Swabia Creek
Encyclopedia
Swabia Creek, a tributary
of Little Lehigh Creek
, is a creek located in Berks
and Lehigh
Counties, Pennsylvania, in the United States
.
, near Rittenhouse Gap
in Longswamp Township, Berks County. Two other tributary streams, unnamed, also begin in Berks County. The east branch begins with numerous rivulets feeding into Hensingersville Dam in Lower Macungie Township, Lehigh County. Two tributaries, Mountain Creek and an unnamed stream, begin in Upper Milford Township, Lehigh County. All streams begin on the South Mountain
ridge, although surface and ground waters enter from Lock Ridge.
. Swabia creek then runs north to Alburtis
through Lock Ridge Park
. The creek turns east, running roughly parallel to railroad
tracks.
assembly plant. After Gehman Road, Swabia Creek enters Macungie
. In Macungie, Swabia creek is joined by Mountain Creek.
The Swabia Creek watershed includes Mountain Creek. Mountain Creek joins Swabia Creek in Macungie. Mountain Creek and adjacent springs have historically provided water to Macungie.
basement rock
, primarily granitic Byram gneiss
with some hornblendic
gneiss. Immediately above the village of Maple Grove and similarly along the north face of South Mountain, the descending Swabia Creek branches and tributaries encounter a band of quartzite, variously referred to as Hardyston quartzite
and Potsdam sandstone
. Skolithos
fossils can be found embedded in this quartzite along Lock Ridge. After Maple Grove, the west branch flows along a depression created by a fault where the ancient crystalline gneiss of Lock Ridge erupts through the Leithsville formation. The Leithsville formation is composed of dolostone
with shale and chert and is sometimes referred to as Tomstown dolomite. The same progression in surface geology (gneiss, quartzite, dolostone) occurs for the east branch and Mountain Creek. Swabia Creek mostly passes through Leithsville formation from Lock Ridge through Alburtis to Macungie. In the lower alluvial plain after Macungie, the Leithsville formation submerges under the Allentown formation, which contains limestone mixed with dolostone. The Leithsville, Allentown, and nearby Epler formations are all part of the Kittatinny supergroup
.
Many limonite
mines were located in the upper and lower Swabian valleys and the upper alluvial plain. Many of these mines were operated by the Thomas Iron Company
. Several magnetite
and hematite
mines were situated near the upper portion of the east branch. The iron ore was located near the surface in shale present in interfaces between the various formations. Limestone quarries are found in the lower alluvial plain. Gneiss quarries are found on Lock Ridge and near Hensingersville. A site where Indians
quarried jasper
is found near the upper portion of Mountain Creek. Soils in the alluvial plain from Alburtis to Little Lehigh Creek are silt loams, such as Lindside and Melvin series.
. The wetlands are listed as temporarily flooded palustrine
systems containing broad-leaved deciduous forest, shrubland
, or reeds
. The Macungie watershed, through which Mountain Creek flows, contains Northern Appalachian circumneutral seeps natural community which can support diverse threatened or endangered plants. South Mountain is generally dominated by tulip tree
, sweet birch, red oak, and silky dogwood
. Common undergrowth includes jewelweed
, bulrush
, poison ivy, Virginia creeper
, and fox grape
.
, rainbow trout, catfish and sunfish. Swabia Creek and Mountain Creek are classified as High Quality Cold Water Fisheries.
Reimert Memorial Bird Haven, near the Mountain Creek headwater, hosts red-bellied woodpeckers, chickadees and warblers.
performed a geomorphic
assessment and found that agricultural sedimentation and urban runoff were impairing water quality, degrading aquatic habitat, destabilizing the channel and banks, and causing other negative impacts. The department placed Swabia Creek on its Integrated List of impaired waterways. The assessment recommended implementing specific best management practices, including establishing native vegetation and use of natural stream channel design, to improve habitat quality and floodplain function. The department granted funds to The Wildlands Conservancy to improve stream and wetlands conditions.
The upper Swabian valleys are located in the Pennsylvania Highlands
as defined by the federal Highlands Conservation Act of 2004. This designation may result in development of a conservation greenway that includes large portions of the Swabia Creek watershed.
. The Swabian valley was the northern reach of the Mahantongo
region, one of the first major inland settlements for the Pennsylvania Dutch. As the name of the creek suggests, many were from the Swabia region. The abundance of iron ore attracted early surface miners, then larger furnace owners and finally the Catasauqua and Fogelsville Railroad
was constructed primarily to transport ore from the Swabian valley to the furnaces. A well-regarded inn in Maple Grove operates in a building existing since around 1783.
's Board on Geographic Names
decided that the official reference is "Swabia Creek", while recognizing "Swabian Creek", "Swamp Run" and "Swope Creek" as variant names. The names "Swabia Creek" and "Swope Creek" both derive from the fact that many early settlers in the area are from the Swabia region of Germany. "Swope" and "Swabian" are synonyms. In Bavaria, Swope (or "Swab") means a person who lives or lived in Swabia
. Swope derives from the Germanic spelling, Schwaben, and ultimately the Latin name for the German tribe, Suebi
.
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 Little Lehigh Creek
Little Lehigh Creek
The Little Lehigh Creek is approximately long, in eastern Pennsylvania, in the United States. It is also sometimes referred to as the Little Lehigh River. It is called the Little Lehigh because it is the largest tributary of the Lehigh River....
, is a creek located in Berks
Berks County, Pennsylvania
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 373,638 people, 141,570 households, and 98,532 families residing in the county. The population density was 435 people per square mile . There were 150,222 housing units at an average density of 175 per square mile...
and Lehigh
Lehigh County, Pennsylvania
-Climate:Most of the county's climate is considered to fall in the humid continental climate zone. Summers are typically hot and muggy, fall and spring are generally mild, and winter is cold. Precipitation is almost uniformly distributed throughout the year....
Counties, Pennsylvania, in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
Source
The primary (west) branch of Swabia Creek begins in the Bear Creek Ski and Recreation AreaBear Creek Ski and Recreation Area
Bear Creek is a ski resort near Macungie, in the Berks County region of Pennsylvania, in the United States. The resort opened in 1967. It was known as the Doe Mountain until 1999....
, near Rittenhouse Gap
Rittenhouse Gap, Pennsylvania
Rittenhouse Gap is the name of a village in Longswamp Township, Berks County, Pennsylvania, at .The gap which gives the town its name lies between the headwaters of Swabia Creek, in the Lehigh River watershed, and an unnamed tributary of the Perkiomen Creek, in the Schuylkill River watershed...
in Longswamp Township, Berks County. Two other tributary streams, unnamed, also begin in Berks County. The east branch begins with numerous rivulets feeding into Hensingersville Dam in Lower Macungie Township, Lehigh County. Two tributaries, Mountain Creek and an unnamed stream, begin in Upper Milford Township, Lehigh County. All streams begin on the South Mountain
South Mountain (eastern Pennsylvania)
South Mountain is a colloquial name applied to features in the mountain range extending south and south west from the Lehigh Valley to the Lebanon Valley regions of Pennsylvania. At times, it also been known as Durham Hills, Reading Hills, and the Lehigh Mountains...
ridge, although surface and ground waters enter from Lock Ridge.
Swabian Valleys
A tributary of the west branch flows past the village of Red Lion and joins the primary branch and another tributary in the village of Maple Grove. The west branch of Swabia Creek then runs along the Lock Ridge south face. The east branch passes through Hensingersville Dam. The east and west branches connect in HensingersvilleHensingersville, Pennsylvania
Hensingersville, also known as New Hensingersville, is an unincorporated community located mostly in southwestern Lower Macungie Township, Lehigh County but also in Longswamp Township, Berks County, Pennsylvania, near the intersections of Pennsylvania Route 2018 , Pennsylvania Route 3001 , Chestnut...
. Swabia creek then runs north to Alburtis
Alburtis, Pennsylvania
Alburtis is a borough in Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. It is a suburb of Allentown, Pennsylvania, in the Lehigh Valley region of the state.The population of Alburtis was 2,117 at the 2000 census.-Geography:...
through Lock Ridge Park
Lock Ridge Park
Lock Ridge Park is a park built around a historic iron ore blast furnace just outside of Alburtis, Pennsylvania, in the Lehigh Valley region of the state.- History :The park preserves portions of the former Lock Ridge Iron Works...
. The creek turns east, running roughly parallel to railroad
Reading Company
The Reading Company , usually called the Reading Railroad, officially the Philadelphia and Reading Rail Road and then the Philadelphia and Reading Railway until 1924, operated in southeast Pennsylvania and neighboring states...
tracks.
Upper Alluvial Plain
Three intermittent runs feed Swabia Creek in the upper alluvial plain between Alburtis and Macungie. Each starts on South Mountain, flows north, and, after crossing Mountain Road, roughly parallels an historic road. The western two pass through "The Hills at Lock Ridge" (also known as "The Reserves at Annandale") development. The Schoeneck Road run provides the back boundary line for houses located on Seip Road and Knerr Drive. The Orchard Road run was relocated and channelized immediately west of Orchard Road. The Gehman Road run passes the Allen Organ headquarters and Mack TrucksMack Trucks
Mack Trucks is an American truck-manufacturing company and a former manufacturer of buses and trolley buses. A wholly owned subsidiary of Renault Véhicules Industriels since 1990, Mack Trucks is currently a subsidiary of AB Volvo. The company's headquarters are located in Greensboro, North Carolina...
assembly plant. After Gehman Road, Swabia Creek enters Macungie
Macungie, Pennsylvania
Macungie is a borough in Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. It is the second oldest borough in the county and a suburb of Allentown, Pennsylvania in the Lehigh Valley region of the state.-History:...
. In Macungie, Swabia creek is joined by Mountain Creek.
Mountain Creek
Mountain Creek starts in Upper Milford Township, behind a South Mountain promentory known locally as "Macungie Mountain". The creek flows past Reimert Memorial Bird Haven and then various springs in the Macungie watershed before entering Macungie at Kalmbach Park. Mountain Creek flows along the west side of Memorial Park before joining Swabia Creek.Lower Alluvial Plain
After receiving Mountain Creek, Swabia Creek turns northeast. A final intermittent brook joins Swabia Creek just downstream of Brookside Country Club after meandering past a large group of petroleum tank farms and is fed, in part, from Brinker Pond. After receiving the Brinker Pond run, Swabia Creek joins Little Lehigh Creek. The majority of Swabia Creek's route is in Lower Macungie Township, Lehigh County, with some sources beginning in Berks County and Upper Milford Township, Lehigh County.Watershed
Swabia Creek has a drainage area of 12.37 square miles. Swabia Creek is in the Pennsylvania State Water Plan watershed #2C-Lehigh River.The Swabia Creek watershed includes Mountain Creek. Mountain Creek joins Swabia Creek in Macungie. Mountain Creek and adjacent springs have historically provided water to Macungie.
Surface Geology
South Mountain and Lock Ridge expose the region's pre-Cambrian, metamorphicMetamorphic rock
Metamorphic rock is the transformation of an existing rock type, the protolith, in a process called metamorphism, which means "change in form". The protolith is subjected to heat and pressure causing profound physical and/or chemical change...
basement rock
Basement (geology)
In geology, the terms basement and crystalline basement are used to define the rocks below a sedimentary platform or cover, or more generally any rock below sedimentary rocks or sedimentary basins that are metamorphic or igneous in origin...
, primarily granitic Byram gneiss
Gneiss
Gneiss is a common and widely distributed type of rock formed by high-grade regional metamorphic processes from pre-existing formations that were originally either igneous or sedimentary rocks.-Etymology:...
with some hornblendic
Hornblende
Hornblende is a complex inosilicate series of minerals .It is not a recognized mineral in its own right, but the name is used as a general or field term, to refer to a dark amphibole....
gneiss. Immediately above the village of Maple Grove and similarly along the north face of South Mountain, the descending Swabia Creek branches and tributaries encounter a band of quartzite, variously referred to as Hardyston quartzite
Hardyston Quartzite
The Cambrian Hardyston Formation or Hardyston Quartzite is a mapped bedrock unit in Pennsylvania and New Jersey.It was originally described by Wolff and Brooks in 1898, where two outcrops in Hardyston Township, Sussex County, New Jersey, were described...
and Potsdam sandstone
Potsdam Sandstone
The Potsdam Sandstone is a geologic formation of late Cambrian to early Ordovician age found in upstate New York and northern Vermont. A well-cemented sandstone of nearly pure quartz, in the 19th century it was widely used in construction and in refractory linings for iron furnaces.-Name and type...
. Skolithos
Skolithos
Skolithos is a common trace fossil ichnogenus whose original form consisted of approximately vertical cylinders. One well-known occurrence of Cambrian trace fossils is the famous 'Pipe Rock' of northwest Scotland...
fossils can be found embedded in this quartzite along Lock Ridge. After Maple Grove, the west branch flows along a depression created by a fault where the ancient crystalline gneiss of Lock Ridge erupts through the Leithsville formation. The Leithsville formation is composed of dolostone
Dolostone
Dolostone or dolomite rock is a sedimentary carbonate rock that contains a high percentage of the mineral dolomite. In old U.S.G.S. publications it was referred to as magnesian limestone. Most dolostone formed as a magnesium replacement of limestone or lime mud prior to lithification. It is...
with shale and chert and is sometimes referred to as Tomstown dolomite. The same progression in surface geology (gneiss, quartzite, dolostone) occurs for the east branch and Mountain Creek. Swabia Creek mostly passes through Leithsville formation from Lock Ridge through Alburtis to Macungie. In the lower alluvial plain after Macungie, the Leithsville formation submerges under the Allentown formation, which contains limestone mixed with dolostone. The Leithsville, Allentown, and nearby Epler formations are all part of the Kittatinny supergroup
Kittatinny Formation
The Ordovician Kittatinny Formation or Kittatinny Limestone is a dolomitic limestone formation in New Jersey. The Kittatiny Limestones are located primarily within the long valley running from Picatinny Arsenal in Rockaway Township, southwest toward Chester Township...
.
Many limonite
Limonite
Limonite is an ore consisting in a mixture of hydrated iron oxide-hydroxide of varying composition. The generic formula is frequently written as FeO·nH2O, although this is not entirely accurate as limonite often contains a varying amount of oxide compared to hydroxide.Together with hematite, it has...
mines were located in the upper and lower Swabian valleys and the upper alluvial plain. Many of these mines were operated by the Thomas Iron Company
Thomas Iron Company
The Thomas Iron Company was a major iron-making firm in the Lehigh Valley from its organization in 1854 until its decline and eventual dismantling in the early 20th century. The firm was named in honor of its founder, David Thomas, who had emigrated to the United States in 1839 to introduce hot...
. Several magnetite
Magnetite
Magnetite is a ferrimagnetic mineral with chemical formula Fe3O4, one of several iron oxides and a member of the spinel group. The chemical IUPAC name is iron oxide and the common chemical name is ferrous-ferric oxide. The formula for magnetite may also be written as FeO·Fe2O3, which is one part...
and hematite
Hematite
Hematite, also spelled as haematite, is the mineral form of iron oxide , one of several iron oxides. Hematite crystallizes in the rhombohedral system, and it has the same crystal structure as ilmenite and corundum...
mines were situated near the upper portion of the east branch. The iron ore was located near the surface in shale present in interfaces between the various formations. Limestone quarries are found in the lower alluvial plain. Gneiss quarries are found on Lock Ridge and near Hensingersville. A site where Indians
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
quarried jasper
Jasper
Jasper, a form of chalcedony, is an opaque, impure variety of silica, usually red, yellow, brown or green in color; and rarely blue. This mineral breaks with a smooth surface, and is used for ornamentation or as a gemstone. It can be highly polished and is used for vases, seals, and at one time for...
is found near the upper portion of Mountain Creek. Soils in the alluvial plain from Alburtis to Little Lehigh Creek are silt loams, such as Lindside and Melvin series.
Flora
Many freshwater forested wetlands, emergent wetlands, and ponds found along Swabia Creek are listed in the National Wetlands InventoryNational Wetlands Inventory
In the United States the National Wetland Inventory is a Fish and Wildlife Service program started in the 1970s to inventory and map all wetlands, primarily for scientific purposes. It has since been de-funded and most of its data is outdated. The data and maps it produces have been used to track...
. The wetlands are listed as temporarily flooded palustrine
Palustrine
Palustrine comes from the Latin word palus or marsh. Wetlands within this category include inland marshes and swamps as well as bogs, fens, tundra and floodplains...
systems containing broad-leaved deciduous forest, shrubland
Shrubland
Shrubland, scrubland, scrub or brush is a plant community characterized by vegetation dominated by shrubs, often also including grasses, herbs, and geophytes. Shrubland may either occur naturally or be the result of human activity...
, or reeds
Phragmites
Phragmites, the Common reed, is a large perennial grass found in wetlands throughout temperate and tropical regions of the world. Phragmites australis is sometimes regarded as the sole species of the genus Phragmites, though some botanists divide Phragmites australis into three or four species...
. The Macungie watershed, through which Mountain Creek flows, contains Northern Appalachian circumneutral seeps natural community which can support diverse threatened or endangered plants. South Mountain is generally dominated by tulip tree
Liriodendron
Liriodendron is a genus of two species of characteristically large deciduous trees in the magnolia family .These trees are widely known by the common name tulip tree or tuliptree for their large flowers superficially resembling tulips, but are closely related to magnolias rather than lilies, the...
, sweet birch, red oak, and silky dogwood
Cornus amomum
Cornus amomum is a species of dogwood native to eastern North America, from Ontario and Quebec south to Arkansas and Georgia. Also found in other parts of North America....
. Common undergrowth includes jewelweed
Impatiens capensis
Impatiens capensis, the Orange Jewelweed, Common Jewelweed, Spotted Jewelweed, Spotted Touch-me-not, or Orange Balsam, is an annual plant native to North America. It is common in bottomland soils, ditches, and along creeks, often growing side-by-side with its less common relative, Yellow Jewelweed...
, bulrush
Typha latifolia
Typha latifolia is a perennial herbaceous plant in the genus Typha. It is found as a native plant species in North and South America, Europe, Eurasia, and Africa...
, poison ivy, Virginia creeper
Parthenocissus quinquefolia
Virginia creeper, five-leaved ivy, or five-finger is a woody vine native to eastern and central North America, in southeastern Canada, the eastern and central United States, eastern Mexico, and Guatemala, west as far as Manitoba, South Dakota, Utah and Texas.-Growth:It is a prolific climber,...
, and fox grape
Vitis labrusca
Vitis labrusca is a species of grapevines belonging to the Vitis genus in the flowering plant family Vitaceae. The vines are native to the eastern United States and are the source of many grape cultivars, including Catawba and Concord grapes, and many hybrid grape varieties such as Agawam,...
.
Fauna
Swabia Creek contains brown troutBrown trout
The brown trout and the sea trout are fish of the same species....
, rainbow trout, catfish and sunfish. Swabia Creek and Mountain Creek are classified as High Quality Cold Water Fisheries.
Reimert Memorial Bird Haven, near the Mountain Creek headwater, hosts red-bellied woodpeckers, chickadees and warblers.
Conservation
In August 2005, the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental ProtectionPennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection
The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection was established on July 1, 1995, is the agency in the U.S. State of Pennsylvania responsible for protecting and preserving the land, air, water, and energy resources through enforcement of the State's environmental laws...
performed a geomorphic
Geomorphology
Geomorphology is the scientific study of landforms and the processes that shape them...
assessment and found that agricultural sedimentation and urban runoff were impairing water quality, degrading aquatic habitat, destabilizing the channel and banks, and causing other negative impacts. The department placed Swabia Creek on its Integrated List of impaired waterways. The assessment recommended implementing specific best management practices, including establishing native vegetation and use of natural stream channel design, to improve habitat quality and floodplain function. The department granted funds to The Wildlands Conservancy to improve stream and wetlands conditions.
The upper Swabian valleys are located in the Pennsylvania Highlands
Pennsylvania Highlands Region
The Pennsylvania Highlands region is a section of the Appalachian Mountains located in Eastern Pennsylvania frequently cited as a candidate for extensive ecological preservation....
as defined by the federal Highlands Conservation Act of 2004. This designation may result in development of a conservation greenway that includes large portions of the Swabia Creek watershed.
Human History
When Europeans arrived, the inhabitants were most likely LenapeLenape
The Lenape are an Algonquian group of Native Americans of the Northeastern Woodlands. They are also called Delaware Indians. As a result of the American Revolutionary War and later Indian removals from the eastern United States, today the main groups live in Canada, where they are enrolled in the...
. The Swabian valley was the northern reach of the Mahantongo
Mahantongo
"Mahantongo" is a Lenape word, translated "where we had plenty of meat to eat" or "good hunting grounds." The name is shared by a creek, a valley, and a mountain in central Pennsylvania, and is a common street name in the area...
region, one of the first major inland settlements for the Pennsylvania Dutch. As the name of the creek suggests, many were from the Swabia region. The abundance of iron ore attracted early surface miners, then larger furnace owners and finally the Catasauqua and Fogelsville Railroad
Catasauqua and Fogelsville Railroad
The Catasauqua and Fogelsville Railroad was built in the 1850s to transport iron ore from local mines in Lehigh and later Berks County to furnaces along the Lehigh River...
was constructed primarily to transport ore from the Swabian valley to the furnaces. A well-regarded inn in Maple Grove operates in a building existing since around 1783.
Etymology
Swabia Creek is also commonly referred to as Swope Creek. The U.S. Geological SurveyUnited States Geological Survey
The United States Geological Survey is a scientific agency of the United States government. The scientists of the USGS study the landscape of the United States, its natural resources, and the natural hazards that threaten it. The organization has four major science disciplines, concerning biology,...
's Board on Geographic Names
United States Board on Geographic Names
The United States Board on Geographic Names is a United States federal body whose purpose is to establish and maintain uniform usage of geographic names throughout the U.S. government.-Overview:...
decided that the official reference is "Swabia Creek", while recognizing "Swabian Creek", "Swamp Run" and "Swope Creek" as variant names. The names "Swabia Creek" and "Swope Creek" both derive from the fact that many early settlers in the area are from the Swabia region of Germany. "Swope" and "Swabian" are synonyms. In Bavaria, Swope (or "Swab") means a person who lives or lived in Swabia
Swabia
Swabia is a cultural, historic and linguistic region in southwestern Germany.-Geography:Like many cultural regions of Europe, Swabia's borders are not clearly defined...
. Swope derives from the Germanic spelling, Schwaben, and ultimately the Latin name for the German tribe, Suebi
Suebi
The Suebi or Suevi were a group of Germanic peoples who were first mentioned by Julius Caesar in connection with Ariovistus' campaign, c...
.
External
- The Wildlands Conservancy (Emmaus, PA)
- Indian Jasper Quarries historic marker Discusses positive and negative aspects of creek conservation in Little Lehigh watershed
Maps
- 2010 census map depicting portion of Berks County with Swabia Creek
- 2010 Boundary and Annexation Survey, Lehigh County
Photographs
- Photos of Lauer's Mill on Swabia Creek, Lehigh County
- Photo of Swabia Creek Bridge at Lock Ridge Park, Alburtis
- Photo of Swabia Creek in Alburtis