Indian Cave Creek is a
tributary of
White Oak Run in
Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. It is approximately long and flows through
Jefferson Township and
Archbald.
The watershed of the creek has an area of . The creek is not considered to be impaired and it has considerable canopy coverage. A waterfall known as the Forty Foot Falls is located at its mouth.
Course
Indian Cave Creek begins on a mountain in Jefferson Township. It flows northwest for several tenths of a mile and enters Archbald. It then turns south-southwest for a few tenths of a mile, flowing near the border between Archbald and Jefferson Township. The creek then turns west-northwest for a short distance before turning southwest. Several tenths of a mile further downstream, it reaches its confluence with White Oak Run.
Indian Cave Creek joins White Oak Run upstream of its mouth.
Hydrology
Indian Cave Creek is not designated as an impaired waterbody.
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 Indian Cave Creek is above
sea level.
The elevation of the creek's
source is between .
A
waterfall known as the Forty Foot Falls is on Indian Cave Creek in Archbald. The waterfall is located at the creek's mouth and is so-named because it is high.
Watershed and biology
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 Indian Cave Creek has an area of .
The mouth of the creek is in the
United States Geological Survey quadrangle of Olyphant. However, its source is in the quadrangle of Waymart. The creek also passes through the quadrangle of Carbondale.
Part of or all of the watershed of Indian Cave Creek has a tree canopy coverage of 94 percent. This is one of the highest values for small watersheds in the
Scranton Metro Area.
History
Indian Cave Creek was entered into the
Geographic Names Information System on August 2, 1979. Its identifier in the Geographic Names Information System is 1199884.
In the early 2000s, the Lackawanna River Watershed Conservation Plan recommended that Jefferson Township include protection of Indian Cave Creek in its zoning plans, comprehensive plans, and other plans.
On July 18, 2011, White Stone Quarry, LLC received a permit to discharge
stormwater
Stormwater, also spelled storm water, is water that originates from precipitation (storm), including heavy rain and meltwater from hail and snow. Stormwater can soak into the soil ( infiltrate) and become groundwater, be stored on depressed la ...
into Indian Cave Creek.
See also
*
List of rivers of Pennsylvania
*
List of tributaries of the Lackawanna River
The Lackawanna River is a long river flowing into the Susquehanna River with 65 named tributaries, of which 33 are direct tributaries. The river flows through Susquehanna, Lackawanna, and Luzerne Counties in Pennsylvania. The shortest tributa ...
References
External links
Forty Foot Falls
{{authority control
Rivers of Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania
Tributaries of the Lackawanna River
Rivers of Pennsylvania