Black Creek (Susquehanna River tributary)
Black Creek is a tributary of the Susquehanna River in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. It is approximately 2.6 miles (4.2 km) long and flows through Conyngham Township. The creek's watershed has an area of 3.85 square miles (10.0 km2). It is designated as a Coldwater Fishery and a Migratory Fishery. The creek is ephemeral and loses its flow to underground mines. Varying concentrations of many alkali metals, alkaline earth metals, and transition metals occur in water in the creek's watershed. The watershed typically experiences relatively mild temperatures. It is mainly accessible via U.S. Route 11, Pennsylvania Route 239, and a local road.
| Black Creek | |
|---|---|
Location of mouth Black Creek (Susquehanna River tributary) (Pennsylvania) | |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Source | |
| • location | valley in Conyngham Township, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania |
| • elevation | between 840 and 860 feet (260 and 260 m) |
| Mouth | |
• location | Susquehanna River in Mocanaqua, in Conyngham Township, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania |
• coordinates | 41°08′42″N 76°08′43″W |
• elevation | 482 ft (147 m) |
| Length | 2.6 mi (4.2 km) |
| Basin size | 3.85 sq mi (10.0 km2) |
| Discharge | |
| • average | ephemeral |
| Basin features | |
| Progression | Susquehanna River → Chesapeake Bay |
Black Creek is situated within the Coal Region of Pennsylvania. Rock formations in the watershed include the Mauch Chunk Formation, the Pottsville Formation, and the Llwellyn Formation. Coal beds in the watershed include the Lower Red Ash bed, the Upper Red Ash bed, the Lower Ross bed, the Upper Ross bed, and the Baltimore Bed. Ridges of mine waste also occur in the creek's drainage basin. Mining was done in the watershed as early as the winter of 1836-1837, but it stopped in 1955. The creek and the surrounding areas were the subject of a joint study by several federal and state organizations in the 1960s.