Reilly Creek facts for kids

Reilly Creek is a small stream, also called a tributary, that flows into Creasy Creek. It is located in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. The creek is about 2.3 miles (3.7 kilometers) long. It flows through an area called Dennison Township.

Reilly Creek has one main feeder stream, which is named Mill Creek. The water in Reilly Creek is a little bit acidic. However, it also has some alkalinity and is not too hard. This means it is pretty unlikely to get polluted. The land around the creek has two main types of rock. These are called the Mauch Chunk Formation and the Pocono Formation. Reilly Creek is a good place for fish that like cold water.

Where Reilly Creek Flows

Reilly Creek starts in Dennison Township. This is a short distance northwest of a place called Bear Creek Junction. First, the creek flows southwest for a little while. Then, it turns and flows west-southwest for almost two miles (three kilometers).

After that, the creek turns southwest again for a short distance. Here, another stream, Mill Creek, joins it from the left side. Once Mill Creek joins, Reilly Creek turns northwest. After flowing a bit further, it meets and flows into Creasy Creek.

Water Quality of Reilly Creek

The water in Reilly Creek is slightly acidic. Its pH level is 6.4. To give you an idea, pure water has a pH of 7. The water also has 22 milligrams of alkalinity per liter. The water hardness is 28 milligrams per liter. These numbers help scientists understand the water's quality.

Scientists also measure something called specific conductance. For Reilly Creek, this is 97 micromohs. This measurement tells us how well electricity can pass through the water. It can give clues about what is dissolved in the water.

The area where Reilly Creek is located has a low chance of water pollution. This is good news for the plants and animals living in and around the creek.

Land and Rocks Around the Creek

The land around Reilly Creek changes in height. Near where the creek ends, the elevation is about 1,158 feet (353 meters) above sea level. Where the creek begins, the land is higher. It is between 1,300 feet (396 meters) and 1,320 feet (402 meters) above sea level.

Interestingly, Reilly Creek is shorter than its own feeder stream, Mill Creek.

The ground near Reilly Creek has two main types of rock. One is called the Mauch Chunk Formation. This rock holds a lot of underground water. The other is the Pocono Formation. There are also several water wells in the area. These wells are used to get water from underground.

The Creek's Watershed

The mouth and source of Reilly Creek are both in an area mapped by the United States Geological Survey. This area is called the White Haven quadrangle. The watershed of Reilly Creek is a part of the larger Nescopeck Creek watershed. A watershed is an area of land where all the water drains into a specific river or creek.

Nearby watersheds include those of Mill Creek and Creasy Creek. This means water from those areas drains into different streams.

There are only a few miles of local roads in the Reilly Creek watershed. Even fewer state roads are found there. Reilly Creek is special because its watershed is mostly covered by forest. More than 80 percent of the land is forest. This is true for five other streams in the upper Nescopeck Creek watershed too.

History of Reilly Creek

Reilly Creek was officially added to the Geographic Names Information System on August 2, 1979. This system is like an official list of names for places in the United States. Its special ID number in the system is 1184879. It is described as a "2 mile long tributary of Nescopeck Creek."

The Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission has a special station on Reilly Creek. At this station, they regularly check the water quality. This helps them make sure the creek stays healthy.

Animals and Nature

The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection considers Reilly Creek a Coldwater Fishery. This means the water is cold enough and clean enough for certain types of fish to live there. These fish often include trout.

Reilly Creek is the only part of the Creasy Creek area that is not considered a High-Quality Coldwater Fishery. It is also not a Class A Wild Trout Waters. These terms mean that while Reilly Creek is good for coldwater fish, other parts of Creasy Creek are even better for wild trout.