South Brook (Mehoopany Creek tributary) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids South Brook |
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| Physical characteristics | |
| Main source | wetland in Ross Township, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania 2,211 feet (674 m) |
| River mouth | Mehoopany Creek in Forkston Township, Wyoming County, Pennsylvania near Bellasylva 1,532 feet (467 m) 41°25′22″N 76°12′54″W / 41.4229°N 76.2150°W |
| Length | 6.0 miles (9.7 km) |
| Basin features | |
| Progression | Mehoopany Creek → Susquehanna River → Chesapeake Bay |
| Basin size | 10.1 square miles (26 km2) |
| Tributaries |
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South Brook is a small stream, also called a tributary, located in Luzerne County and Wyoming County, Pennsylvania. It flows into Mehoopany Creek. The brook is about 6.0 miles (9.7 km) long.
It flows through several areas. These include Ross Township and Lake Township, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania in Luzerne County. It also passes through Forkston Township in Wyoming County. The land area that drains into South Brook, called its watershed, covers about 10.1 square miles (26 km2). Wild trout live in this stream. South Brook has one main smaller stream joining it, named Opossum Brook.
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Journey of South Brook
South Brook starts in a wet, marshy area called a wetland. This wetland is in Ross Township, Luzerne County. The stream first flows northeast for a short distance. It then briefly enters Forkston Township, Wyoming County.
Next, it turns south-southeast and goes back into Ross Township. South Brook flows through a small, unnamed pond. After the pond, it turns east and enters another wetland. When it leaves this wetland, it enters Lake Township, Luzerne County.
The stream then turns northeast for a short way. It soon enters a third wetland. After this, South Brook goes back into Forkston Township. It winds its way north through three more wetlands. Finally, it turns northwest for a few miles. Here, it flows through a deep valley.
After more than a mile, the valley gets wider. The brook keeps flowing northwest. It then meets its only named tributary, Opossum Brook. Opossum Brook joins from the left side. South Brook then turns north for a short distance. It soon reaches where it joins Mehoopany Creek. This meeting point is about 16.94 miles (27.26 km) upstream from Mehoopany Creek's end.
Meeting Opossum Brook
South Brook has one important smaller stream that flows into it. This stream is called Opossum Brook. Opossum Brook joins South Brook very close to its end. It meets South Brook about 0.18 miles (0.29 km) upstream from where South Brook joins Mehoopany Creek. This meeting point is near a place called Bellasylva. The area that Opossum Brook drains is about 5.13 square miles (13.3 km2).
Land and Rocks Around the Stream
The land where South Brook ends, its mouth, is about 1,532 feet (467 m) above sea level. Where the stream begins, its source, is much higher. It is about 2,211 feet (674 m) above sea level. South Brook is known as a small and quiet stream. It mostly flows in a northwest direction.
South Brook is one of five large streams that flow down from a tall, flat-topped mountain. This mountain separates the land drained by Mehoopany Creek from the land drained by Bowman Creek. South Brook is the first of these streams when you look from southwest to northeast. A very high part of the mountain stretches from where South Brook starts to where Henry Lott Brook begins. In the late 1940s, people described South Brook as a "cold, clear mountain stream."
South Brook's Watershed
The watershed of South Brook covers an area of 10.1 square miles (26 km2). A watershed is all the land where water drains into a particular stream or river. The end of South Brook is located in the Dutch Mountain United States Geological Survey map area. However, its beginning is in the Sweet Valley map area. The stream joins Mehoopany Creek near the town of Bellasylva. Some roads used by the Pennsylvania Game Commission are found within the South Brook watershed.
History and Fun Activities
South Brook was officially added to the Geographic Names Information System on August 2, 1979. This system keeps track of names for places in the United States. Its special ID number in the system is 1199981.
Since at least the late 1940s, South Brook has been part of Pennsylvania State Game Lands Number 57. These are areas set aside for wildlife and outdoor activities. For a long time, South Brook has been a popular spot for trout fishing.
Amazing Wildlife
Wild trout naturally live and reproduce in South Brook. They are found from where the stream begins all the way to where it ends. In 1986, the Pennsylvania Angler magazine mentioned that South Brook had a good population of wild trout. The stream is officially called a "High-Quality Coldwater Fishery." This means its cold, clean water is excellent for fish like trout.
