Shamokin Creek Shamokin Creek (also known as Great Shamokin Creek or Middle Branch Shamokin Creek) is a tributary of the Susquehanna River in Northumberland County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. It is approximately long and flows through Mount Carmel, M ...

is a 32.4-mile (52.1 km) long creek flowing through

Northumberland County, Pennsylvania Northumberland County is a county in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. It is part of Northeastern Pennsylvania. As of the 2020 census, the population was 91,647. Its county seat is Sunbury. The county was formed in 1772 from parts of Lancas ...

, in the United States, into 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 ...

. It has 12 named tributaries, including 11 direct tributaries and one sub-tributary. The tributaries include seven runs and five creeks. The longest are

Little Shamokin Creek Little Shamokin Creek is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map accessed May 4th, 2020 tributary of Shamokin Creek and a sub-tributary of the Susquehanna River in Northumberland County, ...

Carbon Run Carbon Run is a tributary of Shamokin Creek in Northumberland County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. It is approximately long and flows through Zerbe Township, Pennsylvania, Zerbe Township, Coal Township, Northumberland County, Pennsylvania, ...

, North Branch Shamokin Creek, Coal Run, and

Millers Run Millers Run is a tributary of Shamokin Creek in Northumberland County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. It is approximately long and flows through Ralpho Township, Northumberland County, Pennsylvania, Ralpho Township. The watershed of the str ...

. Many of the upper tributaries of Shamokin Creek are in the Western Middle Anthracite Coalfield, and nearly all of the streams in this part of the watershed are impacted by mining, except for Furnace Run. Various mine drainage sites occur in the watersheds of all other streams in the upper Shamokin Creek watershed. None of the tributaries in the lower reaches of the Shamokin Creek watershed are affected by mining. Four tributaries of Shamokin Creek Lick Creek, Millers Run,

Bennys Run Bennys Run (also known as Buddys Run or Benny's Run) is a tributary of Shamokin Creek in Northumberland County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. It is approximately long and flows through Shamokin Township. The watershed of the stream has an ...

, and Trout Runare not designated as impaired waterbodies by the

United States Environmental Protection Agency The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is an independent executive agency of the United States federal government tasked with environmental protection matters. President Richard Nixon proposed the establishment of EPA on July 9, 1970; it be ...

. Another five tributariesNorth Branch Shamokin Creek, Locust Creek, Quaker Run, Coal Run, and Carbon Run are impaired by metals due to

abandoned mine drainage Abandoned mine drainage (also known as AMD) is a form of water pollution involving water that has been polluted by contact with mines, typically coal mines. Although it is sometimes called "acid mine drainage", not all abandoned mine drainage i ...

. Furnace Run is impaired by channelization and habitat alteration, while Little Shamokin Creek and its tributary Plum Creek are impaired by

siltation Siltation, is water pollution caused by particulate terrestrial clastic material, with a particle size dominated by silt or clay. It refers both to the increased concentration of suspended sediments and to the increased accumulation (temporary or ...

organic enrichment Organic may refer to: * Organic, of or relating to an organism, a living entity * Organic, of or relating to an anatomical organ Chemistry * Organic matter, matter that has come from a once-living organism, is capable of decay or is the product o ...

, and low levels 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 ...

. Although 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 ...

of Shamokin Creek is designated as a Warmwater Fishery, all of its tributaries are designated as Coldwater Fisheries. Some tributaries, such as North Branch Shamokin Creek and Quaker Run, lack fish life. However, several fish species have been observed in Carbon Run, and downstream tributaries such as Trout Run, Bennys Run, Millers Run, and Lick Creek have supported healthy communities of aquatic life. Additionally, a small fish

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

is maintained at the mouth of Trout Run by local sportsmen.

Tributaries of Shamokin Creek

''Note: Buck Creek, a former stream that is in the

Geographic Names Information System The Geographic Names Information System (GNIS) is a database of name and locative information about more than two million physical and cultural features throughout the United States and its territories, Antarctica, and the associated states of ...

, but not on

The National Map ''The National Map'' is a collaborative effort of the United States Geological Survey (USGS) and other federal, state, and local agencies to improve and deliver topographic information for the United States. The purpose of the effort is to prov ...

, is not listed.''

Tributaries of Little Shamokin Creek

Notes

References

{{Featured list

* Shamokin

Tributaries of Shamokin Creek

Tributaries of Little Shamokin Creek

See also

Notes

References