Browns Creek (Huntsville Creek tributary)

Browns Creek (also known as Brown's Creek[1]) is a tributary of Huntsville Creek in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. It is approximately 3.6 miles (5.8 km) long and flows through Lehman Township and Jackson Township.[2] The watershed of the creek has an area of 3.86 square miles (10.0 km2). The watershed is less developed than that of Toby Creek, but is beginning to urbanize. Wisconsinan Till, Wisconsinan Ice-Contact Stratified Drift, alluvium, sandstone and shale pits, and bedrock consisting of sandstone and shale all occur in the watershed.

Browns Creek
Physical characteristics
Source 
 • locationvalley in Lehman Township, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania
 • elevationbetween 1,120 and 1,140 feet (340 and 350 m)
Mouth 
 • location
Huntsville Creek in Jackson Township, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania
 • coordinates
41°17′40″N 75°56′49″W
 • elevation
919 ft (280 m)
Length3.6 mi (5.8 km)
Basin size3.86 sq mi (10.0 km2)
Basin features
ProgressionHuntsville Creek → Toby Creek → Susquehanna River → Chesapeake Bay
Tributaries 
 • leftone unnamed tributary

Course

Browns Creek begins in a valley in Lehman Township, to the southwest of the Huntsville Reservoir. It flows south-southeast for more than a mile, entering Jackson Township, and its valley becomes slightly deeper. At the border of Chase, the creek turns east-northeast and begins flowing along the border. After several tenths of a mile, it receives an unnamed tributary from the left. A short distance further downstream, the creek turns east-southeast. It then turns east-northeast. After several tenths of a mile, it reaches its confluence with Huntsville Creek.[2]

Browns Creek joins Huntsville Creek 1.20 miles (1.93 km) upstream of its mouth.[3]

Hydrology

Browns Creek is not considered to be impaired.[4]

The peak annual discharge of Browns Creek has a 10 percent chance of reaching 500 cubic feet per second. It has a 2 percent chance of reaching 850 cubic feet per second and a 1 percent chance of reaching 1030 cubic feet per second. The peak annual discharge has a 0.2 percent chance of reaching 1520 cubic feet per second.[5]

Geography and geology

The elevation near the mouth of Browns Creek is 919 feet (280 m) above sea level.[6] The elevation of the creek's source is between 1,120 and 1,140 feet (340 and 350 m) above sea level.[2]

The surficial geology in the vicinity of Browns Creek mostly features a glacial or resedimented till known as the Wisconsinan Till and bedrock consisting of sandstone and shale. However, a large patch of Wisconsinan Ice-Contact Stratified Drift is situated near the creek's middle reaches. A few other small patches of it are located near the creek. Alluvium occurs along the creek in some places and there is a patch of sandstone and shale pits.[7]

A feature identified by the Federal Emergency Management Agency as an obstruction occurs on Browns Creek in Jackson Township, near a private road.[8]

Watershed

The watershed of Browns Creek has an area of 3.86 square miles (10.0 km2).[3] The creek is entirely within the United States Geological Survey quadrangle of Kingston.[6]

The watershed of Browns Creek is less developed than the areas in the vicinity of the main stem of Toby Creek. However, the Browns Creek watershed is beginning to urbanize.[1] There are several wetlands along the creek. A pond known as Beckers Pond is also in the watershed.[7]

History

Browns Creek was entered into the Geographic Names Information System on August 2, 1979. Its identifier in the Geographic Names Information System is 1170385.[6]

In 2000, as many as 5500 gallons of gasoline escaped from a ruptured pipeline in the vicinity of the watershed of Browns Creek. A total of three streams were affected by the gasoline leak: Browns Creek, a tributary of Browns Creek, and Huntsville Creek. Of these, Browns Creek was the second-most impacted stream. The most affected stream was the tributary of Browns Creek, where dead fish and aquatic wildlife were observed after the spill.[9]

See also

References
  1. Luzerne Conservation District, 2010 ANNUAL REPORT (PDF), archived from the original (PDF) on March 3, 2016, retrieved February 16, 2015
  2. United States Geological Survey, The National Map Viewer, archived from the original on April 5, 2012, retrieved February 16, 2015
  3. Pennsylvania Gazetteer of Streams (PDF), November 2, 2001, p. 40, retrieved February 16, 2015
  4. United States Environmental Protection Agency (2006), Pennsylvania, Upper Susquehanna-Lackawanna Watershed, archived from the original on February 1, 2015, retrieved February 16, 2015
  5. Federal Emergency Management Agency, Flood Insurance Study VOLUME 1 of 6 LUZERNE COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA (ALL JURISDICTIONS) (PDF), p. 48, archived from the original (PDF) on April 2, 2015, retrieved February 16, 2015
  6. Geographic Names Information System, Feature Detail Report for: Browns Creek, retrieved February 16, 2015
  7. Duane D. Braun, Surficial geology of the Kingston 7.5-minute quadrangle, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, p. 15, retrieved February 16, 2015
  8. Borton-Lawson (June 30, 2010), Luzerne County Act 167 Phase II Stormwater Management Plan (PDF), p. 161, archived from the original (PDF) on December 29, 2014, retrieved February 16, 2015
  9. Standard-Speaker from Hazleton, Pennsylvania · Page 5, Standard-Speaker, February 4, 2000, retrieved February 16, 2015
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