Stony Brook (Mehoopany Creek tributary) facts for kids

Stony Brook is a small stream in Wyoming County, Pennsylvania. It flows into a bigger stream called Mehoopany Creek. Stony Brook is about 4.3 miles (7 kilometers) long. It flows through two areas: North Branch Township and Forkston Township. Another smaller stream, called Red Brook, flows into Stony Brook. Many years ago, people cut down a lot of trees in the forests near the top part of Stony Brook.

Where Stony Brook Flows

Stony Brook starts its journey in North Branch Township. It flows into a valley. From there, it travels southeast for about two miles (three kilometers). Then, it turns south. It soon enters Forkston Township.

A little while later, the stream called Red Brook joins Stony Brook. After this, Stony Brook turns east. It then bends south and later southwest. Finally, it reaches its end point. This is where it joins Mehoopany Creek. Stony Brook flows into Mehoopany Creek about 12.20 miles (19.63 kilometers) before Mehoopany Creek reaches its own end.

Helper Streams: Tributaries

A tributary is a smaller stream or river that flows into a larger one. Stony Brook has one main tributary. This helper stream is known as Red Brook. The area of land that drains water into Red Brook is about 2.3 square miles (6 square kilometers).

Land and Rocks Around Stony Brook

The land around Stony Brook has different heights. Near where Stony Brook joins Mehoopany Creek, the land is about 1,082 feet (330 meters) above sea level. This is like being 1,082 feet higher than the ocean.

Where Stony Brook begins, the land is much higher. The starting point of the stream is between 2,200 and 2,220 feet (670 and 676 meters) above sea level.

Types of Rocks and Minerals

There are two special types of rocks found near Stony Brook. These rocks are called conglomerates. A conglomerate rock looks like a bunch of different pebbles and stones that have been naturally glued together.

Coal is also found close to Stony Brook. Coal is a black rock that can be burned for energy. A long time ago, in the late 1800s, people dug up a lot of coal from this area. They mined about a thousand tons of coal from the ground.

Stony Brook's Watershed

A watershed is all the land where rain and snow collect and then drain into a specific stream, river, or lake. Think of it like a big bowl. All the water that falls inside that bowl flows to the lowest point.

The watershed for Stony Brook covers an area of about 6.87 square miles (17.8 square kilometers). This means all the water that falls on this land eventually makes its way into Stony Brook.

History and Industries in the Area

For many years, people worked in the forests around Stony Brook. They cut down trees for wood. This activity is called logging.

Between the years 1911 and 1916, a lot of logging happened. At the very top part of Stony Brook and in an area called Crane Swamp, workers cut down a huge amount of wood every day. They logged between 30,000 and 40,000 feet of wood daily. Most of this wood came from spruce trees.

Animals in Stony Brook

Stony Brook is home to native trout. Trout are a type of fish that live in cool, clear streams. Because of these fish, Stony Brook is well-known to the people who live nearby. Many locals enjoy fishing for trout in the stream.