Nescopeck Creek facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Nescopeck Creek |
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Partially frozen Nescopeck Creek
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 Location of the mouth of Nescopeck Creek in Pennsylvania
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| Country | United States |
| State | Pennsylvania |
| County | Luzerne |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Main source | Olympus Pond Dennison Township 1,154 ft (352 m) 41°05′15″N 75°50′29″W / 41.08750°N 75.84139°W |
| River mouth | Susquehanna River Nescopeck 479 ft (146 m) 41°03′04″N 76°13′54″W / 41.05111°N 76.23167°W |
| Length | 37.5 mi (60.4 km) |
| Basin features | |
| Basin size | 143 sq mi (370 km2) |
Nescopeck Creek is a stream that flows for about 37.5 miles (60.4 km) in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. It's a tributary of the larger Susquehanna River. The creek is located in Pennsylvania's Coal Region, an area known for its coal mines. Its name, "Nescopeck," comes from an old Lenape word meaning "deep black waters."
The creek's water can be tricky to navigate because of rapids, floods, and sharp turns. It's also home to different types of trout, even though the water can sometimes be quite acidic, with a pH as low as 3.6 in some areas.
Most of the land around Nescopeck Creek is covered by forests. You'll find farms in the lower parts of the creek's area, while coal mines are more common near its smaller streams like Black Creek. A 6 miles (9.7 km) section of Nescopeck Creek is known as a great place for fishing for cold-water fish. The area also has seven natural spots with rare plants and animals. Scientists have found 51 different kinds of tiny water bugs (called macroinvertebrates) living in the creek's area.
The entire area that drains into Nescopeck Creek, called its watershed, covers 143 square miles (370 km2). This watershed stretches across parts of three counties. More than half of this land is covered by deciduous forests, which are trees that lose their leaves in the fall.
Contents
Where Does Nescopeck Creek Flow?
Nescopeck Creek starts in Dennison Township, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania. It begins where water from Olympus Pond meets Creasy Creek. The creek's starting point is also near Mount Yeager.
From there, it flows northwest for a bit, then goes through Olympus Pond and turns west. For several miles, it keeps flowing west through Pennsylvania State Game Lands #18. Along the way, it picks up water from smaller streams like Reilly Creek and Little Nescopeck Creek A.
Eventually, the creek reaches Butler Township. Here, it turns southwest, crosses Interstate 80, and gets more water from Oley Creek. It also passes by areas where strip mines used to be. A few miles later, it turns west-southwest, crosses Pennsylvania Route 309, and goes past the towns of Rumbels and St. Johns. Then it crosses Interstate 81.
After leaving Butler Township, the creek enters Sugarloaf Township. It continues west, receiving water from Little Nescopeck Creek B, crossing Pennsylvania Route 93, and making several curvy turns called meanders.
Finally, the creek flows into Black Creek Township, where it turns north. It meets its tributary, Black Creek, just before crossing Interstate 80 and flowing through a gap in Nescopeck Mountain. In this gap, the creek moves from Black Creek Township into Nescopeck Township. It then winds northwest, passes the town of Nescopeck, and joins the Susquehanna River at the border of Nescopeck Township and Columbia County.
Nescopeck Creek's Smaller Streams (Tributaries)
Nescopeck Creek has over 200 miles (320 km) of smaller streams that flow into it. About 111 miles (179 km) of these streams have names, and 106 miles (171 km) are unnamed. Some of the main streams joining Nescopeck Creek include Black Creek, two streams named Little Nescopeck Creek, Oley Creek, Creasy Creek, and Long Run. There are 13 named streams in total that feed into Nescopeck Creek.
The longest stream that flows into Nescopeck Creek is Black Creek, which is 24.1 miles (38.8 km) long. Reilly Creek is the shortest named tributary, only 2 miles (3.2 km) long.
Water Flow and Quality
How Much Water Flows? (Discharge)
From 1919 to 1926, the average amount of water flowing in Nescopeck Creek near St. Johns was 93.9 cubic feet per second (2.66 m3/s). The most water flowed in March, averaging 227 cubic feet per second (6.4 m3/s). The least water flowed in September, averaging 31.8 cubic feet per second (0.90 m3/s). The highest amount of water ever recorded in one month was 479 cubic feet per second (13.6 m3/s) in March 1920. The lowest was 12.9 cubic feet per second (0.37 m3/s) in September 1922.
More recently, from 1995 to 2002, the average water flow was 93.7 cubic feet per second (2.65 m3/s).
Dams Along the Creek
There are ten dams in the Nescopeck Creek watershed. The lakes or ponds behind these dams range in size from 3 to 154 acres (1.2 to 62.3 ha). Most of these dams (nine of them) are made of earth. One dam is made of stone. These dams are between 12 to 41 feet (3.7 to 12.5 m) tall and 340 to 1,500 feet (100 to 460 m) long.
Water Acidity and Pollution
In 2005, a study looked at the pH (how acidic or basic water is) of Nescopeck Creek. The average pH at different spots was around 5.06, 4.85, and 4.49. However, near where the creek starts, the pH is healthier, between 6.5 and 7. The lowest pH in the whole area is 4.2, found in parts of Black Creek.
Some streams are more alkaline (less acidic), like Creasy Creek, with a pH from 6.9 to 7.2. Other healthier streams include Long Run (6.6), Reilly Creek (6.4), and Oley Creek (6.4). Brook trout can live in water with a pH as low as 4.8, but most freshwater fish prefer a pH between 6.5 and 9.0.
The study also found metals like aluminum, iron, and manganese in the water. High levels of aluminum can be harmful to fish by affecting their gills, especially when the water is acidic. The water also contained sulfates.
Nescopeck Creek releases about 318 metric tons (351 short tons) of nitrogen each year. Most of this nitrogen comes from the land and groundwater. The Black Creek tributary adds harmful amounts of copper, lead, and zinc to the water. phosphorus is also present, mostly from farmland and quarries.
The biggest source of pollution in the Nescopeck Creek watershed is acid mine drainage (AMD), which is acidic water that flows out of old mines.
Land and Rocks (Geology) of Nescopeck Creek
Nescopeck Creek flows through an area with coal veins, which are layers of coal in the ground. These coal layers formed about 300 million years ago. Some of these coal layers can be very thick, up to 50 to 114 feet (15 to 35 m) in places. Most of the Eastern Middle coal field is within the Nescopeck Creek watershed.
The creek is in a geological area called the Ridge and Valley region, known for its fertile valleys and steep ridges.
Rock Formations
The Nescopeck Creek watershed has several major rock formations:
- The Mauch Chunk Formation has lots of good groundwater. It's a 3,000 feet (910 m)-thick layer of shale, sandstone, and silt. This formation makes up Sugarloaf Mountain and most of the Nescopeck Creek watershed.
- The Llewellyn Formation has more coal than any other rock layer here. It's 1,500 feet (460 m) thick and made of brownish-gray sandstone, siltstone, and shale.
- The Pottsville Formation also has many aquifers (underground water sources). It's 250 to 300 feet (76 to 91 m) thick and made of gray conglomerate (rock with pebbles) and sandstone. Water from this formation can be acidic and high in manganese and iron.
- The Pocono Formation is made of conglomerate and sandstone and surrounds the Pottsville Formation.
Some other less common rock formations include the Spechty Kopf, Hamilton, and Catskill Formations.
Over time, a lot of material has washed into Nescopeck Creek due to erosion. Black Creek has the most erosion, followed by the main part of Nescopeck Creek and Little Nescopeck Creek B.
Types of Soil
The most common soil series in the Nescopeck Creek watershed is the Hazleton-Dekalb-Buchanan series, found in 26 percent of the area. This soil is very permeable, meaning water can easily pass through it.
Other common soil types include:
- The Wellsboro-Oquaga-Morris series: Found in about 24 percent of the watershed, mostly near where the creek starts.
- The Leck Kill-Meckesville-Calvin series: Also covers about 24 percent, often found on hillsides near streams.
- The Udorthents-Urban Land-Volusia series: Makes up 11 percent, found in areas with urban development or where surface-mining has occurred.
- The Lackawanna-Arnot-Morris series: Found in 9 percent of the watershed, mostly near the creek's source.
The Nescopeck Creek Watershed
The Nescopeck Creek watershed covers 143 square miles (370 km2). Most of it is in Luzerne County, but parts also reach into Schuylkill and Columbia Counties. This area includes one city, five towns (boroughs), and thirteen townships. Most of the land in the watershed is publicly owned, with 13 percent owned by the state of Pennsylvania.
About 57 percent of the watershed is covered by deciduous forests. Another 11 to 12 percent has perennial herbaceous vegetation (plants that live for more than two years). Some areas also have mixed vegetation and annual plants. About 4 to 7 percent of the watershed consists of mines, quarries, and gravel pits.
Most of the Nescopeck Creek watershed (95 percent) is rural. The remaining 5 percent is suburban or urban. About 27 percent of the streams are near surface-mining operations. Developed areas are mostly in the southern part of the watershed, while undeveloped land is in the northern part.
All the smaller areas within the Nescopeck Creek watershed have at least 50 percent forest coverage. Many streams in the upper part of the watershed have over 80 percent forest. The Black Creek watershed, however, only has 55 percent forest. Some areas, like Cranberry Creek, Black Creek, and Stony Creek watersheds, have a lot of barren land. The Little Nescopeck Creek watershed has 30 percent farmland, and the Nescopeck Creek watershed itself has 24 percent farmland.
There are 910 miles (1,460 km) of roads in the Nescopeck Creek watershed. About 40 percent of the creek's length is within 100 feet (30 m) of a road.
Landscape and Elevation
Most of the Nescopeck Creek watershed is flat, with a gentle slope of 0 to 3 percent. However, there are two main lines of hills, one in the north and one in the center, where the slope is steeper (3 to 8 percent, and even over 15 percent in some northern areas).
The elevation (height above sea level) of the creek varies. Near its mouth, it's about 490 to 659 feet (149 to 201 m) high. Further upstream, closer to its source, the elevation rises to 1,165 to 1,496 feet (355 to 456 m). The very source of the creek is in an area with an elevation of 1,834 to 2,000 feet (559 to 610 m).
The smallest area that drains into Nescopeck Creek is Long Hollow, covering 1.1 square miles (2.8 km2). The largest is the main stem of Nescopeck Creek itself, covering 67.3 square miles (174 km2). Black Creek is the second-largest sub-watershed.
History of Nescopeck Creek
Native American Life
The name "Nescopeck Creek" comes from the Lenape people, meaning "deep black waters." Historically, two Native American tribes, the Fork Indians and the Delaware Indians, lived near the mouth of Nescopeck Creek. Other parts of the watershed were settled by the Lenni Lenape Indians. These groups lived in the area for a thousand years before European settlers arrived.
While there are no records of permanent towns in the middle of the watershed, temporary Native American camps existed in what is now Nescopeck State Park. By the 1700s, the Lenni Lenape had left the area because of the arrival of the Iroquois and European settlers.
Two important Native American trails crossed the Nescopeck Creek watershed: the Lehigh Path (also called the Warrior Trail) and the Trade Trail. Parts of these trails later became streets in Hazleton.
European Settlement
In the early 1700s, European settlers, given permission by William Penn, explored the Native American trails. Sometimes, small fights (called skirmishes) happened between settlers and Native Americans. One famous event was the Sugarloaf massacre in 1780, when Native Americans attacked soldiers near Nescopeck Creek.
The first mill was built in the Nescopeck Creek watershed in 1788. By 1791, only four settlers lived along the creek. In 1795, Samuel Mifflin built a sawmill at the mouth of the creek, and a gristmill (for grinding grain) was also built that year. A big flood in 1786, known as the Pumpkin Flood, was famous for washing many pumpkins downstream.
Over time, small industries like lumbering (cutting timber) and tanning (making leather) grew in the area. This led to the creation of towns like White Haven, Freeland, and Hazleton.
In 1813, anthracite coal was discovered. Coal mining became a major industry by 1836 with the Hazleton Coal Company. In the 1830s and 1840s, many "patch towns" were built to house miners. The population grew quickly. By the 1880s, these towns served over thirty mines. However, the coal mining industry started to decline, and by 1936, it was no longer a big industry in the Nescopeck Creek watershed.
A forge (a place to make metal) was built on Nescopeck Creek in 1830. The most destructive flood happened in 1850 when a dam broke, sadly killing 22 people. A tannery operated on the creek from 1858 to 1870.
In 1891, the first part of the Jeddo Tunnel was built. This tunnel system, completed in 1932, helped drain water from over 32 square miles (83 km2) of land, including coal basins.
A dam on Nescopeck Creek was destroyed during Hurricane Agnes in 1972. In the early 1900s, there was a power station at the creek's mouth. The Wilkes-Barre and Hazleton Railway also crossed the creek. After World War II, many people in the area lost their jobs because the coal industry was failing.
The United States Geological Survey had stations on Nescopeck Creek to measure water flow at different times, from 1919 to 1926, and later in the 1940s, 1950s, and 1960s. In the 1990s, some people were caught trying to steal Native American artifacts near the creek's source.
Animals and Plants (Biology) of Nescopeck Creek
Nescopeck Creek is home to brown trout and brook trout near its source. However, further downstream, there isn't as much life because pollution from old coal mines affects the water. In 1999, a study found 20 different kinds of fish living in the Nescopeck Creek watershed.
The creek and its smaller streams are rated for wild trout, from Class A (best) to Class D (worst). Many parts of Nescopeck Creek have riparian buffers, which are areas of trees and plants along the banks, with 80 percent being forest. You can find many shrub-like oak trees, as well as forests of oak, chestnut, and hemlock trees.
The entire Nescopeck Creek watershed has a high level of biodiversity, meaning many different types of plants and animals live there. The most diverse areas are Arbutus Peak, the Edgewood vernal pools, and the Nescopeck Creek valley. The southeastern part of the creek's area has the most types of amphibians and snakes. The northern part of the watershed has the most types of mammals.
Natural Areas and Rare Species
There are seven natural areas in the Nescopeck Creek watershed: Arbutus Peak, Valmont Industrial Park, the Black Creek flats, the Humboldt barrens, the Nescopeck Creek valley, and the Edgewood vernal pools. Arbutus Peak is a large area of 5,000 to 6,000 acres (2,000 to 2,400 ha) near the creek's source. The Nescopeck Barrens are special because they are home to 15 rare species of plants and animals. The Nescopeck Creek valley also has many rare species. The Edgewood vernal pools are important breeding grounds for wood frogs and Jefferson salamanders.
Scientists use different ways to measure the health of the environment. The Bird Community Index, which looks at songbirds, was high near the creek's source but low to medium in other areas. The Hilsenhoff Biotic Index (HBI), which looks at tiny water bugs, showed that Little Nescopeck Creek B was healthy upstream of the Jeddo Tunnel, but its health dropped a lot downstream.
In 1999, only a few small streams and the headwaters of Nescopeck Creek were considered Class-A fisheries (best for fishing). Most of Black Creek and the central part of Nescopeck Creek were Class-D fisheries (poor for fishing). While 20 fish species were found in 1999, some, like the brown bullhead and the bluegill, had disappeared since an earlier study.
Tiny Water Creatures (Macroinvertebrates)
Many different kinds of macroinvertebrates (small creatures without backbones) have been found in Nescopeck Creek. These include:
- One type of segmented worm
- One type of sowbug
- 11 types of mayflies
- 8 types of stone flies
- 11 types of caddisflies
- 6 types of dragonflies
- 2 types of helgrammites
- 10 types of beetles
- One type of fly
Amphibians, Reptiles, Birds, and Mammals
The Nescopeck Creek watershed is home to:
- 14 species of amphibians (like salamanders, frogs, newts, and toads), with 11 of them breeding there.
- 7 species of reptiles (5 types of snakes and 2 types of turtles), with 5 of them breeding there.
- About 100 different species of birds.
- 29 species of mammals, including 3 types of bats, 2 types of mice, and 2 types of foxes.
Types of Habitats
The most common habitat in the Nescopeck Creek watershed is the dry-oak mixed forest. Common trees here include northern red oak, white oak, and chestnut oak. You can also find gray and black birch trees. Higher up, there are pine, hemlock, and other oak trees. Closer to the ground, you'll see plants like huckleberry, teaberry, blueberry, and hawthorn, along with wildflowers like wild onion and wild strawberries.
In some areas, like Arbutus Peak, you'll find pitch pine – scrub oak forests. Here, the main trees are pitch pine, scrub oak, black oak, and chestnut oak. Common shrubs include Bracken fern, teaberry, black chokeberry, blueberry, and huckleberry.
The streams in the Nescopeck Creek watershed are generally considered "sub-optimal" habitats for aquatic life. The best water habitat found was a spot along Nescopeck Creek, while the worst were two spots along Black Creek.
Fun and Recreation at Nescopeck Creek
Nescopeck State Park is a great place for fun in the Nescopeck Creek watershed. Nescopeck Creek flows through this park, offering chances for trout fishing. The park covers 3,350 acres (1,360 ha) in the northwestern part of the watershed.
Besides the park, there are:
- Four golf courses
- Two community parks
- Two Pennsylvania State Game Lands (areas for hunting and outdoor activities)
- Ten spots for water-based fun, including Lake Francis in Nescopeck State Park.
A popular tourist attraction, Eckley Miner's Village, is also in the Nescopeck Creek watershed. There's also a resort called Eagle Rock Resort. Since the late 1990s, there have been plans to turn old railroad lines in the watershed into rail trails, which are paths for walking and biking. One idea is to connect the Hazleton area to the Delaware and Lehigh National Heritage Corridor.
