Fishing Creek is a long
tributary
A tributary, or affluent, is a stream or river that flows into a larger stream or main stem (or parent) river or a lake. A tributary does not flow directly into a sea or ocean. Tributaries and the main stem river drain the surrounding drainage ...
of the
Susquehanna River
The Susquehanna River (; Lenape: Siskëwahane) is a major river located in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States, overlapping between the lower Northeast and the Upland South. At long, it is the longest river on the East Coast of the ...
in
Columbia County,
Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...
, 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 joins the Susquehanna River near the
census-designated place
A census-designated place (CDP) is a concentration of population defined by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes only.
CDPs have been used in each decennial census since 1980 as the counterparts of incorporated places, such ...
of
Rupert and the town of
Bloomsburg. 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 ...
has an area of .
Nomadic Native Americans arrived in the lower reaches of Fishing Creek around 8000
BCE
Common Era (CE) and Before the Common Era (BCE) are year notations for the Gregorian calendar (and its predecessor, the Julian calendar), the world's most widely used calendar era. Common Era and Before the Common Era are alternatives to the or ...
, and some were spending winters in the upper reaches of the valley by 3000 to 2000 BCE. In the past few centuries, the Fishing Creek area has been home to many industries,
mills
Mills is the plural form of mill, but may also refer to:
As a name
*Mills (surname), a common family name of English or Gaelic origin
* Mills (given name)
*Mills, a fictional British secret agent in a trilogy by writer Manning O'Brine
Places Unit ...
, and dams. It drains parts of five Pennsylvania counties: Columbia,
Montour,
Sullivan,
Luzerne, and
Lycoming. The creek's main tributaries include
Hemlock Creek,
Little Fishing Creek
Little Fishing Creek is a tributary of Fishing Creek in Sullivan County, Lycoming County, and Columbia County, in Pennsylvania, in the United States. It is approximately long and flows through eight townships. The watershed of the creek has a ...
,
Green Creek,
Huntington Creek,
West Branch Fishing Creek
West Branch Fishing Creek is one of the northernmost major tributaries of Fishing Creek in Sullivan County, Pennsylvania and Columbia County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. It is long and flows through Davidson Township, Sullivan County a ...
, and
East Branch Fishing Creek
East Branch Fishing Creek is a tributary of Fishing Creek in Columbia County and Sullivan County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. It is long. The stream and its tributaries are acidic and contain aluminum. The area in the vicinity was firs ...
.
Public recreation activities include canoeing, birdwatching, and fishing. The creek is known for its trout population, which includes
brook
A brook is a small river or natural stream of fresh water. It may also refer to:
Computing
*Brook, a programming language for GPU programming based on C
*Brook+, an explicit data-parallel C compiler
*BrookGPU, a framework for GPGPU programming ...
,
brown
Brown is a color. It can be considered a composite color, but it is mainly a darker shade of orange. In the CMYK color model used in printing or painting, brown is usually made by combining the colors orange and black. In the RGB color model used ...
and
rainbow trout
The rainbow trout (''Oncorhynchus mykiss'') is a species of trout native to cold-water tributaries of the Pacific Ocean in Asia and North America. The steelhead (sometimes called "steelhead trout") is an anadromous (sea-run) form of the coasta ...
; it also contains many other species of fish. Northern hardwood trees and
ruffed grouse
The ruffed grouse (''Bonasa umbellus'') is a medium-sized grouse occurring in forests from the Appalachian Mountains across Canada to Alaska. It is the most widely distributed game bird in North America. It is non-migratory. It is the only specie ...
live in the surrounding area.
Some stretches of Fishing Creek contain significant amounts of algae because of leaking
septic system
Onsite sewage facilities (OSSF), also called septic systems, are wastewater systems designed to treat and dispose of effluent on the same property that produces the wastewater, in areas not served by public sewage infrastructure.
A septic tank a ...
s in the watershed. The area around the tributary West Creek is the least habitable part of the Fishing Creek area, according to a 2011 study. The water quality of Fishing Creek can vary. Its pH ranges from 4.9 to 8.5, while the concentration of dissolved oxygen ranges from 5 to 17.5 mg per liter. The creek's average discharge is 615 cubic feet per second (17.4 m
3/s); its watershed contains gravel, shale and various loams—in particular the Albrights soil series and the Leck Kill soil.
Course
Fishing Creek's source is above sea level in
Sugarloaf Township, south of
State Game Lands Number 13 and
Pennsylvania Route 118
Pennsylvania Route 118 (PA 118) is a state route located in northeastern Pennsylvania. The western terminus of the route is at PA 405 in Hughesville. The eastern terminus is at PA 415 in Dallas. The road is known briefly as East Wa ...
, where
East Branch and
West Branch Fishing Creek
West Branch Fishing Creek is one of the northernmost major tributaries of Fishing Creek in Sullivan County, Pennsylvania and Columbia County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. It is long and flows through Davidson Township, Sullivan County a ...
s of southern Sullivan County meet in northern
Columbia County. The creek heads approximately south with a few bends through Sugarloaf Township for about . In the southern part of the township, it turns east for less than a mile and picks up
Coles Creekits first named tributary after the confluence of the East and West Branches.
It empties into Fishing Creek from the northeast, upstream of its mouth.
Around this point, Fishing Creek turns sharply south into
Benton Township and starts flowing parallel to
Pennsylvania Route 487
Pennsylvania Route 487 (PA 487) is a , north–south state highway running from PA 61 in Shamokin Township, Northumberland County, to PA 87 (near its intersection with US 220) in Dushore, Sullivan County. In Bloomsburg, PA 487 and US 11 ...
.
Here it flows four or five miles, including about a mile in
Benton, where
West Creek parallels Fishing Creek and empties into it from the west just south of Benton and upstream of the mouth.
Fishing Creek crosses under
Pennsylvania Route 239
Pennsylvania Route 239 (PA 239) is a state highway located in Luzerne, Columbia and Lycoming Counties in Pennsylvania. The southern terminus is at PA 93 in Nescopeck Township. The northern terminus is at PA 42 in North ...
and continues approximately south, passing through the community of Maple Grove and flowing into
Fishing Creek Township and
Stillwater.
In Stillwater,
Raven Creek
Raven Creek is a tributary of Fishing Creek (North Branch Susquehanna River), Fishing Creek in Columbia County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. It is approximately long and flows through Sugarloaf Township, Benton Township, and Fishing Creek T ...
empties into the creek from the northeast, above the mouth. About south, the creek turns and picks up
Huntington Creek, and then flows past the communities of Zaners, Forks, and Pealertown.
The mouth of Huntington Creek is above the mouth of Fishing Creek.
Upon leaving Fishing Creek Township, about after picking up Huntington Creek, Fishing Creek flows southwest past
Knob Mountain
Knob Mountain is a mountain in Page County, Virginia. It is part of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Its summit lies within Shenandoah National Park at an elevation of 2,671 ft (814 m).
Geology
Geologically speaking, the mountain is situated ...
and into
Orange Township.
It passes near the northern edge of Knob Mountain downstream, then by Orangeville, and makes a 90° turn to the northwest.
Shortly after this turn it picks up
Green Creek above its mouth and turns west.
After some distance, it turns south again, passing Bowman Bridge and a
gauging station
A stream gauge, streamgage or stream gauging station is a location used by hydrologists or environmental scientists to monitor and test terrestrial bodies of water. Hydrometric measurements of water level surface elevation ("stage") and/or volu ...
. From this point, the creek flows along the border between Orange and
Mount Pleasant Townships for almost .
While on the border between these two townships, it flows past Kocher Park.
The creek stays considerably nearer to the western edge of the river valley than the eastern edge at this point. Near
Lightstreet, it turns west into Mount Pleasant Township, passing several lakes and the Turkey Hill Oxbow. Upon entering Mount Pleasant Township, the creek stops paralleling Pennsylvania Route 487 and flows in the vicinity of
Interstate 80
Interstate 80 (I-80) is an east–west transcontinental freeway that crosses the United States from downtown San Francisco, California, to Teaneck, New Jersey, in the New York metropolitan area. The highway was designated in 1956 as one o ...
for .
Along the border of Mount Pleasant Township and
Bloomsburg, Fishing Creek picks up
Little Fishing Creek
Little Fishing Creek is a tributary of Fishing Creek in Sullivan County, Lycoming County, and Columbia County, in Pennsylvania, in the United States. It is approximately long and flows through eight townships. The watershed of the creek has a ...
at a distance of upstream of its mouth before turning south and paralleling the western border of Bloomsburg.
As it flows between Bloomsburg and
Fernville, it turns sharply westward, paralleling
U.S. Route 11
{{Infobox road
, country=USA
, type=US
, route=11
, map={{maplink, frame=yes, plain=yes, frame-align=center, frame-width=290, frame-height=330, type=line, from=U.S. Route 11.map
, map_custom=yes
, map_notes=US 11 in red, US 11E in blue, US 11W in ...
, and picks up
Hemlock Creek, which is above the mouth.
Shortly after picking up Hemlock Creek, Fishing Creek turns southeast under U.S. Route 11 and flows parallel to
Pennsylvania Route 42
Pennsylvania Route 42 (PA 42) is a state route located in central Pennsylvania. The southern terminus of the route is at PA 61 in Centralia. The northern terminus is at U.S. Route 220 (US 220) in Laporte. The route heads north through Columbia ...
for slightly over , picking up
Montour Run
Montour Run is a tributary of Fishing Creek in Columbia County, Pennsylvania. It is the last named tributary to join the creek and is long. The stream's watershed has an area of approximately 4.7 square miles and is located in Montour Township, C ...
from the right,
then empties later into the Susquehanna between Bloomsburg and
Rupert.
The
Rupert Covered Bridge No. 56
The Rupert Covered Bridge No. 56 (also known as the Rupert Bridge) is a covered bridge in Columbia County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. It is one of 23 covered bridges in Columbia County. The bridge is on the National Register of Historic P ...
crosses the main stem of the creek.
Its mouth is above sea level lower than, and downstream of, the source.
Tributaries
![East Branch Fishing Creek](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/6b/East_Branch_Fishing_Creek.jpg)
Fishing Creek has several major tributaries and numerous minor ones. The major tributaries are Hemlock Creek, Little Fishing Creek, Green Creek, Huntington Creek, and the East and West Branch Fishing Creeks. West Branch Fishing Creek rises on
North Mountain and flows east into Fishing Creek. East Branch Fishing Creek is a tributary that starts on North Mountain in Sullivan County and is approximately long. Huntington Creek starts in State Game Lands number 57 and heads southwest through Luzerne County until it reaches the north side of Knob Mountain, which it runs parallel to until it merges with Fishing Creek.
Huntington Creek drains the eastern and northeastern parts of the Fishing Creek
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 ...
.
Four covered bridges cross Huntington Creek; these are the
Twin Bridges–East Paden Covered Bridge No. 120, the
Twin Bridges–West Paden Covered Bridge No. 121, the
Josiah Hess Covered Bridge No. 122
The Josiah Hess Covered Bridge No. 122 is a historic wooden covered bridge over Huntington Creek in Fishing Creek Township in Columbia County, Pennsylvania. It is a , Burr Truss arch bridge constructed in 1875. It is one of 28 historic covered ...
, and the Huntington Mills Bridge.
Green Creek rises near
Waller and heads roughly south to
Rohrsburg and on to Orangeville, where it joins Fishing Creek.
It drains the central part of the Fishing Creek watershed.
Little Fishing Creek starts just in Lycoming County near the Columbia County Line. It winds through rural areas before reaching Pennsylvania Route 42,
which it runs parallel to for the remainder of its length. It drains the western part of the Fishing Creek watershed. Four covered bridges cross Little Fishing Creek; these are the
Wanich Covered Bridge No. 69
The Wanich Covered Bridge No. 69 is a historic wooden covered bridge located at Hemlock Township and Mount Pleasant Township in Columbia County, Pennsylvania. It is a , Burr Truss arch bridge constructed in 1884. It is one of 28 historic cover ...
, the
Sam Eckman Covered Bridge No. 92, the
Jud Christie Covered Bridge No. 95, and the
Creasyville Covered Bridge.
Other tributaries of the main stem include Coles Creek and West Creek near Benton, Raven Creek in Fishing Creek Township, Hemlock Creek in Hemlock Township, Montour Run in Montour Township, and
Deerlick Run and
Stony Brook, both near Orange Township.
Watershed
Fishing Creek drains most of Columbia County north of the Susquehanna River except for an area in the eastern part of the county, which is drained by
Briar Creek.
It also drains southern Sullivan County and western Luzerne County. Minor tributaries drain small portions of Montour County and southeastern Lycoming County.
The upper part of the watershed is 85 percent forest and 13 percent farmland. Near its source, the other two percent is residential; closer to Benton, the remainder is urban.
The creek's drainage basin consists of a number of sub-watersheds. The largest ones are the Huntington Creek watershed, with an area of 114 square miles; the Little Fishing Creek watershed, with an area of 68.1 square miles; the Green Creek drainage basin, with an area of 36.9 square miles; and the West Branch Fishing Creek drainage basin, with an area of 32.9 square miles.
Oxbow lake
Northern Bloomsburg and Scott Township include a small
oxbow lake
An oxbow lake is a U-shaped lake or pool that forms when a wide meander of a river is cut off, creating a free-standing body of water. In South Texas, oxbows left by the Rio Grande are called '' resacas''. In Australia, oxbow lakes are call ...
of Fishing Creek; the area around this lake is known as the Turkey Hill Oxbow.
The lake is located between
Interstate 80
Interstate 80 (I-80) is an east–west transcontinental freeway that crosses the United States from downtown San Francisco, California, to Teaneck, New Jersey, in the New York metropolitan area. The highway was designated in 1956 as one o ...
and the forests on the side of Turkey Hill. The oxbow is on a
flood plain
A floodplain or flood plain or bottomlands is an area of land adjacent to a river which stretches from the banks of its channel to the base of the enclosing valley walls, and which experiences flooding during periods of high discharge.Goudi ...
and includes grasses, forested wetlands, and areas of open water. In wet periods of the year, the Turkey Hill Oxbow lake receives overflow from the waters of Fishing Creek while during dry periods it contains water in only a few places.
Most land around the oxbow is steep.
It is covered by
hemlock and
hardwood
Hardwood is wood from dicot trees. These are usually found in broad-leaved temperate and tropical forests. In temperate and boreal latitudes they are mostly deciduous, but in tropics and subtropics mostly evergreen. Hardwood (which comes from ...
forests, as well as
skunk cabbage
Skunk cabbage is a common name for several plants and may refer to:
* the genus ''Lysichiton''
** Asian skunk cabbage, ''Lysichiton camtschatcensis'', grows in eastern Asia
** Western skunk cabbage, '' Lysichiton americanus'', grows in western Nor ...
seeps.
The forests around the lake also contain
black birch Black birch is a common name for several trees, and may refer to:
* Asian black birch, the English name for ''Betula dahurica'', tree species native to eastern Asia
* Black birch, a common name for ''Betula lenta'', tree species native to eastern ...
,
yellow birch
''Betula alleghaniensis'', the yellow birch, golden birch, or swamp birch, is a large tree and an important lumber species of birch native to northeastern North America. Its vernacular names refer to the golden color of the tree's bark. In the pa ...
,
white oak
The genus ''Quercus'' contains about 500 species, some of which are listed here. The genus, as is the case with many large genera, is divided into subgenera and sections. Traditionally, the genus ''Quercus'' was divided into the two subgenera '' ...
,
red oak
The genus Oak, ''Quercus'' contains about 500 species, some of which are listed here. The genus, as is the case with many List of the largest genera of flowering plants, large genera, is Taxonomic rank#Ranks in botany, divided into subgenus, subgen ...
,
sugar maple
''Acer saccharum'', the sugar maple, is a species of flowering plant in the soapberry and lychee family Sapindaceae. It is native to the hardwood forests of eastern Canada and eastern United States. Sugar maple is best known for being the prima ...
,
tulip poplar
''Liriodendron tulipifera''—known as the tulip tree, American tulip tree, tulipwood, tuliptree, tulip poplar, whitewood, fiddletree, and yellow-poplar—is the North American representative of the two-species genus ''Liriodendron'' (the other ...
, and
Norway maple
''Acer platanoides'', commonly known as the Norway maple, is a species of maple native to eastern and central Europe and western Asia, from Spain east to Russia, north to southern Scandinavia and southeast to northern Iran. It was introduced to ...
, while the
understory
In forestry and ecology, understory (American English), or understorey (Commonwealth English), also known as underbrush or undergrowth, includes plant life growing beneath the forest canopy without penetrating it to any great extent, but abov ...
contains
slippery elm
''Ulmus rubra'', the slippery elm, is a species of elm native to eastern North America.
Other common names include red elm, gray elm, soft elm, moose elm, and Indian elm.
Description
''Ulmus rubra'' is a medium-sized deciduous tree with a spre ...
,
European privet,
Japanese barberry
''Berberis thunbergii'', the Japanese barberry, Thunberg's barberry, or red barberry, is a species of flowering plant in the barberry family Berberidaceae, native to Japan and eastern Asia, though widely naturalized in China and North America, w ...
,
American elderberry, wild
hydrangea
''Hydrangea'', () commonly named the hortensia, is a genus of over 75 species of flowering plants native to Asia and the Americas. By far the greatest species diversity is in eastern Asia, notably China, Korea, and Japan. Most are shrubs tall, ...
,
witch hazel
Witch-hazels or witch hazels (''Hamamelis'') are a genus of flowering plants in the family Hamamelidaceae, with three species in North America ('' H. ovalis'', '' H. virginiana'', and '' H. vernalis''), and one each in Japan ('' H.&nb ...
,
mountain laurel,
ironwood
Ironwood is a common name for many woods or plants that have a reputation for hardness, or specifically a wood density that is heavier than water (approximately 1000 kg/m3, or 62 pounds per cubic foot), although usage of the name ironwood in E ...
, and the rare
American yew. The American yew population was in significant decline by 2004 due to heavy grazing by deer.
There are numerous wildflower species in the uplands and rock outcroppings of the Turkey Hill Oxbow. These include
white baneberry,
northern maidenhair fern,
spikenard
Spikenard, also called nard, nardin, and muskroot, is a class of aromatic amber-colored essential oil derived from ''Nardostachys jatamansi'', a flowering plant in the honeysuckle family which grows in the Himalayas of Nepal, China, and India. Th ...
,
blue cohosh
''Caulophyllum thalictroides'', the blue cohosh, a species of '' Caulophyllum'' (family Berberidaceae) is a flowering plant in the Berberidaceae (barberry) family. It is a medium-tall perennial with blue berry-like fruits and bluish-green foliage ...
,
foamflower
''Tiarella'', the foamflowers, is a genus of flowering plants in the family Saxifragaceae. The generic name ''Tiarella'' means "little turban", which suggests the shape of the seed capsules. Worldwide there are seven species, one each in eastern ...
,
false Solomon's seal,
purple trillium, and wild
columbine.
Animals inhabiting the areas surrounding the pools include
pickerel frog
The pickerel frog (''Lithobates palustris'', formerly ''Rana palustris'') is a small North American frog, characterized by the appearance of seemingly "hand-drawn" squares on its dorsal surface.
Distinguishing features
The pickerel frog is a m ...
s,
green frogs,
wood duck
The wood duck or Carolina duck (''Aix sponsa'') is a species of perching duck found in North America. The drake wood duck is one of the most colorful North American waterfowl.
Description
The wood duck is a medium-sized perching duck. A typi ...
s, and
snapping turtle
The Chelydridae is a family of turtles that has seven extinct and two extant genera. The extant genera are the snapping turtles, ''Chelydra'' and '' Macrochelys''. Both are endemic to the Western Hemisphere. The extinct genera are '' Acherontem ...
s. Plants in this location include
broadleaf arrowhead
''Sagittaria latifolia'' is a plant found in shallow wetlands and is sometimes known as broadleaf arrowhead, duck-potato, Indian potato, katniss, or wapato. This plant produces edible tubers that have traditionally been extensively used by Nati ...
,
northern blueflag,
manna grasses,
water starwort
''Callitriche'' is a genus of largely aquatic plants known as water-starwort. Previously, it was the only genus in the family Callitrichaceae. However, according to the Angiosperm Phylogeny Group, APG II system this family is now included in the ...
, and several varieties of
sedge
The Cyperaceae are a family of graminoid (grass-like), monocotyledonous flowering plants known as sedges. The family is large, with some 5,500 known species described in about 90 genera, the largest being the "true sedges" genus ''Carex'' wit ...
s.
Japanese knotweed
''Reynoutria japonica'', synonyms ''Fallopia japonica'' and ''Polygonum cuspidatum'', is a species of herbaceous perennial plant in the knotweed and buckwheat family Polygonaceae. Common names include Japanese knotweed and Asian knotweed. It is ...
has been seen near Interstate 80 on the northern edges of the Turkey Hill Oxbow.
History
Native American settlement
Having first inhabited Pennsylvania between 16,000 and 10,000 BCE, nomadic
Native Americans reached the area near the mouth of Fishing Creek by 8000 BCE.
By 3000 to 2000 BCE, some of them were going into the Fishing Creek valley during the winter to hunt deer and bears and returning to the Susquehanna River in the summer, creating trade routes. There was no permanent habitation until 1000 BCE when some Native American villages were built at the mouth of Fishing Creek. The Native Americans who settled in this area included the
Shawnee
The Shawnee are an Algonquian-speaking indigenous people of the Northeastern Woodlands. In the 17th century they lived in Pennsylvania, and in the 18th century they were in Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana and Illinois, with some bands in Kentucky a ...
and
Susquehannock Indians
The Susquehannock people, also called the Conestoga by some English settlers or Andastes were Iroquoian Peoples, Iroquoian Native Americans in the United States, Native Americans who lived in areas adjacent to the Susquehanna River and its Tribu ...
.
A Native American path ran along the creek from Bloomsburg to Orangeville before turning away in the direction of
Tunkhannock Creek. Since at least 1769, there has also been a path between the mouths of Huntington and Green Creeks.
European settlement
The first lots at the mouth of Fishing Creek were surveyed in 1769 when European settlers began moving into the area, and in the same year, the
Penn family
William Penn ( – ) was an English writer and religious thinker belonging to the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers), and founder of the Province of Pennsylvania, a North American colony of England. He was an early advocate of democracy an ...
purchased of land upstream of Benton.
In 1778,
Moses Van Campen
Major Moses Van Campen (1757–1849) was a soldier during the American Revolutionary War. He was a prominent figure in Pennsylvania and parts of New York. His primary involvement in the Revolutionary War was in fighting against hostile Native Am ...
built a fort of logs covered with earth with a small swivel cannon on Fishing Creek to protect settlers on the frontier.
There were settlers on the creek in
Orange Township in 1780, and the Fishing Creek valley north of Orangeville, in what is now Stillwater, was first settled in 1783 by Daniel McHenry.
The headwaters of the creek were settled in the late 1780s and early 1790s. Leonard Rupert established a ferry on the creek in 1786. The first sawmill on the upper portion of Fishing Creek was built in the late 1790s; it was destroyed in a flood in 1848.
The first mill in Sugarloaf Township was built alongside Fishing Creek in 1802, and another mill in the same township was noted for its buckwheat flour. A schoolhouse had been built by 1806.
In 1818, John Barton built a flour and
grist
Grist is grain that has been separated from its chaff in preparation for grinding. It can also mean grain that has been ground at a gristmill. Its etymology derives from the verb ''grind.''
Grist can be ground into meal or flour, depending on ho ...
mill on Fishing Creek. It was destroyed by fire in 1855 and again in 1905. Although rebuilt, it burned down again in 1932.
Another gristmill stood on the creek until 1830 when it was converted into a paper mill. Iron ore was discovered in the area of Fishing Creek in 1822, and in 1844, an
anthracite
Anthracite, also known as hard coal, and black coal, is a hard, compact variety of coal that has a submetallic luster. It has the highest carbon content, the fewest impurities, and the highest energy density of all types of coal and is the hig ...
-burning furnace was built on the creek near Bloomsburg.
In the 19th century, an
aqueduct was built across the creek.
From around 1840 to 1900, the wagon-making industry was important to the upper Fishing Creek area. Another historic industry was the Susquehanna Slate Company, which operated in the late 19th century.
The
Fishing Creek Confederacy
The Fishing Creek Confederacy was an alleged military uprising in northern Columbia County, Pennsylvania and southern Sullivan County, Pennsylvania during the American Civil War. Residents of Columbia County strongly opposed military drafts that ...
(August–November 1864) during the
American Civil War
The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...
was a suspected uprising of a high number of deserters and draft evaders. A thousand soldiers occupied and searched the Fishing Creek valley and the mountains of its headwaters but were unable to find any deserters. Nevertheless, 100 residents of Columbia County were arrested and imprisoned for desertion and draft evasion although most were later released. Starting in 1877, the Bloomsburg Water Company used Fishing Creek as its water supply. The
Bloomsburg and Sullivan Railroad, which paralleled the creek, was built in 1888.
There were limestone mines at the junction of Fishing Creek and Little Fishing Creek, but these have not been used since at least 1887.
During the
Great Depression
The Great Depression (19291939) was an economic shock that impacted most countries across the world. It was a period of economic depression that became evident after a major fall in stock prices in the United States. The economic contagio ...
, a beach was constructed on the creek near Fernville by the
Works Progress Administration
The Works Progress Administration (WPA; renamed in 1939 as the Work Projects Administration) was an American New Deal agency that employed millions of jobseekers (mostly men who were not formally educated) to carry out public works projects, i ...
. After the creek flooded in 1972 from
Hurricane Agnes
Hurricane Agnes in 1972 was the costliest hurricane to hit the United States at the time, causing an estimated $2.1 billion in damage. The hurricane's death toll was 128. The effects of Agnes were widespread, from the Caribbean to Canada, ...
, a
flash flood
A flash flood is a rapid flooding of low-lying areas: washes, rivers, dry lakes and depressions. It may be caused by heavy rain associated with a severe thunderstorm, hurricane, or tropical storm, or by meltwater from ice or snow flowing o ...
warning system was installed there.
In 2002, a tract of land from the Custer/Kocher
homestead
Homestead may refer to:
*Homestead (buildings), a farmhouse and its adjacent outbuildings; by extension, it can mean any small cluster of houses
*Homestead (unit), a unit of measurement equal to 160 acres
*Homestead principle, a legal concept th ...
on Fishing Creek near Lightstreet was converted into a park called the Frank W. Kocher Memorial Park, which was later expanded to cover .
In the 21st century, the only significant industry in the watershed is the Benton Foundry.
Hydrology
![USGS gauging station on Fishing Creek at Bloomsburg](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4a/USGS_gauging_station_on_Fishing_Creek_at_Bloomsburg.JPG)
Approximately downstream of Orangeville a gauging station was established on the creek in 1938.
Other monitoring of the creek has included detailed studies at a stream-gauging station near Bloomsburg, which operated from 2002 to 2012.
Discharge
Just downstream of Orangeville, Fishing Creek's
discharge
Discharge may refer to
Expel or let go
* Discharge, the act of firing a gun
* Discharge, or termination of employment, the end of an employee's duration with an employer
* Military discharge, the release of a member of the armed forces from serv ...
averages , with a median of . The lowest recorded discharge was while the highest was .
Further upstream in Benton, it is almost always less than , and usually approaches zero during the summer. The typical discharge is around . In years of drought, the streambeds of West Branch and East Branch Fishing Creeks typically run dry for 105 days over summer; even in wet years they are dry for an average of 5 days.
Near Bloomsburg, Fishing Creek's discharge has ranged between and .
pH
Near Benton, Fishing Creek's
pH ranges from around 5.6 to 7.25, while near Bloomsburg, a wider range has been recorded, from 5.8 to 8.5.
Near Camp Lavigne, it ranges from 5.5 to 7.1. East Branch Fishing Creek is the only stream in the watershed whose pH drops below 5.5; it can fall as low as 4.9. West Creek and Coles Creek are the least acidic streams in the watershed, with pH levels usually above 6.3 and often above 7. Typically, the creek and its tributaries are not at risk of becoming too acidic for the optimal health of fish, but in early spring during snowmelts, the levels approach the limit that brook trout can tolerate.
Fishing Creek's waters are acidic because of
acid rain
Acid rain is rain or any other form of precipitation that is unusually acidic, meaning that it has elevated levels of hydrogen ions (low pH). Most water, including drinking water, has a neutral pH that exists between 6.5 and 8.5, but acid ...
.
Dissolved chemicals
Nonmetals
The concentration of dissolved oxygen in Fishing Creek ranges from approximately 5 to 17.5 mg/L at Benton. A site near Camp Lavigne had slightly less variability, ranging from 8 to 17 mg/L.
The concentration near Bloomsburg ranged between 4.1 and 17.1 mg/L, with an average of 10.9 mg/L.
The amount of
carbon dioxide
Carbon dioxide (chemical formula ) is a chemical compound made up of molecules that each have one carbon atom covalently double bonded to two oxygen atoms. It is found in the gas state at room temperature. In the air, carbon dioxide is transpar ...
near Bloomsburg ranged from 0.3 to 34 mg/L, with an average of 2.04 mg/L.
The total concentration of nitrogen near Bloomsburg between 2002 and 2012 ranged from 0.52 to 2.8 mg/L. The average concentration was 1.212 mg/L. The
ammonia
Ammonia is an inorganic compound of nitrogen and hydrogen with the formula . A stable binary hydride, and the simplest pnictogen hydride, ammonia is a colourless gas with a distinct pungent smell. Biologically, it is a common nitrogenous was ...
levels in the creek ranged from less than 0.02 mg/L to 0.06 mg/L, while the concentration of nitrates was always less than 0.04 mg/L.
The total concentration of phosphates ranged from less than 0.031 mg/L to 0.11 mg/L, while for phosphorus the figures ranged from less than 0.01 mg/L to 0.575 mg/L.
The total concentration of dissolved solids near Bloomsburg ranges from less than 2 to 166 mg/L.
Metals
In most places on Fishing Creek, there is not enough dissolved aluminum to be toxic, although East Branch Fishing Creek has aluminum concentrations of over 100 μg per liter, approaching a lethal level for fish. Fishing Creek itself and all its other tributaries have concentrations of less than 70 μg per liter. The concentration is seasonal: aluminum trapped in frozen ground is released into the streams when the soil thaws. As a result, aluminum levels in the creek peak in March and April and drop to almost zero in the summer.
The concentration of calcium at the gauging station near Bloomsburg has ranged from 5.5 mg/L to 26 mg/L, averaging 7.532 mg/L. The concentration of magnesium has ranged from 1.5 mg/L to 6.7 mg/L, with an average of 1.748 mg/L.
Dams
![Boone's Dam](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/ac/Boone%27s_Dam.JPG)
There are five
dam
A dam is a barrier that stops or restricts the flow of surface water or underground streams. Reservoirs created by dams not only suppress floods but also provide water for activities such as irrigation, human consumption, industrial use, a ...
s on Fishing Creek.
The
lowhead dam
A weir or low head dam is a barrier across the width of a river that alters the flow characteristics of water and usually results in a change in the height of the river level. Weirs are also used to control the flow of water for outlets of l ...
called Boone's Dam is the furthest downstream, in Montour Township.
It is high and long. Further upstream is the Diverting Dam, a 2-foot (0.6-meter) high and 100-foot (31-meter) long dam in Bloomsburg.
It was built to power the nearby Irondale furnaces.
A wide and high unnamed dam is on the creek further upstream, in Mount Pleasant Township. The uppermost dams are the wide and high Benton Dam and the wide and high Mill Dam, which are in Benton Township and Benton. Additionally, the Jonestown Dam is on the tributary Huntington Creek in
Jonestown
The Peoples Temple Agricultural Project, better known by its informal name "Jonestown", was a remote settlement in Guyana established by the Peoples Temple, a U.S.–based cult under the leadership of Jim Jones. Jonestown became internationall ...
. This dam is high and wide.
Water temperature
The highest water temperature is at West Creek, which can reach in the summer. In Benton, Fishing Creek can reach in the summer while Coles Creek only reaches . In the winter, the water in the main stem is around , while in West Branch Fishing Creek it can drop to in the winter, making it the coldest stream in the watershed.
At the gauging station near Bloomsburg, the temperature has ranged from ; it was at its lowest on January 10, 2011. The highest temperature occurred on August 3, 2006. The average temperature in August was and the average water temperature in January was . The temperature has averaged approximately .
Geology
![Fishing Creek in the Allegheny Front](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/0c/Fishing_Creek_in_the_Allegheny_Front.jpg)
The Fishing Creek watershed has been affected by
glaciation
A glacial period (alternatively glacial or glaciation) is an interval of time (thousands of years) within an ice age that is marked by colder temperatures and glacier advances. Interglacials, on the other hand, are periods of warmer climate betw ...
, which has left a
glacial till
image:Geschiebemergel.JPG, Closeup of glacial till. Note that the larger grains (pebbles and gravel) in the till are completely surrounded by the matrix of finer material (silt and sand), and this characteristic, known as ''matrix support'', is d ...
near the source and
glacial outwash
An outwash plain, also called a sandur (plural: ''sandurs''), sandr or sandar, is a plain formed of glaciofluvial deposits due to meltwater outwash at the terminus of a glacier. As it flows, the glacier grinds the underlying rock surface and ca ...
in the lower parts of the watershed. The watershed lies in two major geological regions: the Deep Valley section of the
Allegheny Plateau
The Allegheny Plateau , in the United States, is a large dissected plateau area of the Appalachian Mountains in western and central New York, northern and western Pennsylvania, northern and western West Virginia, and eastern Ohio. It is divide ...
and the Susquehanna Lowlands Section. The Allegheny Plateau lies in the upper reaches of the watershed and is characterized by deep valleys and rounded mountains with elevations of around . The Susquehanna Lowlands section is characterized by linear ridges of moderate elevation and valleys less steep than those of the Deep Valley region.
There are also flood plains along the creek.
Near its mouth, it cuts through
Montour Ridge Montour may refer to:
Places in the United States
* Montour, Iowa
* Montour, New York
* Montour Falls, New York
* Montour County, Pennsylvania
* Montour Lake, in Montour County, Pennsylvania
* Montour Run, a tributary of Fishing Creek in Columbia C ...
, and a
basalt
Basalt (; ) is an aphanite, aphanitic (fine-grained) extrusive igneous rock formed from the rapid cooling of low-viscosity lava rich in magnesium and iron (mafic lava) exposed at or very near the planetary surface, surface of a terrestrial ...
-containing section of the
Catskill Formation
The Devonian Catskill Formation or the Catskill Clastic wedge is a unit of mostly terrestrial sedimentary rock found in Pennsylvania and New York. Minor marine layers exist in this thick rock unit (up to ). It is equivalent to the Hampshire For ...
extends to the creek's banks in Hemlock Township.
Other rock formations along the banks include the
Clinton Formation, the
Selena Formation, the
Lower Helderburg Formation, and the
Hamilton Formation.
There is a
terminal moraine
A terminal moraine, also called end moraine, is a type of moraine that forms at the terminal (edge) of a glacier, marking its maximum advance. At this point, debris that has accumulated by plucking and abrasion, has been pushed by the front edge ...
, which crosses the creek near Benton.
The bed of Fishing Creek contains red and brown
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 ...
in some places.
Other parts of the watershed lie over gray
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) ...
or
conglomerates.
There are numerous deposits of iron ore, limestone and marble in the watershed of Fishing Creek.
Most of the rock in the watershed, including the
Trimmers Rock Formation
Trimmer may refer to:
* Trimmer (construction), beam used in construction
* Trimmer (electronics), small electrical component
* Trimmer (gardening), gardening power tool
* Trimmer (surname)
* Trimmer, California, community in Fresno County
* La ...
and Catskill Formation, is from the
Devonian Period
The Devonian ( ) is a geologic period and system of the Paleozoic era, spanning 60.3 million years from the end of the Silurian, million years ago (Mya), to the beginning of the Carboniferous, Mya. It is named after Devon, England, wh ...
, but some of the northernmost tributaries have watersheds on rock from the
Mississippian Period
The Mississippian ( , also known as Lower Carboniferous or Early Carboniferous) is a subperiod in the geologic timescale or a subsystem of the geologic record. It is the earlier of two subperiods of the Carboniferous period lasting from roughly ...
, such as the
Huntley Mountain Formation
The Huntley Mountain Formation is a late Devonian and early Mississippian mapped bedrock unit in Pennsylvania, in the United States.
Description
The formation is composed of relatively soft grayish-red shale and olive-gray sandstone. It is lo ...
and
Burgoon sandstone
Burgoon is a village in Sandusky County, Ohio, United States. The population was 172 at the 2010 census.
Geography
Burgoon is located at (41.266832, -83.250024).
According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of , ...
.
The creek is a
freestone stream In fly fishing, a freestone stream flows seasonally, based on the water supply. In the summer and fall, freestone streams grow warm and have reduced flow because water from snow melt is less readily available. In contrast to limestone streams, which ...
although its water is colder than that of most eastern freestone streams.
Areas along Fishing Creek contain
pools followed by
riffle
A riffle is a shallow landform in a flowing channel. Colloquially, it is a shallow place in a river where water flows quickly past rocks. However, in geology a riffle has specific characteristics.
Topographic, sedimentary and hydraulic indica ...
s, which are further followed by more pools. This configuration of pools and riffles creates an ideal situation for
fly-fishing
Fly fishing is an angling method that uses a light-weight lure—called an artificial fly—to catch fish. The fly is cast using a fly rod, reel, and specialized weighted line. The light weight requires casting techniques significantly differ ...
.
The lower part of the creek forms one side of a triangle of low-lying land in western Bloomsburg, which floods severely during heavy rains.
Soil
The main soil in the area of Fishing Creek belongs to the
Albrights series, which contains a layer of sticky, reddish-brown, gravelly silt loam. Below this is a layer of yellowish-red, gravelly, silty clay loam, which extends to approximately below ground and lies over a layer of equal portions of gravel and silty clay loam.
Bedrock
In geology, bedrock is solid Rock (geology), rock that lies under loose material (regolith) within the crust (geology), crust of Earth or another terrestrial planet.
Definition
Bedrock is the solid rock that underlies looser surface mater ...
occurs several feet below the surface.
The top of the
Leck Kill-Meckesville-Calvin series in the watershed is dark brown silt loam with small pieces of sandstone and shale. A
subsoil
Subsoil is the layer of soil under the topsoil on the surface of the ground. Like topsoil, it is composed of a variable mixture of small particles such as sand, silt and clay, but with a much lower percentage of organic matter and humus, and it ...
of reddish-brown silt loam from below ground is followed by a layer of sticky
clay loam
Loam (in geology and soil science) is soil composed mostly of sand (particle size > ), silt (particle size > ), and a smaller amount of clay (particle size < ). By weight, its mineral composition is about 40–40–20% concentration of sand–sil ...
, below which is a bedrock of red shale.
The
Barbour series occurs near the source of the creek. It is topped with a crumbly, layer of brownish-red silt loam over a loose subsoil of reddish-brown loam with some gravel. The top layer can easily be penetrated by roots and water. Further down is a layer of reddish-brown gravel and sand, which extends to or more underground. The
Basher series also occurs along upper Fishing Creek. The top layer is a loose, crumbly, reddish-brown sandy loam extending to underground, and the subsoil is a loose, porous, reddish-brown sandy loam with some gravel, extending to underground. Lower down, there is a layer of red sandy loam with some gravel that extends from underground.
The
Pekin series is found along Fishing Creek and its tributary Huntington Creek. The uppermost layer, a dark brown silt loam that extends to underground, lies over a layer of brown silt loam with 10 percent gravel extending underground. The subsoil is mottled, brown, silty clay loam with
cobbles
Cobblestone is a natural building material based on cobble-sized stones, and is used for pavement roads, streets, and buildings.
Setts, also called Belgian blocks, are often casually referred to as "cobbles", although a sett is distinct fro ...
and extends to underground. Bedrock occurs at a depth of underground. The Pekin soils near the creek contain more cobbles than typical Pekin soils.
Soils of the
Chen1ango-Pope-Holly series have also been found along it.
In 1914 the soils of the Fishing Creek watershed were found to yield large quantities of farm crops. Potatoes yielded 100 to 200
bushel
A bushel (abbreviation: bsh. or bu.) is an imperial and US customary unit of volume based upon an earlier measure of dry capacity. The old bushel is equal to 2 kennings (obsolete), 4 pecks, or 8 dry gallons, and was used mostly for agricult ...
s per acre, corn 70 to 90 bushels per acre, oats 40 bushels per acre, wheat 20 to 30 bushels per acre, and hay one to two tons per acre.
J. H. Battle's 1887 ''History of Columbia and Montour Counties, Pennsylvania'' stated that the Fishing Creek valley was fertile.
Biology
Benthic
The benthic zone is the ecological region at the lowest level of a body of water such as an ocean, lake, or stream, including the sediment surface and some sub-surface layers. The name comes from ancient Greek, βένθος (bénthos), meaning "t ...
algae densely cover the bed of Fishing Creek, their preponderance attributed to leaking septic systems. At one location on the main stem downstream of Grassmere Park, coverage exceeds 60 percent. The dominant algal organism on West Branch Fishing Creek near the village of Elk Grove is ''
Cladophora
''Cladophora'' is a genus of reticulated filamentous Ulvophyceae (green algae). The genus ''Cladophora'' contains many species that are very hard to tell apart and classify, mainly because of the great variation in their appearances, which is ...
''. The
green algae
The green algae (singular: green alga) are a group consisting of the Prasinodermophyta and its unnamed sister which contains the Chlorophyta and Charophyta/Streptophyta. The land plants (Embryophytes) have emerged deep in the Charophyte alga as ...
''
Tetraspora
''Tetraspora'' is a genus of green algae in the family Tetrasporaceae of the order Chlamydomonadales, division Chlorophyta. Species of ''Tetraspora'' are unicellular green algae that exist in arrangements of four and consist of cells being packa ...
'' dominates the stretch of Fishing Creek for downstream of Grassmere Park, where it covers 80 percent of the riverbed. South of Pennsylvania Route 239's crossing of the creek, the dominant algal organisms are ''
Microspora
''Microspora'' is a genus of green algae in the family Microsporaceae.See the NCBIbr>webpage on Microspora Data extracted from the ''Microspora'' are autotrophic protist
A protist () is any eukaryotic organism (that is, an organism whose ...
'', ''
Mougeotia'', and ''
Spirogyra
''Spirogyra'' (common names include water silk, mermaid's tresses, and blanket weed) is a genus of filamentous charophyte green algae of the order Zygnematales, named for the helical or spiral arrangement of the chloroplasts that is characteris ...
''. In the fall, decomposing algae covers 50 percent of the riverbed.
Thirty-six species of
macroinvertebrate
Invertebrates are a paraphyletic group of animals that neither possess nor develop a vertebral column (commonly known as a ''backbone'' or ''spine''), derived from the notochord. This is a grouping including all animals apart from the chordate s ...
s live in Fishing Creek. The highest level of macroinvertebrate biodiversity on upper Fishing Creek is near Grassmere Park while the lowest is in Benton. The number of these organisms per square meter on Fishing Creek ranges from under 200 in Benton to nearly 400 halfway between Coles Creek and Benton. The highest density of them in the watershed occurs at West Creek where there are between 600 and almost 900 per m
2 and the lowest density occurs at a site on East Branch Fishing Creek, where there are approximately 100 per m
2.
Some of Fishing Creek is
stocked by the Fishing Creek Sportsman's Association and contains populations of
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 ...
,
rainbow trout
The rainbow trout (''Oncorhynchus mykiss'') is a species of trout native to cold-water tributaries of the Pacific Ocean in Asia and North America. The steelhead (sometimes called "steelhead trout") is an anadromous (sea-run) form of the coasta ...
, and
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 ...
.
Many of them are sizable; the largest one caught in Fishing Creek weighed and was long.
All streams in the watershed are suitable for trout habitation according to the
Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission
The Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission is an independent state agency responsible for the regulation of all fishing and boating in the state of Pennsylvania within the United States of America. Unlike many U.S. states, Pennsylvania has a separ ...
.
An 1887 book stated that Fishing Creek and its tributaries may have once been "alive with trout". In the upper part of the watershed, wild brook trout are most common in West Branch Fishing Creek and fish in general are least common in
East Branch Fishing Creek
East Branch Fishing Creek is a tributary of Fishing Creek in Columbia County and Sullivan County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. It is long. The stream and its tributaries are acidic and contain aluminum. The area in the vicinity was firs ...
. West Creek has higher fish diversity than any other stream in the upper part of the watershed and is also the only place that is inhabited by wild brown trout.
In addition,
sculpin
A sculpin is a type of fish that belongs to the superfamily Cottoidea in the order Scorpaeniformes.Kane, E. A. and T. E. Higham. (2012)Life in the flow lane: differences in pectoral fin morphology suggest transitions in station-holding demand a ...
and
cutlips minnow
:''"Cutlips minnows" is also used for the genus ''Exoglossum'' as a whole.''
''Exoglossum maxillingua'' (cutlips minnow) is an olive-green medium-sized minnow (average 6 inches) of North America with a distinguishing lower jaw. Isolated f ...
have been observed in large numbers in the creek and its tributaries. Less commonly observed fish in the upper part of the watershed include
johnny darter
The johnny darter (''Etheostoma nigrum'') is a species of freshwater ray-finned fish, a darter from the subfamily Etheostomatinae, part of the family Percidae, which also contains the perches, ruffes and pikeperches. It is native to shallow wat ...
s,
white suckers
The white sucker (''Catostomus commersonii)'' is a species of freshwater cypriniform fish inhabiting the upper Midwest and Northeast in North America, but it is also found as far south as Georgia and as far west as New Mexico. The fish is commonl ...
, and black-nosed
dace
A dace is a small fish that can be one of many different species. The unmodified name is usually a reference to the common dace (''Leuciscus leuciscus''). This, like most fish called "daces", belongs to the family Cyprinidae, mostly in subfamily ...
. It is difficult for fish to spawn in the creek because of poor water quality near Benton, a lack of food, and dry headwaters for part of the year. The fish diversity in East Branch Fishing Creek and West Branch Fishing Creek is also significantly affected by episodic acidification, which is caused by
acid rain
Acid rain is rain or any other form of precipitation that is unusually acidic, meaning that it has elevated levels of hydrogen ions (low pH). Most water, including drinking water, has a neutral pH that exists between 6.5 and 8.5, but acid ...
falling in areas with no
limestone
Limestone ( calcium carbonate ) is a type of carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of . Limestone forms whe ...
in the bedrock. The main stem experiences similar problems but to a lesser extent, and the tributaries Coles Creek and West Creek experience the problems even less.
Northern hardwood trees are common in the Fishing Creek watershed.
Ruffed grouse
The ruffed grouse (''Bonasa umbellus'') is a medium-sized grouse occurring in forests from the Appalachian Mountains across Canada to Alaska. It is the most widely distributed game bird in North America. It is non-migratory. It is the only specie ...
are common along Little Fishing Creek and its tributaries north of
Iola.
There are populations of
Japanese knotweed
''Reynoutria japonica'', synonyms ''Fallopia japonica'' and ''Polygonum cuspidatum'', is a species of herbaceous perennial plant in the knotweed and buckwheat family Polygonaceae. Common names include Japanese knotweed and Asian knotweed. It is ...
, an
invasive plant
An invasive species otherwise known as an alien is an introduced organism that becomes overpopulated and harms its new environment. Although most introduced species are neutral or beneficial with respect to other species, invasive species ad ...
, along the creek and its tributaries south of
Pennsylvania Route 118
Pennsylvania Route 118 (PA 118) is a state route located in northeastern Pennsylvania. The western terminus of the route is at PA 405 in Hughesville. The eastern terminus is at PA 415 in Dallas. The road is known briefly as East Wa ...
.
Habitat quality
In 2011, the habitat quality of upper Fishing Creek and its tributaries were rated on a scale of 1 to 200 (with a higher rating indicating better habitability) by
Point Park University
Point Park University is a private university in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Formerly known as Point Park College, the school name was revised in 2004 to reflect the number of graduate programs being offered.
History
Beginnings
The university bega ...
and the Fishing Creek Sportsmans' Association. Most of this part of the creek and its tributaries were rated 166 or higher, which was considered optimal. The waters near the mouths of West Branch and East Branch Fishing Creeks, and Fishing Creek near Benton, were rated 113 to 160, considered suboptimal. A portion of West Creek was rated 60–112, considered marginal.
The highest
Shannon Diversity Index of any stream in the Fishing Creek watershed is around 2.75, for West Branch Fishing Creek. This value is closely followed by that of West Creek, which has an index of 2.5 to 2.6. The lowest value in the watershed is that of East Branch Fishing Creek, which is around 1.2. The main stem has a Shannon Diversity Index of 2.1 to 2.4, depending on the site.
The Fishing Creek Sportsmans' Association has proposed a number of methods to conserve Fishing Creek and its tributaries. These include planting
riparian buffer
A riparian buffer or stream buffer is a vegetated area (a "buffer strip") near a stream, usually forested, which helps shade and partially protect the stream from the impact of adjacent land uses. It plays a key role in increasing water quality i ...
s, eliminating leaky septic systems, and protecting the area from
hydraulic fracturing
Fracking (also known as hydraulic fracturing, hydrofracturing, or hydrofracking) is a well stimulation technique involving the fracturing of bedrock formations by a pressurized liquid. The process involves the high-pressure injection of "frack ...
.
Recreation
![Kocher Park path](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/34/Kocher_Park_path.JPG)
The Fishing Creek Watershed Association plans to open a public section of the creek that stretches for , with a park of . There are other tracts of public property along the creek, one of which, called the Power Dam, is upstream of Benton. It covers and stretches for of Fishing Creek, and contains the remains of a concrete dam. Another public area is the Benton Overlook into Benton, which covers and stretches for near the creek. A public site at the Zaners Bridge in
Zaner downstream from Stillwater covers along about of the creek and contains an abandoned railroad grade.
The Grassmere Park Campground was established in the early 1900s on Fishing Creek. Further downstream, near Lightstreet, is Kocher Park, which occupies more than . Typical activities there include canoeing, dog walking, birdwatching
and fishing.
The western part of
Pennsylvania State Game Lands Number 13
Pennsylvania State Game Lands Number 13 are Pennsylvania State Game Lands in Columbia County and Sullivan County, in Pennsylvania, in the United States. They have an area of 49,529 acres. The game lands are mountainous and contain streams such as ...
is in a gorge cut by West Branch Fishing Creek. These state game lands have an area of 50,000 acres and feature many
forest road
Forest tracks or forest roads are roads or tracks intended to carry motorised vehicles or horse-drawn wagons being used mainly or exclusively for forestry purposes, such as conservation or logging. Forest tracks may be open to ramblers or mounta ...
s and old
grades
Grade most commonly refers to:
* Grade (education), a measurement of a student's performance
* Grade, the number of the year a student has reached in a given educational stage
* Grade (slope), the steepness of a slope
Grade or grading may also r ...
. The hiking trail Waterfall Wonderland, which affords views of Big, Twin, Lewis, and Sullivan Falls, is described as "a place of almost mystical beauty" by Jeff Mitchell in his book ''Hiking the Endless Mountains: Exploring the Wilderness of Northeastern Pennsylvania''. The state game lands are less crowded than the nearby
Ricketts Glen State Park
Ricketts Glen State Park is a Pennsylvania state park on 13,193 acres (5,280 ha) in Columbia, Luzerne, and Sullivan counties in Pennsylvania in the United States. Ricketts Glen is a National Natural Landmark known for its old-growth fore ...
.
The
Jakey Hollow Natural Area is on a small tributary of Little Fishing Creek. It is near
Mordansville and features
old-growth forest
An old-growth forestalso termed primary forest, virgin forest, late seral forest, primeval forest, or first-growth forestis a forest that has attained great age without significant disturbance, and thereby exhibits unique ecological featur ...
s. The natural area is one of the smallest in Pennsylvania.
See also
*
Corn Run
Corn Run is a tributary of the Susquehanna River in Columbia County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is approximately long and flows through Catawissa Township, Columbia County, Pennsylvania, Catawissa Township and Catawissa, Pennsylvania, Catawis ...
, next tributary of the Susquehanna River going downriver
*
Kinney Run
Kinney Run, also known as Kinney's Run, is a tributary of the Susquehanna River in Scott Township and Bloomsburg, Columbia County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. It is approximately long. Some of the first settlers to the Kinney Run area ...
, next tributary of the Susquehanna River going upriver
*
List of rivers of Pennsylvania
This is a list of streams and rivers in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania.
By drainage basin
This list is arranged by drainage basin, with respective tributaries indented under each larger stream's name.
Delaware Bay
Chesapeake Bay
*''E ...
References
External links
U.S. Geological Survey: PA stream gaging stationsNatural areas inventory for Columbia County
{{authority control
Rivers of Pennsylvania
Rivers of Columbia County, Pennsylvania
Fishing areas
Recreational fishing in the United States
Canoeing and kayaking venues in the United States
Birdwatching sites in the United States
Tributaries of Fishing Creek (North Branch Susquehanna River)