Whitelock Creek facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Whitelock Creek |
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Whitelock Creek looking downstream
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| Physical characteristics | |
| Main source | hill in Northmoreland Township, Wyoming County, Pennsylvania between 1,340 and 1,360 feet (408 and 415 m) |
| River mouth | Susquehanna River in Exeter Township, Wyoming County, Pennsylvania 554 ft (169 m) 41°26′30″N 75°51′17″W / 41.44154°N 75.85462°W |
| Length | 7.6 mi (12.2 km) |
| Basin features | |
| Progression | Susquehanna River → Chesapeake Bay |
| Basin size | 11.6 sq mi (30 km2) |
| Tributaries |
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Whitelock Creek is a small river, also called a tributary, that flows into the Susquehanna River in Pennsylvania. It runs through parts of Wyoming County and Luzerne County. The creek is about 7.6 miles (12.2 km) long.
The land around Whitelock Creek is mostly covered by forests and farms. Many bridges cross the creek. It's known as a great place for trout and other small water creatures called macroinvertebrates.
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Whitelock Creek's Journey
Whitelock Creek starts on a hill in Northmoreland Township, Wyoming County. It flows south, then east, and then southeast. After a short distance, it enters Franklin Township in Luzerne County.
The creek then flows into a wet area called Perrins Marsh. It goes back into Wyoming County and flows northeast for a while. Then it turns east-northeast, moving through a valley that gets narrower.
The creek enters Exeter Township in Wyoming County. It briefly goes into Luzerne County before returning to Wyoming County. It then flows north-northeast for a few miles.
Whitelock Creek then turns east and meets its only named branch, Mill Creek. The creek continues east, flowing along the edge of West Falls. Finally, it crosses Pennsylvania Route 92 and joins the Susquehanna River.
Mill Creek: A Branch of Whitelock Creek
Whitelock Creek has one main branch called Mill Creek. Mill Creek joins Whitelock Creek about 0.28 miles (0.45 km) before Whitelock Creek meets the Susquehanna River. The area that drains into Mill Creek is about 3.77 square miles (9.8 km2).
Land and Rocks Around the Creek
The land around Whitelock Creek is varied. Near where the creek meets the Susquehanna River, the ground is mostly made of alluvium. This is a type of soil left behind by flowing water.
The sides of the valley have different types of ground. You can find Wisconsinan Ice-Contact Stratified Drift and Wisconsinan Till. These are materials left by glaciers from the Ice Age. There's also solid bedrock made of coal, sandstone, and shale.
Further upstream, the ground is similar. However, there's less alluvium or glacier-related material. The bedrock here is mainly sandstone and shale.
Whitelock Creek's Watershed
The watershed of Whitelock Creek covers an area of 11.6 square miles (30 km2). A watershed is all the land where water drains into a particular river or creek.
There is a dam on Whitelock Creek called Perrins Marsh Dam. This dam is important because if it were to break, it could cause damage to homes and bridges downstream. People keep a close eye on it to make sure it stays safe.
Most of the land in the Whitelock Creek watershed is covered by forests. However, there are also many agricultural areas, which means farms are common.
History of Whitelock Creek
Whitelock Creek was officially added to the Geographic Names Information System on August 2, 1979. This system helps keep track of names and locations of places in the United States.
Many bridges have been built over Whitelock Creek over the years. Some of the older bridges were built in the 1940s. For example, a steel bridge carrying State Route 2011 was built in 1941. Another bridge on Lockville Road was built in 1945.
More recently, a concrete bridge for Pennsylvania Route 92 was built in 2007. In 2006 and 2012, groups of people helped clean up the creek. They removed flood debris and gravel to keep the creek healthy.
Animals and Nature in the Creek
The area around Whitelock Creek is special for fish and other water animals. It's known as a Coldwater Fishery and a Migratory Fishery. This means it's a good place for fish that like cold water, and it's also a path for fish that travel to lay their eggs.
Wild trout live and reproduce naturally in Whitelock Creek and its branch, Mill Creek. They can be found from the very top of the creeks all the way to their mouths.
Many different kinds of macroinvertebrates (small creatures without backbones) have been found in Whitelock Creek. In 2012, scientists found 162 individuals from 17 different groups of these creatures at one spot. These included different types of beetles, dragonflyes, caddisflyes, mayflyes, and stoneflyes. They also found clams, crayfish, and tiny midgees.
At another spot on the creek, 148 individuals from 11 different macroinvertebrate groups were found. This shows that Whitelock Creek is home to a wide variety of small aquatic life!
