Hunlock Creek: Difference between revisions

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Coordinates: 41°12′16″N 76°03′46″W / 41.20455°N 76.06283°W / 41.20455; -76.06283
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Johnathan Hunlock came to the vicinity of Hunlock Creek from Lower Smithfield Township in the early 1770s and constructed a plantation on the creek.<ref name = "wilkesbarre history"/> On March 28, 1780, Asa Upman and John Rogers were ambushed by Indians while making [[sugar]] near the mouth of Hunlock Creek.<ref name = "bradsby"/> Upman was killed and Rogers was captured. The 1893 book ''History of Luzerne County, Pennsylvania'' referred to this incident as "one of the bloody episodes in the days of Indian troubles".<ref name = "bradsby">{{Citation|editor = Henry C. Bradsby|url = https://books.google.com/books?id=4BkVAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA29&lpg=PA29&dq=%22Hunlock+creek%22+luzerne+county+pa|title = History of Luzerne County, Pennsylvania|pages = 469,598&ndash;599|year = 1893}}</ref>
Johnathan Hunlock came to the vicinity of Hunlock Creek from Lower Smithfield Township in the early 1770s and constructed a plantation on the creek.<ref name = "wilkesbarre history"/> On March 28, 1780, Asa Upman and John Rogers were ambushed by Indians while making [[sugar]] near the mouth of Hunlock Creek.<ref name = "bradsby"/> Upman was killed and Rogers was captured. The 1893 book ''History of Luzerne County, Pennsylvania'' referred to this incident as "one of the bloody episodes in the days of Indian troubles".<ref name = "bradsby">{{Citation|editor = Henry C. Bradsby|url = https://books.google.com/books?id=4BkVAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA29&lpg=PA29&dq=%22Hunlock+creek%22+luzerne+county+pa|title = History of Luzerne County, Pennsylvania|pages = 469,598&ndash;599|year = 1893}}</ref>


William Koons constructed a furnace on Hunlock Creek in the 1800s. This furnace was capable of producing 75 tons of [[pig iron|pig metal]] per week.<ref name = "bradsby"/> In the early 1900s, major communities in the watershed of Hunlock Creek included Hunlock Creek, Sweet Valley, and Silkworth. In 1921, their populations were 310, 190, and 24, respectively. Around this time, the main industry in the creek's watershed was [[agriculture]].<ref name = "waterresources"/>
William Koons constructed a furnace on Hunlock Creek in the 1800s. This furnace was capable of producing 75 tons of [[pig iron|pig metal]] per week.<ref name = "bradsby"/> In the early 1900s, major communities in the watershed of Hunlock Creek included Hunlock Creek, Sweet Valley, and [[Silkworth, Pennsylvania|Silkworth]]. In 1921, their populations were 310, 190, and 24, respectively. Around this time, the main industry in the creek's watershed was [[agriculture]].<ref name = "waterresources"/>


Two two-span [[concrete]] [[tee beam]] [[bridge]]s carrying State Route 4016 were built over Hunlock Creek in Hunlock Township in 1925. The bridges are {{convert|65.9|ft|m}} and {{convert|58.1|ft|m}} long. Both bridges underwent repair work in 1983. A concrete slab bridge carrying Pritchards Road was built over the creek in 1937. This bridge is {{convert|23.0|ft|m}} long. A masonry arch bridge carrying State Route 4005/Cragle Road over the creek in Hunlock Township was built in 1938 and is {{convert|34.1|ft|m}} long. A concrete tee beam bridge carrying US Route 11 over Hunlock Creek was constructed in 1940. It is {{convert|47.9|ft|m}} long. In 1974, a prestressed [[box beam]] bridge was built over the creek near State Route 4003. It is {{convert|35.1|ft|m}} long and carries Spring Hill Road.<ref>{{Citation|url = http://uglybridges.com/pa/luzerne/|title = Luzerne County|accessdate = January 21, 2015}}</ref>
Two two-span [[concrete]] [[tee beam]] [[bridge]]s carrying State Route 4016 were built over Hunlock Creek in Hunlock Township in 1925. The bridges are {{convert|65.9|ft|m}} and {{convert|58.1|ft|m}} long. Both bridges underwent repair work in 1983. A concrete slab bridge carrying Pritchards Road was built over the creek in 1937. This bridge is {{convert|23.0|ft|m}} long. A masonry arch bridge carrying State Route 4005/Cragle Road over the creek in Hunlock Township was built in 1938 and is {{convert|34.1|ft|m}} long. A concrete tee beam bridge carrying US Route 11 over Hunlock Creek was constructed in 1940. It is {{convert|47.9|ft|m}} long. In 1974, a prestressed [[box beam]] bridge was built over the creek near State Route 4003. It is {{convert|35.1|ft|m}} long and carries Spring Hill Road.<ref>{{Citation|url = http://uglybridges.com/pa/luzerne/|title = Luzerne County|accessdate = January 21, 2015}}</ref>

Revision as of 12:28, 12 February 2015

Hunlock Creek
Hunlocks Creek
Native nameMassacota Error {{native name checker}}: parameter value is malformed (help)
Physical characteristics
MouthSusquehanna River in Hunlock Township, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania
 • coordinates
41°12′16″N 76°03′46″W / 41.20455°N 76.06283°W / 41.20455; -76.06283
Basin features
ProgressionSusquehanna River → Chesapeake Bay

Hunlock Creek (also known as Hunlocks Creek) is a tributary of the Susquehanna River in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. It is approximately 7.8 miles (12.6 km) long and flows through Lehman Township and Hunlock Township.[1] The watershed of the creek has an area of 32.5 square miles (84 km2) and is situated in northwestern Luzerne County. It has one named tributary, which is known as Roaring Brook. Hunlock Creek is designated as a Coldwater Fishery and a Migratory Fishery and part of it is inhabited by wild trout. The annual rate of precipitation in the watershed is 35 to 45 inches (89 to 114 cm). Rock formations consisting of sandstone and shale are common in the vicinity of the creek. A number of bridges have been built over the creek and it was the site of a furnace in the 1800s. An area listed on the Luzerne County Natural Areas Inventory is located in the creek's watershed.

Course

Hunlock Creek begins in a valley in Lehman Township, a short distance northwest of Lake Silkworth. It flows south for several tenths of a mile before turning south-southeast for a similar distance and receiving an unnamed tributary from the left. The creek then turns south for approximately half a mile, exiting Lehman Township and entering Hunlock Township. It continues flowing generally southwards for more than a mile and its valley widens considerably. The creek receives another unnamed tributary from the left before its valley narrows again and it turns southwest. After approximately a mile, it receives Roaring Brook, its only named tributary, from the right. The creek then turns south-southeast for a few miles, receiving one unnamed tributary from the left and one from the right. The creek turns east-northeast for several tenths of a mile and receives another unnamed tributary from the left. It then turns southeast, passing through a water gap and crossing US Route 11 in the village of Hunlock Creek. A short distance further downstream, the creek reaches its confluence with the Susquehanna River.[1]

Hunlock Creek joins the Susquehanna River 178.21 miles (286.80 km) upriver mouth its mouth.[2]

Tributaries

Hunlock Creek has one named tributary, which is known as Roaring Brook.[1] Roaring Brook joins Hunlock Creek 3.99 miles (6.42 km) upstream of its mouth. Its watershed has an area of 6.17 square miles (16.0 km2).[2]

Hydrology and climate

The peak annual discharge of Hunlock Creek at its mouth has a 10 percent chance of reaching 2780 cubic feet per second. The discharge has a 2 percent chance of reaching 5600 cubic feet per second and a 1 percent chance of reaching 7400 cubic feet per second. It has a 0.2 percent chance of reaching 13,900 cubic feet per second.[3]

At the confluence of one of its tributaries with the main stem, the discharge of Hunlock Creek has a 10 percent chance of peaking at 2100 cubic feet per second in any given year. It has a 2 percent chance of peaking at 4300 cubic feet per second, a 1 percent chance of peaking at 5650 cubic feet per second, and a 0.2 percent chance of peaking at 10,800 cubic feet per second.[3]

The peak annual discharge of Hunlock Creek at the confluence of another one of its tributaries with the main stem has a 10 percent chance of reaching 1460 cubic feet per second. The discharge has a 2 percent chance of reaching 3050 cubic feet per second and a 1 percent chance of reaching 4050 cubic feet per second. It has a 0.2 percent chance of reaching 7900 cubic feet per second.[3]

The average annual rate of precipitation in the watershed of Hunlock Creek is 35 to 45 inches (89 to 114 cm).[4]

Geography and geology

The elevation near the mouth of Hunlock Creek is 512 feet (156 m) above sea level.[5] The elevation near the creek's source is between 1,140 and 1,160 feet (350 and 350 m) above sea level.[1] The creek's elevation decreases at a rate of 79.3 feet (24.2 m) per mile.[4]

A high ridge runs from near Hunlock Creek westward to the Shickshinny Gap. This ridge is known as Shickshinny Mountain and is made from Pocono beds. Green sandstone and red shale occur along the creek. A sandstone formation containing red quartz pebbles also occurs in the area and at one point forms a 30-foot-high (9-meter-high) cliff along the creek. Additionally, shale of the Mauch Chunk Formation can be found in the vicinity of the creek.[6]

Drift heaps cover the old channel of Hunlock Creek.[6]

A 1921 book described the topography of the watershed of Hunlock Creek as "rough and hilly". The creek cuts through a mountain range in its lower reaches. Swamps and glacial lakes occur in the watershed. The channel of the creek is sinuous and cuts through rock formations consisting of sandstone and shale.[4]

Watershed

The watershed of Hunlock Creek has an area of 32.5 square miles (84 km2).[2] The creek's mouth is in the United States Geological Survey quadrangle of Nanticoke. However, its source is in the quadrangle of Harveys Lake.[5] The watershed is in the northwestern part of Luzerne County. It is part of the Lower North Branch Susquehanna drainage basin.[4]

Hunlock Creek is described as a "good-sized creek" in the 1909 book A History of Wilkes-Barré, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, from Its First Beginnings to the Present Time.[7]

History

Hunlock Creek was entered into the Geographic Names Information System on August 2, 1979. Its identifier in the Geographic Names Information System is 1177599.[5]

Johnathan Hunlock came to the vicinity of Hunlock Creek from Lower Smithfield Township in the early 1770s and constructed a plantation on the creek.[7] On March 28, 1780, Asa Upman and John Rogers were ambushed by Indians while making sugar near the mouth of Hunlock Creek.[8] Upman was killed and Rogers was captured. The 1893 book History of Luzerne County, Pennsylvania referred to this incident as "one of the bloody episodes in the days of Indian troubles".[8]

William Koons constructed a furnace on Hunlock Creek in the 1800s. This furnace was capable of producing 75 tons of pig metal per week.[8] In the early 1900s, major communities in the watershed of Hunlock Creek included Hunlock Creek, Sweet Valley, and Silkworth. In 1921, their populations were 310, 190, and 24, respectively. Around this time, the main industry in the creek's watershed was agriculture.[4]

Two two-span concrete tee beam bridges carrying State Route 4016 were built over Hunlock Creek in Hunlock Township in 1925. The bridges are 65.9 feet (20.1 m) and 58.1 feet (17.7 m) long. Both bridges underwent repair work in 1983. A concrete slab bridge carrying Pritchards Road was built over the creek in 1937. This bridge is 23.0 feet (7.0 m) long. A masonry arch bridge carrying State Route 4005/Cragle Road over the creek in Hunlock Township was built in 1938 and is 34.1 feet (10.4 m) long. A concrete tee beam bridge carrying US Route 11 over Hunlock Creek was constructed in 1940. It is 47.9 feet (14.6 m) long. In 1974, a prestressed box beam bridge was built over the creek near State Route 4003. It is 35.1 feet (10.7 m) long and carries Spring Hill Road.[9]

Hunlock Creek is also known as Hunlocks Creek.[5] This name appears on Patton's Philadelphia and Suburbs Street and Road Map from 1984.[10] The creek was known as Massacota by the Native Americans.[7]

Biology

Hunlock Creek is designated as a Coldwater Fishery and a Migratory Fishery throughout its entire drainage basin.[11] Wild trout naturally reproduce int the creek from T-534 downstream to its mouth. This stretch is 3.9 miles (6.3 km) long.[12]

The Shickshinny Mountain Slopes, which are listed as a Locally Significant Area in the Luzerne County Natural Areas Inventory, are located in the watershed of Hunlock Creek in Plymouth Township. These slopes or on the northern side of Shickshinny Mountain and contain second-growth northern hardwood forests and some rock outcroppings with small seeps. The area contains a large number of wildflower species and some rare plants. The main tree species in this area include American basswood, sugar maple, white ash, white oak, black cherry, and eastern hemlock.[13]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d United States Geological Survey, The National Map Viewer, retrieved January 21, 2015
  2. ^ a b c Pennsylvania Gazetteer of Streams (PDF), November 2, 2001, pp. 75, 120, retrieved January 20, 2015
  3. ^ a b c Federal Emergency Management Agency, Flood Insurance Study VOLUME 1 of 6 LUZERNE COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA (ALL JURISDICTIONS) (PDF), p. 49, retrieved January 22, 2015
  4. ^ a b c d e Water Supply Commission of Pennsylvania (1921), Water Resources Inventory Report ..., Parts 1–5, p. 377
  5. ^ a b c d Geographic Names Information System, Feature Detail Report for: Hunlock Creek, retrieved January 21, 2015
  6. ^ a b Israel Charles White (1883), The Geology of the Susquehanna River Region in the Six Counties of Wyoming, Lackwanna, Luzerne, Columbia, Montour, and Northumberland, pp. 179–183
  7. ^ a b c Oscar Jewell Harvey (1909), A History of Wilkes-Barré, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, from Its First Beginnings to the Present Time, Raeder Press, p. 815
  8. ^ a b c Henry C. Bradsby, ed. (1893), History of Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, pp. 469, 598–599
  9. ^ Luzerne County, retrieved January 21, 2015
  10. ^ Geographic Names Information System, Variant Citation, retrieved January 21, 2015
  11. ^ § 93.9k. Drainage List K. Susquehanna River Basin in Pennsylvania Susquehanna River, Pennsylvania Code, retrieved January 21, 2015 {{citation}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  12. ^ Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission (May 2014), Pennsylvania Wild Trout Waters (Natural Reproduction) (PDF), p. 49, retrieved January 21, 2015
  13. ^ Pennsylvania Natural Heritage Program, Western Pennsylvania Conservancy (2006), A Natural Areas Inventory Luzerne County, Pennsylvania Update – 2006 (PDF), p. 71, retrieved January 22, 2015
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