Nesquehoning Creek
Encyclopedia
Nesquehoning Creek is a 14.9 miles (24 km) tributary
of the Lehigh River
in the Poconos
of eastern Pennsylvania
in the United States
.
Nesquehoning Creek encompasses a 34 square miles (88 km²) drainage area between Broad Mountain to the northwest and Nesquehoning Mountain and Pisgah Mountain to the southeast. Approximately 7.2 square miles (18.6 km²) of the watershed is located in Schuylkill County
while 26.7 square miles (69.2 km²) is located in Carbon County
. The watershed encompasses four municipalities.
Nesquehoning Creek originates in a forested area on the slopes of Broad Mountain. It flows south for about 2 miles (3.2 km) then turns to the northeast and flows into Greenwood Lake. Approximately 600 feet (182.9 m) downstream from the spillway, it discharges into Lake Hauto. It then continues to the northeast in a relatively narrow valley. The stream then travels down a narrow undeveloped section to its confluence with the Lehigh River.
The heavily forested, relatively steep slopes of Broad and Nesquehoning Mountains characterize the land within the watershed.
The Nesquehoning Creek valley consists of some residential and industrial development. Urban development is concentrated in the Borough of Nesquehoning and Hometown.
Large areas in the valley have been disturbed by coal mining related activities. Much of the runoff from strip mines is retained in abandoned pits and therefore lesser amounts of surface runoff
is discharged into Nesquehoning Creek.
Tributary
A tributary or affluent is a stream or river that flows into a main stem river or a lake. A tributary does not flow directly into a sea or ocean...
of the Lehigh River
Lehigh River
The Lehigh River, a tributary of the Delaware River, is a river located in eastern Pennsylvania, in the United States. Part of the Lehigh, along with a number of its tributaries, is designated a Pennsylvania Scenic River by the state's Department of Conservation and Natural Resources...
in the Poconos
The Poconos
The Pocono Mountains is a region located in northeastern Pennsylvania, United States. The Poconos, located chiefly in Monroe and Pike counties , are an upland of the larger Allegheny Plateau...
of eastern Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
Nesquehoning Creek encompasses a 34 square miles (88 km²) drainage area between Broad Mountain to the northwest and Nesquehoning Mountain and Pisgah Mountain to the southeast. Approximately 7.2 square miles (18.6 km²) of the watershed is located in Schuylkill County
Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania
-Notable people:*Boxing heavyweight great Muhammad Ali had his training camp in Deer Lake.*Charles Justin Bailey, commanding general of the 81st Division in World War I, was born in Tamaqua on June 21, 1859....
while 26.7 square miles (69.2 km²) is located in Carbon County
Carbon County, Pennsylvania
As of the census of 2000, there were 58,802 people, 23,701 households, and 16,424 families residing in the county. The population density was 154 people per square mile . There were 30,492 housing units at an average density of 80 per square mile...
. The watershed encompasses four municipalities.
- NesquehoningNesquehoning, PennsylvaniaNesquehoning is a borough in Carbon County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 3,288 at the 2000 census. The name is of Native American origin, commonly believed to signify "narrow valley;" however native language scholars translate the name as "at the black lick" or "at the dirty...
borough, Carbon County - Packer Township, Carbon County
- Lehigh TownshipLehigh Township, Carbon County, PennsylvaniaLehigh Township is a township in Carbon County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 527 at the 2000 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the township has a total area of , of which, of it is land and of it is water. It is drained by the Lehigh River, which...
, Carbon County - Rush TownshipRush Township, Schuylkill County, PennsylvaniaRush Township is a township in Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 3,957 at the 2000 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the township has a total area of 23.9 square miles , of which, 22.9 square miles of it is land and...
, Schuylkill County
Nesquehoning Creek originates in a forested area on the slopes of Broad Mountain. It flows south for about 2 miles (3.2 km) then turns to the northeast and flows into Greenwood Lake. Approximately 600 feet (182.9 m) downstream from the spillway, it discharges into Lake Hauto. It then continues to the northeast in a relatively narrow valley. The stream then travels down a narrow undeveloped section to its confluence with the Lehigh River.
The heavily forested, relatively steep slopes of Broad and Nesquehoning Mountains characterize the land within the watershed.
The Nesquehoning Creek valley consists of some residential and industrial development. Urban development is concentrated in the Borough of Nesquehoning and Hometown.
Large areas in the valley have been disturbed by coal mining related activities. Much of the runoff from strip mines is retained in abandoned pits and therefore lesser amounts of surface runoff
Surface runoff
Surface runoff is the water flow that occurs when soil is infiltrated to full capacity and excess water from rain, meltwater, or other sources flows over the land. This is a major component of the water cycle. Runoff that occurs on surfaces before reaching a channel is also called a nonpoint source...
is discharged into Nesquehoning Creek.