Tangascootack Creek facts for kids

Tangascootack Creek (also known as Scootack or Tangascootac Creek) is a stream that flows into the West Branch Susquehanna River in Clinton County, Pennsylvania. It is about 11.4 miles (18.3 kilometers) long. The creek's watershed, which is the area of land that drains into it, covers 36.5 square miles (94.5 square kilometers).

The creek has smaller streams that flow into it, called tributaries. These include North Fork Tangascootack Creek and Muddy Run. Near the start of the creek, there's a swamp called Bear Swamp. For a long time, from the 1800s to the 1900s, people mined coal in the area around the creek. This mining caused a problem called acid mine drainage, which means acidic water from mines flows into the creek. Muddy Run is a big source of this pollution.

Most of the land around Tangascootack Creek is forest, and not many people live there. In the past, people worked in farming, cutting down trees (lumbering), and mining for coal and iron. Old cooking pots, called crucibles, made by Native Americans have been found along the creek.

Journey of the Creek

Tangascootack Creek is about 11.4 miles (18.3 kilometers) long. It starts in a wet, marshy area in Beech Creek Township. This area is part of Sproul State Forest, close to the border of Clinton and Centre County.

As the creek flows, it passes by old strip mines and Bear Swamp. Then it enters Bald Eagle Township. The creek continues past more old mining sites before flowing into a gorge that gets deeper and deeper. It makes several turns, called meanders, and then its tributary, North Fork Tangascootack Creek, joins it. Another small stream called Bird Run also flows into it. Finally, the creek briefly enters Colebrook Township before emptying into the West Branch Susquehanna River. This is about 2 miles (3.2 kilometers) west of Farrandsville.

Creek Branches

Tangascootack Creek has one main branch, North Fork Tangascootack Creek. It also has a smaller branch called Muddy Run, plus at least two other unnamed streams that flow into it.

Water Quality

The water in Tangascootack Creek has some issues, mainly because of acid mine drainage. This means that water from old mines, which is often acidic and contains metals, flows into the creek.

For example, studies have shown high levels of metals like aluminum and manganese in the creek. These levels are much higher than what is considered safe for water quality. The water's pH (which tells us how acidic or basic it is) is also affected. While some parts of the creek have a pH close to neutral, other parts are more acidic due to the mine drainage.

The creek's ability to conduct electricity, called conductance, also varies. This can be a sign of dissolved minerals and pollution in the water. Tangascootack Creek is one of the last streams to add acid mine drainage to the West Branch Susquehanna River as it flows downstream.

Creek's Land Area

The land area that drains into Tangascootack Creek, called its watershed, covers 36.4 square miles (94 square kilometers). About half of this area belongs to the North Fork Tangascootack Creek watershed.

Most of the watershed is covered by forests. However, in places where there used to be strip mining, you can find patches of grassland or areas where new trees have been planted. Some parts of the watershed are used for residential purposes, like sports camps and summer homes.

Land and Rocks

The valley of Tangascootack Creek is special because it's the only part of Bald Eagle Township with a lot of valuable minerals. You can see different types of rocks, like sandstones, on the steep sides of the creek valley.

The area has bituminous coal, which is a type of soft coal. There are also deposits of slate (a type of rock used for roofing) and fireclay (a type of clay used to make heat-resistant bricks). In the 1800s, people found a lot of coal here, and it was estimated that there were millions of pounds of coal available for mining.

The creek flows through valleys and rolling hills. Its path is quite winding. The ground it flows over is mostly sandstone and shale, with some coal. The creek drops about 65.3 feet (19.9 meters) for every mile it flows. The elevation of its mouth (where it joins the West Branch Susquehanna River) is 554 feet (169 meters) above sea level.

History of the Area

The area around Tangascootack Creek has a rich history. In 1777, a settler named Dan Jones was killed by Native Americans here. In 1854, some old crucibles were found in a cave along the creek. These were made by Native Americans and used for smelting (melting metal).

Around 1840, there were plans to extend a canal along the West Branch Susquehanna River all the way to the mouth of Tangascootack Creek.

Mining in the creek's watershed started in 1844. Between 1845 and 1870, several mining villages grew up in the area. A company called the Farrandsville Iron Company bought a lot of land along the creek in the mid-1850s. However, by 1870, all the mines closed down. Then, cutting down trees (lumbering) became the main industry, with huge amounts of wood being floated down the creek. The railroad tracks were removed, and the mine buildings were left to rot or burned.

Even so, deep mining for coal continued in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Strip mining began in the 1950s and 1960s. Some of these old mines were even re-mined in the 1980s. Efforts to clean up the water in the creek's watershed began in 1998, and several projects have been started to improve water quality.

One of the first factories on the West Branch Susquehanna River, a gristmill (for grinding grain), was built at the mouth of the creek. In 1864, a large sawmill was built nearby, and later a shingle mill (for making roof shingles). Six dams were also built on the creek for these operations. Farming was also important in the early 1900s.

In the late 1800s, lumbering was big on North Fork Tangascootack Creek. The historic community of Eagleton was located in the Tangascootack Creek valley. In the early 20th century, the Pennsylvania Railroad passed through the area, and a local railway called the Scootac Railway ran alongside the upper parts of the creek.

Around 1940, someone named John Reaville noted that the Tangascootack Creek valley was unique in Pennsylvania. It had "four deserted villages that once flourished so promisingly" because of the coal fields.

Creek's Name Meaning

The name "Tangascootac" comes from a Native American word meaning "a foe." It also refers to a chief from the Nanticoke tribe. The creek has also been called Scootack or Tangascootac Creek.

Animals and Plants

Tangascootack Creek is considered a "cold water fishery," meaning it's a good place for fish that like cold water. The North Fork Tangascootack Creek has many trout and small water creatures called macroinvertebrates (like insects and worms).

However, in the middle and upper parts of the main creek, there is almost no life in the water. This is because of the acid mine drainage. But near the start of the creek and Bear Swamp, there is some aquatic life. These areas are upstream, away from the pollution from the old mines.

The main types of fish found in the creek are brook trout, Semotilus atromaculatus, Catostomus commersoni, and Rhinichthys atratulus. Young trout also live in the creek.

Scientists have studied the small water creatures (benthic macroinvertebrates) in the creek. They found more types of these creatures in the healthier parts of the creek, especially upstream. For example, at one site, they found 13 different types of macroinvertebrates, but at other sites affected by pollution, they found only 3 to 5 types.

The quality of the habitat (the natural home for animals and plants) in Tangascootack Creek has also been assessed. Some parts of the creek are considered "optimal habitats," meaning they are very good for aquatic life. Other parts are "suboptimal," meaning they are not as good, often due to pollution.