Dark Run is a tributary of

Catawissa Creek Catawissa Creek (colloquially known as The Cat) is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map, accessed August 8, 2011 tributary of the Susquehanna River in east-central Pennsylvania in th ...

Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania Schuylkill County (, ; Pennsylvania Dutch: Schulkill Kaundi) is a county in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. It is located in the heart of Pennsylvania's Coal Region and is part of Northeastern Pennsylvania. As of the 2020 census, the popula ...

, in the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

. It is approximately long and flows through Union Township. The

watershed Watershed is a hydrological term, which has been adopted in other fields in a more or less figurative sense. It may refer to: Hydrology * Drainage divide, the line that separates neighbouring drainage basins * Drainage basin, called a "watershe ...

of the stream has an area of . The stream is considered to be a High-Quality Coldwater Fishery and

Class D Wild Trout Waters Class or The Class may refer to: Common uses not otherwise categorized * Class (biology), a taxonomic rank * Class (knowledge representation), a collection of individuals or objects * Class (philosophy), an analytical concept used differentl ...

. Eight species of fish inhabit the stream. The main rock formations in the stream's watershed are the Mauch Chunk Formation and the main soil is the Leck Kill soil. The stream has several unnamed tributaries.

Course

Dark Run begins in Union Township, a few tenths of a mile west of the community of Pattersonville. The stream flows north for several tenths of a mile, passing through a

pond A pond is an area filled with water, either natural or artificial, that is smaller than a lake. Defining them to be less than in area, less than deep, and with less than 30% emergent vegetation helps in distinguishing their ecology from th ...

. It eventually turns east and passes through another pond before turning northeast. After some distance, the stream receives two unnamed tributaries and turns north-northeast, cutting through a

ridge A ridge or a mountain ridge is a geographical feature consisting of a chain of mountains or hills that form a continuous elevated crest for an extended distance. The sides of the ridge slope away from the narrow top on either side. The line ...

. On the other side of the ridge, it receives another unnamed tributary and passes through the southeastern corner of Ringtown before returning to Union Township. The stream continues north-northeast and receives another unnamed tributary before cutting through another ridge. It then meanders northeast for approximately a mile until it reaches its confluence with Catawissa Creek on the border between Union Township and East Union Township. Dark Run joins Catawissa Creek upstream of its mouth.

Tributaries

Dark Run has no named tributaries. However, it has several unnamed tributaries. "Trib 27590 to Dark Run" is the first unnamed tributary to enter the stream. It is followed closely by "Trib 27589 to Dark Run". "Trib 27588 to Dark Run" and "Trib 27587 to Dark Run" join the stream east of Ringtown. "Trib 27586 to Dark Run" joins it not far from its mouth.

Hydrology

Dark Run, along with Little Catawissa Creek, contributes relatively fertile water to Catawissa Creek. However, the stream is affected by

agricultural runoff Agricultural pollution refers to biotic and abiotic byproducts of farming practices that result in contamination or degradation of the environment and surrounding ecosystems, and/or cause injury to humans and their economic interests. The pol ...

. The pH of Dark Run upstream of its mouth is 7.0 and the concentration of

alkalinity Alkalinity (from ar, القلوي, al-qaly, lit=ashes of the saltwort) is the capacity of water to resist acidification. It should not be confused with basicity, which is an absolute measurement on the pH scale. Alkalinity is the strength of ...

at this location is 16 milligrams per liter. The pH of the stream upstream of its mouth is 7.4 and the concentration of alkalinity is 28 milligrams per liter. The

water hardness Hard water is water that has high mineral content (in contrast with "soft water"). Hard water is formed when water percolates through deposits of limestone, chalk or gypsum, which are largely made up of calcium and magnesium carbonates, bicarbo ...

of the stream upstream of its mouth is 34 milligrams per liter. At 1:35 P.M. on June 19, 1997, the air temperature in the vicinity of Dark Run upstream of its mouth was . The water temperature at that location and time was . At 12:00 P.M. on June 20, 1997, the air temperature near the stream upstream of its mouth was . The water temperature at this time and location was . The

specific conductivity Specific may refer to: * Specificity (disambiguation) * Specific, a cure or therapy for a specific illness Law * Specific deterrence, focussed on an individual * Specific finding, intermediate verdict used by a jury in determining the fina ...

of the stream's waters upstream of its mouth is 118 umhos and the specific conductivity upstream of its mouth is 171 umhos.

Geography and geology

The elevation near the mouth of Dark Run is above

sea level Mean sea level (MSL, often shortened to sea level) is an average surface level of one or more among Earth's coastal bodies of water from which heights such as elevation may be measured. The global MSL is a type of vertical datuma standardised g ...

. The elevation of the stream's source is between and above sea level. Dark Run and all of its tributaries are on rock of the

Mauch Chunk Formation The Mississippian Mauch Chunk Formation is a mapped bedrock unit in Pennsylvania, Maryland, and West Virginia. It is named for the township of Mauch Chunk, now known as borough of Jim Thorpe, Pennsylvania and for nearby Mauch Chunk Ridge where th ...

. This

rock formation A rock formation is an isolated, scenic, or spectacular surface rock outcrop. Rock formations are usually the result of weathering and erosion sculpting the existing rock. The term ''rock formation'' can also refer to specific sediment ...

consists of

siltstone Siltstone, also known as aleurolite, is a clastic sedimentary rock that is composed mostly of silt. It is a form of mudrock with a low clay mineral content, which can be distinguished from shale by its lack of fissility.Blatt ''et al.'' 1980, p ...

sandstone Sandstone is a clastic sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized (0.0625 to 2 mm) silicate grains. Sandstones comprise about 20–25% of all sedimentary rocks. Most sandstone is composed of quartz or feldspar (both silicates) ...

, grayish-red

shale Shale is a fine-grained, clastic sedimentary rock formed from mud that is a mix of flakes of clay minerals (hydrous aluminium phyllosilicates, e.g. kaolin, Al2 Si2 O5( OH)4) and tiny fragments (silt-sized particles) of other minerals, especial ...

, and conglomerate. The entire length of the stream and all of its tributaries are on Leck Kill

soil Soil, also commonly referred to as earth or dirt, is a mixture of organic matter, minerals, gases, liquids, and organisms that together support life. Some scientific definitions distinguish ''dirt'' from ''soil'' by restricting the former te ...

. Dark Run is a small stream, with a width of . It has a low gradient of 13.5 meters per kilometer. Dark Run is surrounded by areas prone to

flood A flood is an overflow of water ( or rarely other fluids) that submerges land that is usually dry. In the sense of "flowing water", the word may also be applied to the inflow of the tide. Floods are an area of study of the discipline hydrol ...

ing during a

100-year flood A 100-year flood is a flood event that has a 1 in 100 chance (1% probability) of being equaled or exceeded in any given year. The 100-year flood is also referred to as the 1% flood, since its annual exceedance probability is 1%.Holmes, R.R., Jr. ...

between its mouth and Ringtown. "Trib 27588 to Dark Run" is surrounded by such areas throughout its length. There are also a few others areas in the watershed that are prone to flooding during a 100-year flood.

Watershed

The watershed of Dark Run has an area of . Most of the watershed is in Union Township. However, the watershed also occupies nearly all of Ringtown. There is

agricultural Agriculture or farming is the practice of cultivating Plant, plants and livestock. Agriculture was the key development in the rise of Sedentism, sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of Domestication, domesticated species created food ...

land throughout the watershed, especially in the valley of the stream. Additionally, it contains some club and association land in its upper and lower reaches. Major roads in the watershed of Dark Run include Rattlin Run Road, Ringtown Boulevard, Pattersonville Road, Center Street, and Main Street, the last two of which are in Ringtown. 33 percent of the stream's length is within of a road and 66 percent is within of one. 95 percent of the stream is within of a road. In 1990, the

population density Population density (in agriculture: standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical term.Matt RosenberPopul ...

of the watershed 40 people per square mile. Dark Run is in the

United States Geological Survey The United States Geological Survey (USGS), formerly simply known as the 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, ...

quadrangles of Nuremberg and Shenandoah. The stream is one of the southernmost tributaries of Catawissa Creek. There are three water resources on Dark Run in its upper reaches. Another water resource is near the mouth of "Trib 27588 to Dark Run" and one other is in the upper reaches of "Trib 27587 to Dark Run". A bridge carrying Farmers Road was built over Dark Run in 1960. It is a steel

stringer bridge Beam bridges are the simplest structural forms for bridge spans supported by an abutment or pier at each end. No moments are transferred throughout the support, hence their structural type is known as '' simply supported''. The simplest beam ...

that is long. It is currently closed.

Biology

Dark Run is considered by the

Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) is the agency in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania responsible for protecting and preserving the land, air, water, and public health through enforcement of the state's environmental laws. ...

to be a High-Quality Coldwater Fishery, although it was historically a Coldwater Fishery. It is the only tributary of Catawissa Creek to be a High-Quality Coldwater Fishery, but not Class A Wild Trout Waters. The stream is inhabited by native

trout Trout are species of freshwater fish belonging to the genera '' Oncorhynchus'', ''Salmo'' and ''Salvelinus'', all of the subfamily Salmoninae of the family Salmonidae. The word ''trout'' is also used as part of the name of some non-salmoni ...

. It is one of the few fertile streams in the watershed of Catawissa Creek that support fish life. The stream is considered to be Class D Wild Trout Waters. A 1997 report advised against

stocking Stockings (also known as hose, especially in a historical context) are close-fitting, variously elastic garments covering the leg from the foot up to the knee or possibly part or all of the thigh. Stockings vary in color, design, and transparen ...

the stream. The stream is not stocked due to its high level of narrowness. There are eight species of

fish Fish are aquatic, craniate, gill-bearing animals that lack limbs with digits. Included in this definition are the living hagfish, lampreys, and cartilaginous and bony fish as well as various extinct related groups. Approximately 95% of li ...

inhabiting Dark Run. These include

brook trout The brook trout (''Salvelinus fontinalis'') is a species of freshwater fish in the char genus ''Salvelinus'' of the salmon family Salmonidae. It is native to Eastern North America in the United States and Canada, but has been introduced elsewhere ...

brown trout The brown trout (''Salmo trutta'') is a European species of salmonid fish that has been widely introduced into suitable environments globally. It includes purely freshwater populations, referred to as the riverine ecotype, ''Salmo trutta'' morph ...

, and

largemouth bass The largemouth bass (''Micropterus salmoides'') is a carnivorous freshwater gamefish in the Centrarchidae ( sunfish) family, a species of black bass native to the eastern and central United States, southeastern Canada and northern Mexico, but ...

. However, the brown trout in the stream are from

hatcheries A hatchery is a facility where eggs are hatched under artificial conditions, especially those of fish, poultry or even turtles. It may be used for ex-situ conservation purposes, i.e. to breed rare or endangered species under controlled condit ...

and the largemouth bass come from farm ponds. Eight fish species inhabit the stream upstream of its mouth and six species inhabit it upstream of its mouth. The

biomass Biomass is plant-based material used as a fuel for heat or electricity production. It can be in the form of wood, wood residues, energy crops, agricultural residues, and waste from industry, farms, and households. Some people use the terms bi ...

of wild brook trout in Dark Run is 6.85 kilograms per hectare, including 0.98 kilograms per hectare of brook trout less than 175 millimeters long and 5.87 kilograms per hectare that are more than 175 millimeters long. These trout range from 50 to 249 millimeters in length. There are 30 brook trout per kilometer that are less than 175 millimeters long and 20 per kilometer that are more than 175 millimeters long. There are 105 brook trout per hectare that are less than 175 millimeters long and 76 per hectare that are more than 175 millimeters long. A 1997 report stated that Dark Run was a poor site for angling.

References

External links

Map of the Catawissa Creek watershed
{{authority control Rivers of Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania Tributaries of Catawissa Creek Rivers of Pennsylvania