Stony Creek (Black Creek tributary) facts for kids

Stony Creek is a small river, also called a tributary, that flows into Black Creek in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania. It's about 3.7 miles (6.0 km) long. The creek flows through areas like Hazle Township and West Hazleton.

Stony Creek has two smaller streams that join it: Cranberry Creek and Wolffs Run. Sadly, Stony Creek is affected by pollution from old coal mines. This pollution is called acid mine drainage. It means the water has too much acid and certain metals like iron, aluminum, and manganese.

Where Stony Creek Flows

Stony Creek starts where two streams, Wolffs Run and another unnamed stream, meet. This spot is near State Route 3024 in Hazle Township. The creek first flows north for almost a mile. It then gets another small, unnamed stream joining it.

After that, Stony Creek turns and flows east-northeast for a few miles. It stays in its valley. Eventually, it goes under Interstate 81. Here, it meets its other important tributary, Cranberry Creek. From this point, Stony Creek turns north. It then enters West Hazleton a short distance later. Soon after, it joins Black Creek.

Stony Creek's Tributaries

Stony Creek has two main named streams that flow into it:

• Cranberry Creek
• Wolffs Run

Water Quality and Health

The water in Stony Creek is a bit acidic. Its pH level is 5.3. For comparison, pure water has a pH of 7. The creek also has a low amount of alkalinity, which helps balance acidity. It has a lot of water hardness, which means it has many minerals like calcium and magnesium.

Stony Creek and its tributary, Cranberry Creek, are affected by pollution. The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection says they are "impaired." This means the water quality isn't good. The main problem is acid mine drainage from old, abandoned coal mines. This drainage adds metals and changes the water's pH. Stony Creek is one of several streams in the area that suffer from this type of pollution.

The amount of water flowing in Stony Creek changes. Upstream of Interstate 81, about 3,209 gallons of water flow per minute. Downstream of Cranberry Creek, the flow increases to about 5,898 gallons per minute.

The creek has small amounts of metals like aluminum, iron, and manganese. While these levels are sometimes high, they don't always break water quality rules. However, the creek has too much acidity. This means it needs a plan to reduce the acid. For example, the daily amount of acid in one part of the creek is about 499.3 pounds (226.5 kg). The safe limit is much lower, around 13.4 pounds (6.1 kg) per day.

Land and Rocks Around the Creek

The land around Stony Creek is about 1,450 feet (440 m) above sea level where it meets Black Creek. Where Stony Creek starts, the land is higher, between 1,700 and 1,720 feet (520 and 520 m) above sea level.

The soil in the area is called Hazleton-Dekalb-Buchanan soil. You can find this soil in many places around the Nescopeck Creek watershed. The rocks near Stony Creek include the Llwellyn Formation and the Mauch Chunk Formation. The Mauch Chunk Formation is very common in the larger Nescopeck Creek area.

There's also a large underground area of water from old mines called the Stony Creek Basin. This mine water flows into Stony Creek. This adds to the pollution problems the creek faces.

Stony Creek's Watershed

The watershed of Stony Creek is the area of land where all the rain and snow eventually drain into the creek. It's located in the southern-central part of the larger Nescopeck Creek watershed.

The land around Stony Creek has many local roads and some state roads. A big part of the Nescopeck Creek watershed is covered by forests. However, about 30 percent of Stony Creek's watershed is barren land. This means it's land that doesn't have much plant life. Areas with cities and old strip mines also cover a lot of the land. Stony Creek is one of several areas in the Nescopeck Creek watershed where coal mining has greatly changed the land.

The United States Geological Survey has mapped Stony Creek in an area called the Conyngham quadrangle.

A large reservoir called the Humboldt Reservoir is also in the Stony Creek watershed. This reservoir is very important. It provides 20 percent of the drinking water for the town of Hazleton.

History of Stony Creek

Stony Creek was officially added to the Geographic Names Information System on August 2, 1979. This system keeps track of names and locations of places in the United States.

A concrete culvert bridge was built over Stony Creek in 1967. This bridge carries Interstate 81 over the creek. It is 81.8 feet (24.9 m) long.

The Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission has a special station on Stony Creek. They use this station to test the water quality and check on the health of the creek.

Animals and Plants

Stony Creek is a good place for fish. It is called a "Coldwater Fishery." This means the water is cold enough for fish like trout to live there. Its tributary, Cranberry Creek, is also a Coldwater Fishery. Stony Creek is also known as a "Migratory Fishery." This means certain fish travel through it during their life cycle, often to lay eggs.