek. Soon after, it crosses under another big highway, Interstate 81, and Pennsylvania Route 315. It then turns southwest again, flowing near the edge of Plains Township and the city of Wilkes-Barre.

Mill Creek then turns south, still following the city's edge. It meets another stream, Laurel Run, before crossing Pennsylvania Route 309. Finally, after a short distance, it reaches its end, flowing into the Susquehanna River.

Streams Joining Mill Creek

Mill Creek has several smaller streams that flow into it, making it bigger! These include Gardner Creek, Laurel Run, and Coal Brook. There are also a few other small, unnamed streams that add their water to Mill Creek.

Water Quality and Weather

Sometimes, the water in Mill Creek gets polluted. One reason is from old mines, where water can pick up harmful substances, making it like "acid mine drainage." This polluted water can even get into underground mines. In the 1970s, there was also some untreated wastewater that flowed into the creek.

The water quality in Mill Creek changes along its path. It can get a bit worse after Gardner Creek joins, but then it gets better after Laurel Run adds its water. This is because the cleaner water from Laurel Run helps to dilute, or spread out, the pollution.

Scientists have measured the water in Mill Creek. Near where it meets the Susquehanna River, the water was almost neutral, which is good. The water temperature in different parts of the creek can range from about 2 °C (36 °F) (cold!) to 23 °C (73 °F) (warm).

In Wilkes-Barre, the area gets a good amount of rain each year, about 44.7 inches (114 cm).

Land Around Mill Creek

The land around Mill Creek, called its watershed, is in the southeastern part of the Wyoming Valley. A big part of this area, about 32 percent, is in the Wyoming Coal Basin, which means there's a lot of coal underground.

The lowest point in the watershed is where Mill Creek meets the Susquehanna River, which is about 530 feet (160 m) above sea level. The highest points are on top of the ridges at the edge of the watershed, reaching about 2,160 feet (660 m) high!

The Mill Creek watershed is part of the Appalachian Mountains, which are known for their ridges and valleys. There's a special type of coal called the Red Ash coal seam found here. In some places, this coal is very deep underground, but on a stream called Gardener Creek, you can even see the coal at the surface!

Most of the land in the upper parts of the Mill Creek watershed is covered by forests or is rural. But as you go closer to the Susquehanna River, the lower parts of the watershed are more urban, with cities and towns.

Forests cover most of the Mill Creek watershed, making up about 73% of the land. Other parts are used for homes, businesses, and some areas are still used for mining. There's also a levee (a wall to prevent flooding) on Mill Creek in the Parsons area of Wilkes-Barre.

History of Mill Creek

Long ago, in the spring of 1771, some of the first settlers built a small sawmill near where Mill Creek flows into the Susquehanna River. This mill helped them cut wood.

In 1772, a man named Nathan Chapman got land to build another mill on Mill Creek. This mill worked until 1784. Later, new mills were built in 1781 or 1782 and they kept working until 1787. These mills were very important for the early communities in the area.