Pikes Creek facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Pikes Creek |
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Pikes Creek looking upstream
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| Physical characteristics | |
| Main source | pond or small lake in Lake Township, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania 1,480 ft (450 m) |
| River mouth | Harveys Creek on the border between Jackson Township, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania and Plymouth Township, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania between 940 and 960 feet (290 and 290 m) 41°15′46″N 76°02′01″W / 41.2629°N 76.0336°W |
| Length | 8.9 mi (14.3 km) |
| Basin features | |
| Progression | Harveys Creek → Susquehanna River → Chesapeake Bay |
| Basin size | 11.6 sq mi (30 km2) |
| Tributaries |
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Pikes Creek (also known as Pike Creek) is a small river, called a tributary, that flows into Harveys Creek in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania. It's about 8.9 miles (14.3 kilometers) long. The creek flows through several towns like Lake Township, Lehman Township, Jackson Township, and Plymouth Township.
The area of land that drains into Pikes Creek, called its watershed, covers about 11.6 square miles (30 square kilometers). This creek is special because it's a "High-Quality Coldwater Fishery," meaning its cold water is great for fish. It's also a "Migratory Fishery" and a "Class A Wild Trout Waters" in some parts, which means wild trout live and thrive here.
Pikes Creek is home to a 400-acre (160-hectare) reservoir called the Pikes Creek Reservoir. This reservoir is very important because it provides drinking water for tens of thousands of people in the area. Many bridges have been built over the creek to help people get around.
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Where Pikes Creek Flows
Pikes Creek starts in a small pond or lake in Lake Township. From there, it flows generally southwest. It then makes several turns, heading south-southeast, then east, and finally south.
The creek continues south for over a mile, flowing next to Pennsylvania Route 29. It passes through the community of Pikes Creek and crosses Pennsylvania Route 118. At the southern end of the community, another small stream called Fades Creek joins Pikes Creek. Fades Creek is the only named tributary that flows into Pikes Creek.
After Fades Creek joins, Pikes Creek turns west-southwest for a short distance before heading south again. It then leaves Lake Township and enters Lehman Township. After a while, the creek turns east-southeast and flows into the Pikes Creek Reservoir. At the reservoir's southwestern edge, the creek turns southeast. Finally, it flows east along the border between Jackson Township and Plymouth Township before joining Harveys Creek. Pikes Creek meets Harveys Creek about 5.6 miles (9.0 kilometers) upstream from Harveys Creek's own mouth.
How Much Water Flows?
The amount of water flowing in Pikes Creek, known as its discharge, changes throughout the year. Sometimes, especially after heavy rain or snowmelt, the water level can get very high.
For example, near the border of Lake Township and Lehman Township, there's a 10 percent chance each year that the creek's peak flow will reach 845 cubic feet per second. This means that, on average, once every ten years, the water will flow that fast or faster. Upstream of Fades Creek, the peak flow has a 10 percent chance of reaching 556 cubic feet per second.
Pikes Creek's Surroundings
The land around Pikes Creek varies in height. The place where Pikes Creek joins Harveys Creek is about 940 to 960 feet (287 to 293 meters) above sea level. The very beginning of Pikes Creek, its source, is higher up, at about 1,480 feet (451 meters) above sea level.
In some parts, Pikes Creek flows through a man-made concrete channel called a flume. This helps control the water flow. The valley around Pikes Creek has different types of ground. There's a layer of alluvium, which is made of sand, silt, and gravel, up to 10 feet (3 meters) thick. You can also find sand and gravel left behind by glaciers from the Ice Age. The area also has bedrock made of sandstone and shale, which are types of rock.
Pikes Creek's Water Supply Role
The entire watershed of Pikes Creek, covering 11.6 square miles (30 square kilometers), is important for water supply. The water from Pikes Creek, along with Harveys Creek, is used by the Pennsylvania American Water Company. This water company provides drinking water to about 67,500 people in 15 different communities, including Wilkes-Barre and Nanticoke. The company is allowed to take up to 16 million gallons of water per day from these creeks.
A large dam creates the 400-acre (160-hectare) Pikes Creek Reservoir on the creek. This reservoir is mainly used to store water for drinking. The reservoir and the land around it are private property. The dam itself, called the Pikes Creek Dam, is 65 feet (20 meters) high.
Pikes Creek is mostly on private land. However, about half of this land is open for the public to access. Pikes Creek can sometimes cause floods in Lake Township, especially after heavy rains. But because Lake Township isn't very developed, these floods usually don't cause a lot of damage.
History and Fun Activities
Pikes Creek was officially added to the Geographic Names Information System, which tracks names of places, on August 2, 1979. It's also sometimes called Pike Creek on older maps.
In 1806, a person named Daniel Lee settled near where Pikes Creek begins. Later, in 1860, Otis Allen built a mill on the creek in Lake Township. Mills like this used the power of the flowing water to grind grain or saw wood.
Several bridges have been built over Pikes Creek over the years. A steel bridge was built in 1926 near Pennsylvania Route 29. A concrete bridge carrying Pennsylvania Route 29 was built in 1927 and fixed up in 1980. Another concrete bridge was built in 1932, also carrying Pennsylvania Route 29. In 1935, a concrete bridge carrying Pennsylvania Route 118 was constructed over the creek.
Pikes Creek flows along the northern side of Moon Lake County Park for some distance. If you visit the Pikes Creek Reservoir, you can go shoreline fishing in some areas. However, for safety and water quality reasons, boating, ice fishing, swimming, and wading are not allowed in the reservoir.
Animals and Nature
The area around Pikes Creek is a great place for fish. It's known as a "High-Quality Coldwater Fishery" and a "Migratory Fishery." The Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission considers parts of Pikes Creek to be "Class A Wild Trout Waters." This means that wild brook trout and brown trout live and reproduce naturally in the creek, especially from its beginning down to the Pikes Creek Reservoir.
The reservoir itself is home to at least 15 different kinds of fish. Some of these include largemouth bass, yellow perch, bluegills, and black crappies. Downstream from the Pikes Creek Reservoir, you can also find an old-growth forest, which is a forest that has grown naturally for a very long time without being cut down.
