Hunlock Creek (also known as Hunlocks Creek) is a tributary 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 Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. It is approximately long and flows through Lehman Township and Hunlock Township. The watershed of the creek has an area of and is situated in northwestern Luzerne County. It has one named tributary, which is known as Roaring Brook, and a number of unnamed and unofficially named tributaries, such as "West Branch Hunlock Creek". Hunlock Creek is designated as a coldwater

fishery Fishery can mean either the enterprise of raising or harvesting fish and other aquatic life; or more commonly, the site where such enterprise takes place ( a.k.a. fishing ground). Commercial fisheries include wild fisheries and fish farms, both ...

and a migratory fishery, and part of it is inhabited by wild trout. The annual rate of precipitation in 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 ...

is . Rock formations consisting of sandstone and

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 ...

are common in the vicinity of the creek. A number of bridges have been built over the creek and it was the site of a

furnace A furnace is a structure in which heat is produced with the help of combustion. Furnace may also refer to: Appliances Buildings * Furnace (central heating): a furnace , or a heater or boiler , used to generate heat for buildings * Boiler, used t ...

in the 1800s. An area listed on the Luzerne County Natural Areas Inventory is located in the creek's watershed.

Course

Hunlock Creek begins in a valley in Lehman Township, a short distance northwest of Lake Silkworth. It flows south for several tenths of a mile before turning south-southeast for a similar distance and receiving an unnamed tributary from the

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. The creek then turns south for approximately half a mile, exiting Lehman Township and entering Hunlock Township. It continues flowing generally southwards for more than a mile and its valley widens considerably. The creek receives another unnamed tributary from the left before its valley narrows again and it turns southwest. After approximately a mile, it receives Roaring Brook, its only named tributary, from the right. The creek then turns south-southeast for a few miles, receiving one unnamed tributary from the left and one from the right. The creek turns east-northeast for several tenths of a mile and receives another unnamed tributary from the left. It then turns southeast, passing through a water gap and crossing

US 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 ...

in the village of Hunlock Creek. A short distance further downstream, the creek reaches its confluence with the

. Hunlock Creek joins the Susquehanna River upriver of its mouth.

Tributaries

Hunlock Creek has one named tributary, which is known as Roaring Brook. Roaring Brook joins Hunlock Creek upstream of its mouth. Its watershed has an area of . Hunlock Creek also has an unnamed tributary that is unofficially known as "West Branch Hunlock Creek". This tributary is approximately long. Additionally, it has a number of other unnamed tributaries.

Hydrology and climate

Hunlock Creek is not designated as an impaired waterbody, meaning that it attains standards for water quality. The peak annual

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 ...

of Hunlock Creek at its mouth has a 10 percent chance of reaching . The discharge has a 2 percent chance of reaching and a 1 percent chance of reaching . It has a 0.2 percent chance of reaching . At the confluence of one of its tributaries with the

main stem In hydrology, a mainstem (or trunk) is "the primary downstream segment of a river, as contrasted to its tributaries". Water enters the mainstem from the river's drainage basin, the land area through which the mainstem and its tributaries flow.. A ...

, the discharge of Hunlock Creek has a 10 percent chance of peaking at in any given year. It has a 2 percent chance of peaking at , a 1 percent chance of peaking at , and a 0.2 percent chance of peaking at . The peak annual discharge of Hunlock Creek at the confluence of another one of its tributaries with the main stem has a 10 percent chance of reaching . The discharge has a 2 percent chance of reaching and a 1 percent chance of reaching . It has a 0.2 percent chance of reaching . The average annual rate of precipitation in the watershed of Hunlock Creek is .

Geography and geology

The elevation near the

mouth In animal anatomy, the mouth, also known as the oral cavity, or in Latin cavum oris, is the opening through which many animals take in food and issue vocal sounds. It is also the cavity lying at the upper end of the alimentary canal, bounded on ...

of Hunlock Creek is above sea level. The elevation near the creek's source is between above sea level. The creek's elevation decreases at a rate of per mile. A high

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 ...

runs from near Hunlock Creek westward to the Shickshinny Gap. This ridge is known as Shickshinny Mountain and is made from Pocono beds. Green sandstone and red

occur along the creek. A sandstone formation containing red quartz pebbles also occurs in the area and at one point forms a high cliff along the creek. Additionally, shale of the Mauch Chunk Formation can be found in the vicinity of the creek. Drift heaps cover the old channel of Hunlock Creek. A 1921 report by the Water Supply Commission of Pennsylvania described the topography of the watershed of Hunlock Creek as "rough and hilly". The creek cuts through a mountain range in its lower reaches.

Swamp A swamp is a forested wetland.Keddy, P.A. 2010. Wetland Ecology: Principles and Conservation (2nd edition). Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK. 497 p. Swamps are considered to be transition zones because both land and water play a role in ...

s and

glacial lake A glacial lake is a body of water with origins from glacier activity. They are formed when a glacier erodes the land and then melts, filling the depression created by the glacier. Formation Near the end of the last glacial period, roughly 10,0 ...

s occur in the watershed. The

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of the creek is sinuous and cuts through

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s consisting of sandstone and

Watershed

The

of Hunlock Creek has an area of . The creek's mouth is in the United States Geological Survey quadrangle of Nanticoke. However, its source is in the quadrangle of Harveys Lake. The watershed is in the northwestern part of Luzerne County. It is part of the Lower North Branch Susquehanna drainage basin. Hunlock Creek is described as a "good-sized creek" in the 1909 book ''A History of Wilkes-Barré, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, from Its First Beginnings to the Present Time''.

History

Hunlock Creek was entered into the Geographic Names Information System on August 2, 1979. Its identifier in the Geographic Names Information System is 1177599. Johnathan Hunlock came to the vicinity of Hunlock Creek from Lower Smithfield Township in the early 1770s and constructed a plantation on the creek. On March 28, 1780, Asa Upman and John Rogers were ambushed by

Indians Indian or Indians may refer to: Peoples South Asia * Indian people, people of Indian nationality, or people who have an Indian ancestor ** Non-resident Indian, a citizen of India who has temporarily emigrated to another country * South Asia ...

while making sugar near the mouth of Hunlock Creek. Upman was killed and Rogers was captured. The 1893 book ''History of Luzerne County, Pennsylvania'' referred to this incident as "one of the bloody episodes in the days of Indian troubles". William Koons constructed a

on Hunlock Creek in the 1800s. This furnace was capable of producing 75 tons of pig metal per week. In the early 1900s, major communities in the watershed of Hunlock Creek included Hunlock Creek, Sweet Valley, and Silkworth. In 1921, their populations were 310, 190, and 24, respectively. Around this time, the main industry in the creek's watershed was agriculture. Two two-

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concrete tee beam bridges carrying State Route 4016 were built over Hunlock Creek in Hunlock Township in 1925. The bridges are and long. Both bridges underwent repair work in 1983. A concrete slab bridge carrying Pritchards Road was built over the creek in 1937. This bridge is long. A masonry arch bridge carrying State Route 4005/Cragle Road over the creek in Hunlock Township was built in 1938 and is long. A concrete tee beam bridge carrying

over Hunlock Creek was constructed in 1940. It is long. In 1974, a prestressed box beam bridge was built over the creek near State Route 4003. It is long and carries Spring Hill Road. Hunlock Creek is also known as Hunlocks Creek. This name appears on Patton's Philadelphia and Suburbs Street and Road Map from 1984. The creek was known as ''Massacota'' by the Native Americans.

Biology

The entire drainage basin of Hunlock Creek is classified as a coldwater

and a migratory fishery in Chapter 93.9 of the Pennsylvania Code. Wild trout naturally reproduce in the creek from T-534 downstream to its mouth. This stretch is long. They also naturally reproduce in the tributary Roaring Brook and in the unofficially named tributary West Branch Hunlock Creek. The Shickshinny Mountain Slopes, which are listed as a Locally Significant Area in the Luzerne County Natural Areas Inventory, are located in the watershed of Hunlock Creek in Plymouth Township. These slopes are on the northern side of Shickshinny Mountain and contain

second-growth A secondary forest (or second-growth forest) is a forest or woodland area which has re-grown after a timber harvest or clearing for agriculture, until a long enough period has passed so that the effects of the disturbance are no longer evident. ...

northern

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 and some rock outcroppings with small seeps. The area contains a large number of wildflower species and some rare plants. The main tree species in this area include American basswood, sugar maple, white ash, white oak, black cherry, and eastern hemlock.

References

{{authority control Rivers of Luzerne County, Pennsylvania Tributaries of the Susquehanna River Rivers of Pennsylvania