Oley Creek facts for kids

Oley Creek is a small stream in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. It flows into a bigger stream called Nescopeck Creek. The creek is about 5.2 miles (8.4 km) long. It flows through three different towns: Foster, Dennison, and Butler Townships.

A smaller stream called Long Hollow also flows into Oley Creek. The area of land that drains into Oley Creek (its watershed) is about 7.2 square miles (19 km²). The upper parts of the creek are a great place for fish that like cold water, especially wild trout. It's even called a "Class A Wild Trout Fishery" in some spots. The creek gets its name from a town called Oley in Berks County, Pennsylvania.

Where Oley Creek Flows

Oley Creek starts in Foster Township. It begins on the north side of a place called Green Mountain. First, it flows north for a while. Then, it goes under Interstate 80 and meets its tributary, Long Hollow.

After that, the creek turns west. It leaves Foster Township and enters Dennison Township. In this area, it flows next to Interstate 80 and close to the southern edge of Mount Yeager. After a short distance, it turns southwest, moving away from the highway and Mount Yeager.

The creek then passes by an old strip mine area. It turns west again and leaves Dennison Township. When it exits Dennison Township, Oley Creek enters Butler Township. Here, it flows into a lake. After leaving the lake, the creek flows a short distance more before joining Nescopeck Creek.

Streams Joining Oley Creek

Oley Creek has one named stream that flows into it: Long Hollow. This stream joins Oley Creek in its upper parts. Long Hollow mostly flows west and starts on Mount Yeager.

Water Quality of Oley Creek

The water in Oley Creek has a pH of 6.4. This number tells us how acidic or basic the water is. The amount of alkalinity in the water is 6 milligrams per liter. The hardness of the creek's water is 7 milligrams per liter. The specific conductance is 63 μmhos, which measures how well the water conducts electricity.

Oley Creek is somewhat affected by acid mine drainage, which is polluted water from old mines. It has also been affected by acid rain.

Each year, about 489,900 kilograms (1,080,000 lb) of erosion (soil washing away) flows through Oley Creek. Also, about 837,000 kilograms (1,845,000 lb) of sediment (tiny bits of rock and soil) moves through the creek. The yearly amount of nitrogen in the creek is about 5,453 kilograms (12,022 lb), and the yearly amount of phosphorus is about 487 kilograms (1,074 lb). These amounts are a small part of the total nitrogen and phosphorus found in Nescopeck Creek.

Land Around Oley Creek

The land area that drains into Oley Creek, called its watershed, is in the upper part of the Nescopeck Creek watershed. This area covers about 7.2 square miles (19 km²). Where Oley Creek joins Nescopeck Creek, the elevation is about 1,033 feet (315 m) above sea level. The creek is about 4 miles (6.4 km) from the Lehigh River, but it's not part of that river system.

There are about 10 miles (16 km) of state roads in the Oley Creek watershed. Most of the land, more than 80 percent, is covered by forest. Close to the creek (within 100 feet (30 m)), about 80 percent of the land is forest. Less than 10 percent is used for farming, and less than 3 percent is barren land.

Beech Mountain Lake is located near a part of Oley Creek. There is also a pond with a surface area of 2.2 acres (8,900 m²) at the very beginning of a smaller, unnamed stream that flows into Oley Creek. A valley known as the Oley Valley is also found along Oley Creek. All the areas of Oley Creek that are home to Class A Wild Trout are open to the public.

History and Name of Oley Creek

The name Oley Creek comes from the historic community of Oley in Berks County. The name "Oley" might come from words in the Lenape language, like olink or wólink. These words can mean "a cavern cell," "a sinkhole," or "a piece of land surrounded by high hills."

Long ago, Oley Creek was on the western edge of the land where the Munsee people lived. In the past, there were coal mines near Green Mountain along Oley Creek. In the early 1970s, a stream that flowed into Oley Creek was dammed. This created the Lake of the Four Seasons, which is also known as Beech Mountain Lake.

In 2003, a group called the Oley Creek Watershed Association was started. This group helps protect and care for the Oley Creek area.

Animals in Oley Creek

Even though Oley Creek is considered a stream with not many nutrients, it is a special place for Brook Trout. A 2.3-mile-long (3.7 km) part of the creek is called a Class A Wild Brook Trout fishery. This section goes from where Long Hollow joins the creek down to Interstate 80. The upper parts of the creek are also known as a high-quality coldwater fishery, meaning they are great for fish that need cold, clean water.