Walker Run

Walker Run (also known as Beach Haven Creek) is a tributary of the Susquehanna River in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. It is approximately 4.4 miles (7.1 km) long and flows through Salem Township.[1] The watershed of the stream has an area of 3.83 square miles (9.9 km2). There are three unnamed tributaries. The stream is on rock of the Mahantango Formation, the Harrell Formation, the Irish Valley Member, and the Trimmers Rock Formation. A number of roads cross the stream. It is inhabited by wild trout.

Walker Run
Beach Haven Creek
Walker Run looking downstream
Physical characteristics
Source 
 • locationnear State Route 4002 in Salem Township, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania
 • elevationbetween 820 and 840 feet (250 and 260 m)
Mouth 
 • location
Susquehanna River in Salem Township, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania
 • coordinates
41°03′59″N 76°10′48″W
 • elevation
489 ft (149 m)
Length4.4 mi (7.1 km)
Basin size3.83 sq mi (9.9 km2)
Discharge 
 • average660 cu ft/s (19 m3/s) 10 percent probability for peak annual discharge at mouth
Basin features
ProgressionSusquehanna River → Chesapeake Bay
Tributaries 
 • leftone unnamed tributary
 • righttwo unnamed tributaries

Course
Walker Run looking upstream

Walker Run begins near State Route 4002 in Salem Township. It flows west-southwest for a few tenths of a mile before turning southwest, entering a valley and flowing alongside Stone Church Road. Over the next few miles, the stream gradually turns south-southeast. It then begins meandering southwest, receiving three unnamed tributaries (two from the right and one from the left). The stream eventually turns south-southeast and then south, crossing US Route 11. A short distance further downstream, it turns west for several hundred feet before turning south. It then almost immediately reaches its confluence with the Suquehanna River near the border between Salem Township and Nescopeck Township.[1]

Walker Run joins the Susquehanna River 164.27 miles (264.37 km) upstream of its mouth.[2]

Tributaries

Walker Run has no named tributaries. However, it does have several unnamed tributaries. The first is approximately 1.6 miles (2.6 km) and joins Walker Run downstream of Summer Hill. The second is approximately 0.5 miles (0.80 km) long and joins Walker Run near the first tributary. The third tributary is approximately 0.3 miles (0.48 km) long.[1]

Hydrology

The discharge of Walker Run at its mouth has a 10 percent chance of peaking at 660 cubic feet per second in any given year. It has a 2 percent chance of reaching 1600 cubic feet per second, a 1 percent chance of reaching 2200 cubic feet per second, and a 0.2 percent chance of reaching 3790 cubic feet per second. The stream has a 10 percent chance of peaking at 550 cubic feet per second upstream of Denns Road and a 2 percent chance of peaking at 1320 cubic feet per second there. It has a 1 percent chance of reaching 1860 cubic feet per second and a 0.2 percent chance of reaching 3100 cubic feet per second. Upstream of the North Market Street bridge, the stream has a 10 percent chance of peaking at 480 cubic feet per second and a 2 percent chance of peaking at 1180 cubic feet per second. It has a 1 percent chance of reaching 1640 cubic feet per second and a 0.2 percent chance of reaching 3600 cubic feet per second.[3]

Geography and geology

The elevation near the mouth of Walker Run is 489 feet (149 m) above sea level.[4] The elevation of the stream's source is between 820 and 840 feet (250 and 260 m) above sea level.[1]

Walker Run flows over rock of the Mahantango Formation in its lower reaches. Further upstream is a narrow band of the Harrell Formation. The stream's upper reaches are on much broader bands of the Irish Valley Member and the Trimmers Rock Formation. The Irish Valley Member contains sandstone, siltstone, claystone, and shale. The Trimmers Rock Formation contains sandstone, siltstone, silt shale, and silty clay shale. The Harrell Formation contains clay shale and silty clay shale and the Mahantango Formation contains claystone and limestone. All of these rock formations date to the Devonian Period.[5]

There are eleven features identified by the Federal Emergency Management Agency as obstructions on Walker Run. This is 44 percent of the 25 obstructions in Salem Township.[6]

There are pools on Walker Run near the bridge carrying North Market Street over the stream. These pools are surrounded by trees.[7] Walker Run has surrounding wetlands in some places.[8]

Watershed

The watershed of Walker Run has an area of 3.83 square miles (9.9 km2).[2] The stream is entirely within the United States Geological Survey quadrangle of Berwick.[4] The mouth of the stream is at the community of Beach Haven. It is also 2 miles (3.2 km) upstream of Berwick.[8]

History and name
Bridge carrying Market Street over Walker Run

Walker Run was entered into the Geographic Names Information System on August 2, 1979. Its identifier in the Geographic Names Information System is 1190503. The stream is also known as Beach Haven Creek.[4] This alternate name appears on county highway maps.[9]

A concrete slab bridge carrying T-436 and Market Street over Walker Run was built in 1937. The bridge is 25.9 feet (7.9 m) long and is located 1.5 miles (2.4 km) north of US Route 11.[10] A road known as Denns Road also crosses the stream.[3]

Walker Run was surveyed by Fisheries Management Area 4 in 2006 and again by the Division of Environmental Services in 2009. The Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission considered adding the stream to their list of wild trout streams at a meeting in October 2009.[11] The stream was added to the list by December 2009.[12]

Biology

The entire drainage basin of Walker Run is designated as a Coldwater Fishery and a Migratory fishery.[13] have discovered wild brown trout in the stream. The trout include fingerlings and several year classes.[11]

See also

References
  1. United States Geological Survey, The National Map Viewer, retrieved January 12, 2015
  2. Pennsylvania Gazetteer of Streams (PDF), November 2, 2001, p. 146, retrieved January 13, 2015
  3. Federal Emergency Management Agency, Flood Insurance Study VOLUME 1 of 6 LUZERNE COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA (ALL JURISDICTIONS) (PDF), p. 57, archived from the original (PDF) on April 2, 2015, retrieved January 13, 2015
  4. Geographic Names Information System, Feature Detail Report for: Walker Run, retrieved January 13, 2015
  5. Jon D. Inners (1978), Bedrock geologic map of the Berwick quadrangle, Luzerne and Columbia counties, Pennsylvania, retrieved January 14, 2015
  6. Borton-Lawson (June 30, 2010), Luzerne County Act 167 Phase II Stormwater Management Plan (PDF), pp. 160, 163–164, archived from the original (PDF) on December 29, 2014, retrieved January 14, 2015
  7. Laura M. Quinn-Willingham (2013), Bell Bend Nuclear Power Plant Combined License Application Site Visit regarding the Indiana Bat Summer Survey Plan (PDF), retrieved January 13, 2015
  8. Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission (2009), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission Agenda (PDF), p. 31, retrieved January 14, 2015
  9. Geographic Names Information System, Variant Citation, retrieved January 13, 2015
  10. Luzerne County, retrieved January 13, 2015
  11. Douglas J. Austen (August 18, 2009), Notice Classification of Wild Trout Streams Addition of Walker Run, Luzerne County (PDF), Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission, retrieved January 13, 2015
  12. Douglas J. Austen (December 15, 2009), Notice Classification of Wild Trout Streams Addition of Walker Run, Luzerne County (PDF), Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission, retrieved January 13, 2015
  13. § 93.9k. Drainage List K. Susquehanna River Basin in Pennsylvania Susquehanna River Surveys, Pennsylvania Code, retrieved January 13, 2015
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