Limestone Run looking upstream in Union County

Limestone Run (also known as Bull Run) is a tributary of the

West Branch Susquehanna River The West Branch Susquehanna River is one of the two principal branches, along with the North Branch, of the Susquehanna River in the Northeastern United States. The North Branch, which rises in upstate New York, is generally regarded as the exte ...

in Union County, Pennsylvania. It is in length. The stream flows through East Buffalo Township, Buffalo Township, and Lewisburg.

Ludwig Derr Ludwig may refer to: People and fictional characters * Ludwig (given name), including a list of people and fictional characters * Ludwig (surname), including a list of people * Ludwig Ahgren, or simply Ludwig, American YouTube live streamer and ...

once constructed a mill on the stream. Limestone Run has one named tributary:

Miller Run Miller Run is a tributary of Limestone Run (Union County, Pennsylvania), Limestone Run in Union County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. It is approximately long and flows through East Buffalo Township, Union County, Pennsylvania, East Buff ...

Course

The headwaters of Limestone Run are underground. The stream begins on the western border of East Buffalo Township and the eastern border of Buffalo Township, near the community of Lochiel. The stream flows northeast for a short distance, crossing

Pennsylvania Route 45 Pennsylvania Route 45 (PA 45) is an state highway located in central Pennsylvania, United States. PA 45 is called the Purple Heart Highway. The western terminus of the route is at PA 453 in Morris Township near the community of Water Street. ...

, and then turns west, following Pennsylvania Route 45. After several miles, it turns briefly southeast and crosses Pennsylvania Route 45 before turning northeast and crossing the state route again. It then enters Lewisburg and turns southeast, crossing

U.S. Route 15 U.S. Route 15 (US 15) is a -long United States highway, designated along South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, and New York. The route is signed north–south, from U.S. Route 17 Alternate in Walterboro, South Caro ...

and Pennsylvania Route 45. The stream enters the West Branch Susquehanna River in southeastern Lewisburg, near

Bucknell University Bucknell University is a private liberal arts college in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania. Founded in 1846 as the University at Lewisburg, it now consists of the College of Arts and Sciences, Freeman College of Management, and the College of Engineering. ...

Tributaries

Limestone Run has six tributaries. Only one of them, Miller Run, is officially named.

Hydrology

The concentration of

dissolved oxygen Oxygen saturation (symbol SO2) is a relative measure of the concentration of oxygen that is dissolved or carried in a given medium as a proportion of the maximal concentration that can be dissolved in that medium at the given temperature. It ca ...

in the streams of the Limestone Run watershed ranges from 5.31 to 12.7 milligrams per liter. The pH ranges from 7.17 to 7.88. In 2003, the water temperature of Limestone Run and several of its tributaries was measured. The temperatures ranged from to . The

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 ...

concentration in the Limestone Run watershed averages at 191 milligrams per liter. The conductivity of Limestone Run and its tributaries ranges from 0.403 milli-

siemens Siemens AG ( ) is a German multinational conglomerate corporation and the largest industrial manufacturing company in Europe headquartered in Munich with branch offices abroad. The principal divisions of the corporation are ''Industry'', '' ...

per centimeter on the tributary Miller Run to 0.598 milli-siemens per centimeter at a point on Limestone Run on Pennsylvania Route 45. The

turbidity Turbidity is the cloudiness or haziness of a fluid caused by large numbers of individual particles that are generally invisible to the naked eye, similar to smoke in air. The measurement of turbidity is a key test of water quality. Fluids can ...

of the waters in the watershed, as measured in nephelometric turbidity units, ranges from 4.2 in the upper reaches of Limestone Run and 6.2 on a tributary in the middle reaches of the watershed to 12.6 in Lewisburg to 25.3 in the middle reaches of Limestone Run. The concentration of

total dissolved solids Total dissolved solids (TDS) is a measure of the dissolved combined content of all inorganic and organic substances present in a liquid in molecular, ionized, or micro-granular ( colloidal sol) suspended form. TDS concentrations are often repor ...

in the watershed of Limestone Run is approximately 0.289 to 0.29 milligrams per liter near its headwaters. In the middle reaches of the stream, the total dissolved solid concentration is approximately 0.38 to 0.388 milligrams per liter. Slightly upstream of Lewisburg, the concentration is about 0.37 or 0.38 milligrams per liter. The concentration of total dissolved solids in Lewisburg is also 0.37 or 0.38 milligrams per liter. Near the mouth, the concentration is 0.364 milligrams per liter. The total dissolved solids concentration on Limestone Run's tributaries ranges from 0.262 to 0.378 milligrams per liter. The concentration of

nitrate Nitrate is a polyatomic ion A polyatomic ion, also known as a molecular ion, is a covalent bonded set of two or more atoms, or of a metal complex, that can be considered to behave as a single unit and that has a net charge that is not zer ...

s near the source of Limestone Run was 1.2 and 5.0 milligrams per liter on September 20 and October 18, 2003, respectively. In the middle of the stream, the concentration of nitrates was 6.2 and 7.6 milligrams per liter on those dates and was 4.4 and 5.4 milligrams per liter slightly upstream of Lewisburg. The nitrate concentration in Lewisburg was 3.9 on September 20 and 5.0 on October 18 and was 3.9 and 4.9 at the mouth on those dates, respectively. These nitrate concentrations are relatively high due to the fact that Limestone Run flows through large amounts of agricultural land. There are no

phosphate In chemistry, a phosphate is an anion, salt, functional group or ester derived from a phosphoric acid. It most commonly means orthophosphate, a derivative of orthophosphoric acid . The phosphate or orthophosphate ion is derived from phospho ...

s in the waters of Limestone Run and its tributaries, except for the headwaters, which had a phosphate concentration of 0.3 and 0.1 milligrams per liter on September 20, 2003 and October 18, 2003, respectively. The concentration of

chloride The chloride ion is the anion (negatively charged ion) Cl−. It is formed when the element chlorine (a halogen) gains an electron or when a compound such as hydrogen chloride is dissolved in water or other polar solvents. Chloride salts ...

s in the waters of Limestone Run and its tributaries ranged from 8.2 to 21.5 milligrams per liter on September 20, 2003. The concentration was 8.2 milligrams per liter near the stream's headwaters, 19.5 milligrams per liter in the middle reaches of the stream, 20.0 milligrams per liter slightly upstream of Lewisburg, 21.4 milligrams per liter in Lewisburg, and 21.5 milligrams per liter slightly upstream of the mouth. The chloride concentration on several of Limestone Run's tributaries ranged from 11.3 to 17.5 milligrams per liter. The concentration of

sulfate The sulfate or sulphate ion is a polyatomic anion with the empirical formula . Salts, acid derivatives, and peroxides of sulfate are widely used in industry. Sulfates occur widely in everyday life. Sulfates are salts of sulfuric acid and many ar ...

s in the Limestone Run watershed ranged from 25.5 to 42.1 milligrams per liter on October 18, 2003. The concentration was 25.5 milligrams per liter near the headwaters, 37.7 milligrams per liter in the middle of the stream, 40.7 milligrams per liter just upstream of Lewisburg, 42.1 milligrams per liter in Lewisburg, and 41.8 milligrams per liter near the mouth. The concentration on the stream's tributaries ranged from 29.3 to 36.2 milligrams per liter. The concentration of

sodium Sodium is a chemical element with the symbol Na (from Latin ''natrium'') and atomic number 11. It is a soft, silvery-white, highly reactive metal. Sodium is an alkali metal, being in group 1 of the periodic table. Its only stable iso ...

in Limestone Run ranges from 3.47 milligrams per liter near the source to 7.93 milligrams per liter near the mouth. The

magnesium Magnesium is a chemical element with the symbol Mg and atomic number 12. It is a shiny gray metal having a low density, low melting point and high chemical reactivity. Like the other alkaline earth metals (group 2 of the periodic ta ...

concentration ranges from 19.2 milligrams per liter near the stream's source to 26.5 milligrams per liter in the middle reaches of the stream. The minimum concentration of

aluminum Aluminium (aluminum in American and Canadian English) is a chemical element with the symbol Al and atomic number 13. Aluminium has a density lower than those of other common metals, at approximately one third that of steel. It has ...

is 8 milligrams per liter upstream of Lewisburg and the maximum concentration is 15 milligrams per liter near the source. The

potassium Potassium is the chemical element with the symbol K (from Neo-Latin ''kalium'') and atomic number19. Potassium is a silvery-white metal that is soft enough to be cut with a knife with little force. Potassium metal reacts rapidly with atmosphe ...

concentration ranges from 1.43 milligrams per liter upstream of Lewisburg to 2.5 milligrams per liter near the source. The concentration of

calcium Calcium is a chemical element with the symbol Ca and atomic number 20. As an alkaline earth metal, calcium is a reactive metal that forms a dark oxide-nitride layer when exposed to air. Its physical and chemical properties are most similar to ...

in the stream's waters ranges from 48.40 to 69.90 milligrams per liter near the source and the mouth, respectively. The concentration of

manganese Manganese is a chemical element with the symbol Mn and atomic number 25. It is a hard, brittle, silvery metal, often found in minerals in combination with iron. Manganese is a transition metal with a multifaceted array of industrial alloy use ...

in Limestone Run ranges from 24.9 to 71.2 milligrams per liter at the stream's mouth and source, respectively. The

iron Iron () is a chemical element with symbol Fe (from la, ferrum) and atomic number 26. It is a metal that belongs to the first transition series and group 8 of the periodic table. It is, by mass, the most common element on Earth, right in f ...

concentration ranges from 103 to 135 milligrams per liter in the central reaches of the stream and near its source, respectively. The concentration of

copper Copper is a chemical element with the symbol Cu (from la, cuprum) and atomic number 29. It is a soft, malleable, and ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity. A freshly exposed surface of pure copper has a pinkis ...

in the stream ranges from 0.4 to 1.6 milligrams per liter above Lewisburg and at the mouth, respectively. The

zinc Zinc is a chemical element with the symbol Zn and atomic number 30. Zinc is a slightly brittle metal at room temperature and has a shiny-greyish appearance when oxidation is removed. It is the first element in group 12 (IIB) of the periodi ...

concentration ranges from 0.5 milligrams per liter in the middle reaches of the stream to 5.6 near the mouth. The concentration of

cadmium Cadmium is a chemical element with the symbol Cd and atomic number 48. This soft, silvery-white metal is chemically similar to the two other stable metals in group 12, zinc and mercury. Like zinc, it demonstrates oxidation state +2 in most of ...

in Limestone Run is so low as to be undetectable in some locations, but is as high as 0.06 milligrams per liter in Lewisburg. The

lead Lead is a chemical element with the symbol Pb (from the Latin ) and atomic number 82. It is a heavy metal that is denser than most common materials. Lead is soft and malleable, and also has a relatively low melting point. When freshly cu ...

concentration is so low as to be undetectable in some locations, but is as high as 0.04 milligrams per liter near the source. Parts of Limestone Run are considered to be impaired 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. ...

Geology

Much of the southern part of the Limestone Run watershed is in the Wills Creek formation, which comes from the

Silurian The Silurian ( ) is a geologic period and system spanning 24.6 million years from the end of the Ordovician Period, at million years ago ( Mya), to the beginning of the Devonian Period, Mya. The Silurian is the shortest period of the Paleozo ...

period and consists mainly of

calcareous Calcareous () is an adjective meaning "mostly or partly composed of calcium carbonate", in other words, containing lime or being chalky. The term is used in a wide variety of scientific disciplines. In zoology ''Calcareous'' is used as an adje ...

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 ...

. The part of the watershed is composed of rocks from the Bloomsburg and Mifflintown formations, which mainly consist of shale. It is found in a small area in the southeastern part of the watershed. The Keyser and Tonoloway formations, which mainly consist of

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 ...

and are from the

Devonian 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, whe ...

and

periods, are found in the northern, central, and extreme southern parts of the watershed. The Buffalo Valley is in the Limestone Run watershed.

Watershed

Much of the western part of the Limestone Run watershed is agricultural land. Large portions of the central and southeastern reaches of the watershed are forested land. Most of the eastern part of the watershed is on a hard surface. The communities of Lewisburg and Linntown are both in the watershed. Limestone Run drains about two thirds of the area of Lewisburg.

History

Limestone Run has been known in the past as Spring Run, Wilson Run, and Bull Run.

built a mill on the stream in the 1700s. It was still standing in 1860. Marcus Huling once gained a tract of land on Limestone Run. David Kenedy purchased 200 acres of land on Limestone Run in 1785. In the early 1900s, some residents of Lewisburg discharged

sewage Sewage (or domestic sewage, domestic wastewater, municipal wastewater) is a type of wastewater that is produced by a community of people. It is typically transported through a sewer system. Sewage consists of wastewater discharged from residenc ...

into Limestone Run. Limestone Run flooded five times between 1997 and 2012. In 2012, workers overseen by the Union County Conservation District did work to stabilize the banks of Limestone Run and altered the channel of the stream.

Biology

The concentration of ''

E. coli ''Escherichia coli'' (),Wells, J. C. (2000) Longman Pronunciation Dictionary. Harlow ngland Pearson Education Ltd. also known as ''E. coli'' (), is a Gram-negative, facultative anaerobic, rod-shaped, coliform bacterium of the genus ''Escher ...

'' in the waters of Limestone Run and its tributaries ranges from 90 to 1150 colonies per 100 milliliters. The areas with the highest concentration of ''E. coli'' also have high concentrations of

algae Algae (; singular alga ) is an informal term for a large and diverse group of photosynthetic eukaryotic organisms. It is a polyphyletic grouping that includes species from multiple distinct clades. Included organisms range from unicellular mic ...

Livestock Livestock are the domesticated animals raised in an agricultural setting to provide labor and produce diversified products for consumption such as meat, eggs, milk, fur, leather, and wool. The term is sometimes used to refer solely to animals ...

have access to Limestone Run in its upper and middle reaches.

Canada geese The Canada goose (''Branta canadensis''), or Canadian goose, is a large wild goose with a black head and neck, white cheeks, white under its chin, and a brown body. It is native to the arctic and temperate regions of North America, and it is o ...

and

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 are found on the stream upstream of Lewisburg.

References

{{authority control Rivers of Union County, Pennsylvania Tributaries of the West Branch Susquehanna River Rivers of Pennsylvania