North Branch Mahantango Creek facts for kids

The North Branch Mahantango Creek is a cool stream in Snyder County, Pennsylvania. It's like a smaller river that flows into a bigger one called Mahantango Creek. This creek is about 13.3 miles (21.4 km) long. It starts high up on a mountain and flows through a few different townships before joining the Mahantango Creek. The place where it joins the bigger creek is about 438 feet (134 m) above sea level.

The land around the creek, called its watershed, is about 37 square miles big. This area collects all the rain and snowmelt that eventually flows into the creek.

Where Does the Creek Flow?

North Branch Mahantango Creek begins its journey in West Perry Township, right on Shade Mountain inside the Bald Eagle State Forest. Imagine it starting as a tiny trickle!

It flows south-southeast off the mountain, then turns east. It travels through a valley called Heister Valley, nestled between Chestnut Ridge and Lime Ridge. Along the way, many small, unnamed streams join it, adding more water. After several miles, it leaves West Perry Township.

Next, the creek enters Perry Township. It keeps flowing east for a bit, then reaches a community called Mount Pleasant Mills. Here, it turns southeast. The creek crosses Pennsylvania Route 35 and then flows alongside Pennsylvania Route 104. It turns south again, passing through areas like Potato Valley and Buckwheat Valley, where more small streams join it. It also passes a community called Shadle.

The creek continues south, going past the Long Woods and getting more water from a stream in Trout Valley. Finally, it meets Aline Creek near the community of Aline. A short distance later, it reaches the border between Perry Township and Chapman Township. The creek then flows along this border for a few miles, running next to Pennsylvania State Game Lands #194. Its journey ends when it flows into Mahantango Creek.

Creek Helpers: Tributaries

The North Branch Mahantango Creek has several smaller streams that flow into it, called tributaries. The most well-known one is Aline Creek. There are also many other unnamed streams that help fill the creek. Some of these smaller streams are considered "impaired," which means their water quality isn't as healthy as it should be.

Water Quality of the Creek

A part of the North Branch Mahantango Creek watershed, covering about five square miles, is considered "impaired" by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection. This means the water in this area isn't as clean as it could be, mainly due to too much sediment, nitrogen, and phosphorus.

• Sediment is like dirt and tiny bits of rock that wash into the creek. Too much sediment can make the water cloudy and harm fish habitats.
• Nitrogen and phosphorus are nutrients. While plants need them, too much can cause problems like too much algae growth, which uses up oxygen that fish need.

The biggest sources of phosphorus in the impaired part of the creek are cropland (farms) and deciduous forest (forests where trees lose their leaves). For nitrogen, the biggest source is groundwater (water found underground), followed by cropland. Cropland is also the main source of sediment getting into the creek.

The creek has a special balance of nitrogen to phosphorus, about 18 parts nitrogen to 1 part phosphorus. This means phosphorus is a "limiting nutrient," which often means if you reduce phosphorus, you can help control algae growth. Good news: there isn't any "point-source pollution" in the impaired part of the watershed. This means pollution isn't coming from a single pipe or factory. Instead, it's spread out, often from things like farm runoff.

Rocks, Land, and Weather

The land around North Branch Mahantango Creek has different types of rocks. In the impaired section, you'll find a lot of sandstone, carbonate (like limestone), shale, and mixed sedimentary rock. These rocks influence the water that flows over and through them. For example, the creek is known as a "limestone stream" because of the limestone in its path.

The area around the creek is mostly mountainous, with hills and ridges. The creek's path is curvy, winding through these rock formations.

The weather also affects the creek. The watershed gets about 105.62 centimetres (41.58 in) of rain each year. June is usually the wettest month, and February is the driest. The creek's temperature can be around 68 °F (20 °C) upstream of Mount Pleasant Mills.

The Creek's Home: Its Watershed

The entire area that drains into North Branch Mahantango Creek, its watershed, covers about 37 square miles. The Susquehanna River Basin Commission says that this creek's watershed is one of the best quality watersheds in the lower Susquehanna River area!

Most of the land in the impaired part of the watershed is covered by deciduous forest (about 55.5%). Cropland makes up about 21.1%, and hay fields and pastures are about 17.3%. There are also smaller amounts of mixed forest and coniferous forest (evergreen trees). A very small part of the land is used for development, like a quarry.

The northern part of the impaired watershed is mostly forest, while the southern part is more for farming or development. Both parts of the watershed also have wetlands, which are important for filtering water and providing habitats for wildlife.

The elevation of the creek's mouth (where it ends) is 438 feet (134 m) above sea level. As it flows from its source to its mouth, the creek drops about 40.2 feet (12.3 m) for every mile it travels.

A Look Back: Creek History

Back in the early 1920s, farming was the main activity in the area around North Branch Mahantango Creek. The creek was also used to power several small gristmills, which were buildings where grain was ground into flour.

A cool old bridge, the Aline Covered Bridge, was built over North Branch Mahantango Creek in 1884. It's a special type of wooden bridge called a burr truss bridge and is 67 feet (20 m) long.

The name "Mahantango" comes from the Delaware Native American word mahantongo, which means "where we had plenty to eat."

Creek Life: Biology

North Branch Mahantango Creek is a home for fish! It's stocked with trout, meaning young trout are added to the creek so people can fish for them. You can find a good number of brown trout there, including young ones.

However, there are some challenges for the creek's health. Sometimes, herds of livestock (like cows) can walk right into the creek. Also, the creek doesn't have a strong "riparian buffer." This is a strip of trees and plants along the creek banks that helps filter pollution and keep the water cool.

A book called Trout Unlimited's Guide to Pennsylvania Limestone Streams by A. Joseph Armstrong mentioned that while North Branch Mahantango Creek might not be as famous as some other streams, it's a true limestone stream and a good place to keep in mind for fishing if you're in that part of Pennsylvania.