Little Shamokin Creek is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline data
The National Map
accessed May 4th, 2020

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 ...

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 ...

and a sub-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 Northumberland 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 watershed of the creek has an area of 37 square miles, spread out over Upper Augusta Township, Lower Augusta Township, Rockefeller Township, and Shamokin Township. The creek's watershed contains four rock formations. These are the

Hamilton Group The Hamilton Group is a Devonian-age geological group in the Appalachian region of the United States. It is present in New York, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Ohio, West Virginia, northwestern Virginia and Ontario, Canada. It is mainly composed of mar ...

, the Spechty Kopf formation, the Irish Valley formation, and the Buddy Run formation. The watershed also contains three main soil types. They are the Berks-Weikert-Bedington series, the Leck Kill-Meckesville-Calvin series and the Hazelton-Dekalb-Buchanan series. Little Shamokin Creek is the only stream in the Shamokin Creek watershed where fish can survive, as of 1999.

Course

Little Shamokin Creek starts in eastern Northumberland County, several miles north of Trevorton. From its starting point, the creek flows west through the Irish Valley and eventually exits the valley. Upon reaching the Augustaville Church, it turns northwards. The creek continues northwards until it reaches its confluence with Shamokin Creek.

Geology

Little Shamokin Creek is located in the ridge-and-valley

Appalachian Mountains The Appalachian Mountains, often called the Appalachians, (french: Appalaches), are a system of mountains in eastern to northeastern North America. The Appalachians first formed roughly 480 million years ago during the Ordovician Period. They ...

. The

headwater The headwaters of a river or stream is the farthest place in that river or stream from its estuary or downstream confluence with another river, as measured along the course of the river. It is also known as a river's source. Definition The ...

s of the creek are located higher than 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 ...

. The highest portions of the watershed are in the southeastern area, where Little Mountain is located. 90% of the rocks in the upper portion of the Little Shamokin Creek watershed are

interbedded In geology, interbedding occurs when beds (layers of rock) of a particular lithology lie between or alternate with beds of a different lithology. For example, sedimentary rocks may be interbedded if there were sea level variations in their sedim ...

sedimentary rock Sedimentary rocks are types of rock that are formed by the accumulation or deposition of mineral or organic particles at Earth's surface, followed by cementation. Sedimentation is the collective name for processes that cause these particles ...

s. The other 10% are

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) ...

. The main

soil series Soil series as established by the National Cooperative Soil Survey of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Natural Resources Conservation Service are a level of classification in the USDA Soil Taxonomy classification system hierar ...

in the Little Shamokin Creek watershed is the Berks-Weikert-Bedington series, which is a shaly

silt Silt is granular material of a size between sand and clay and composed mostly of broken grains of quartz. Silt may occur as a soil (often mixed with sand or clay) or as sediment mixed in suspension with water. Silt usually has a floury feel when ...

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 ...

found in the lower areas of the watershed. However, at least two other soil series exist in the watershed. They are the Leck Kill-Meckesville-Calvin series and the Hazelton-Dekalb-Buchanan series. The Berks-Weikert-Bedingon soil series occurs in all the northern and central areas of the watershed. The Leck Kill-Meckesville-Calvin series occurs in a band immediately south of the Berks-Weikert-Bedingon series in the watershed. The Hazelton-Dekalb-Buchanan occurs in an area in the extreme south of the watershed. The Hamilton Group is a

rock formation A rock formation is an isolated, scenic, or spectacular surface rock outcrop. Rock formations are usually the result of weathering and erosion sculpting the existing rock. The term ''rock formation'' can also refer to specific sediment ...

that exists in all of the northern portion of the Little Shamokin Creek watershed. Immediately south of this formation in the watershed is a band of the Spechty Kopf formation. South of the Spechty Kopf formation is a band of members of the Irish Valley formation. In the extreme southern area of the watershed is a band of members of the Buddy Run formation. A rock formation known as the Oriskany

chert Chert () is a hard, fine-grained sedimentary rock composed of microcrystalline or cryptocrystalline quartz, the mineral form of silicon dioxide (SiO2). Chert is characteristically of biological origin, but may also occur inorganically as a prec ...

stops at Little Shamokin Creek. There is also Oriskany

near the creek. There is severe

erosion Erosion is the action of surface processes (such as water flow or wind) that removes soil, rock, or dissolved material from one location on the Earth's crust, and then transports it to another location where it is deposited. Erosion is distin ...

on the banks of much of Little Shamokin Creek. The creek is also home to a

fishing Fishing is the activity of trying to catch fish. Fish are often caught as wildlife from the natural environment, but may also be caught from stocked bodies of water such as ponds, canals, park wetlands and reservoirs. Fishing techniques inclu ...

hole that is approximately deep. This is experiencing erosion as well.

Hydrology

The waters of Little Shamokin Creek have 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 ...

. The average annual

rainfall Rain is water droplets that have condensed from atmospheric water vapor and then fall under gravity. Rain is a major component of the water cycle and is responsible for depositing most of the fresh water on the Earth. It provides water f ...

in the watershed is . There is an average of of

runoff Runoff, run-off or RUNOFF may refer to: * RUNOFF, the first computer text-formatting program * Runoff or run-off, another name for bleed, printing that lies beyond the edges to which a printed sheet is trimmed * Runoff or run-off, a stock market ...

in the watershed annually. The creek takes in 22,675.426 pounds of

sediment Sediment is a naturally occurring material that is broken down by processes of weathering and erosion, and is subsequently transported by the action of wind, water, or ice or by the force of gravity acting on the particles. For example, sand an ...

per day and per day of

phosphorus Phosphorus is a chemical element with the symbol P and atomic number 15. Elemental phosphorus exists in two major forms, white phosphorus and red phosphorus, but because it is highly reactive, phosphorus is never found as a free element on Ear ...

. As of 1913, the Sunbury Water Company, which provides water to Sunbury, got its water from Little Shamokin Creek. A

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 ...

with five

reservoir A reservoir (; from French ''réservoir'' ) is an enlarged lake behind a dam. Such a dam may be either artificial, built to store fresh water or it may be a natural formation. Reservoirs can be created in a number of ways, including contro ...

s was created on the creek, east of Sunbury. Reservoir Number 1's capacity was 2,750,000 gallons. Reservoir Number 2's capacity was 2,180,000 gallons. It was located on the east bank of the creek. Reservoir Number 3's capacity was 1,900,000 gallons. It was also located on the east bank of the creek. Reservoir Number 4's capacity was 16,510,000 gallons. It was located on the east bank of the creek. Reservoir Number 5's capacity was 26,670,000 gallons. It was located on the east bank of the creek.

Watershed

The watershed of little Shamokin Creek has an area of 37 square miles. 65% of the watershed is made up of

forest A forest is an area of land dominated by trees. Hundreds of definitions of forest are used throughout the world, incorporating factors such as tree density, tree height, land use, legal standing, and ecological function. The United Nations' ...

s. These include

tree farm In botany, a tree is a perennial plant with an elongated stem, or trunk, usually supporting branches and leaves. In some usages, the definition of a tree may be narrower, including only woody plants with secondary growth, plants that are u ...

s and groups of

deciduous In the fields of horticulture and Botany, the term ''deciduous'' () means "falling off at maturity" and "tending to fall off", in reference to trees and shrubs that seasonally shed leaves, usually in the autumn; to the shedding of petals, aft ...

trees. 30% of the watershed is

agricultural Agriculture or farming is the practice of cultivating Plant, plants and livestock. Agriculture was the key development in the rise of Sedentism, sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of Domestication, domesticated species created food ...

land. 2% of the watershed is

urban Urban means "related to a city". In that sense, the term may refer to: * Urban area, geographical area distinct from rural areas * Urban culture, the culture of towns and cities Urban may also refer to: General * Urban (name), a list of people ...

or developed land in general.

Pennsylvania Route 890 Pennsylvania Route 890 (PA 890) is an state highway located in Northumberland County, Pennsylvania. The southern terminus is at PA 225 in Zerbe Township. The northern terminus is at PA 61 in Upper Augusta Township. The route runs through ru ...

is a major route in the Little Shamokin Creek watershed. The creek and its tributaries are also accessible via a number of township roads.

History

A number of

watermill A watermill or water mill is a mill that uses hydropower. It is a structure that uses a water wheel or water turbine to drive a mechanical process such as milling (grinding), rolling, or hammering. Such processes are needed in the production of ...

s have been built on Little Shamokin Creek and its tributaries. Miller's Mill was one such mill. It was first built by Colonel Thomas Jones during the 1790s, between Tulpehocken Road and Trevorton. Another mill was built in the same location in 1850. Shipman's Mill was also located on the creek, between Tulpehocken Road and the Susquehanna River. This mill was built by Abraham Shipman in 1850. Fagley's Mill was built in southern Rockefeller Township, on a tributary of the creek. It was constructed in 1856 by Samuel Lantz. The first

public road A highway is any public or private road or other public way on land. It is used for major roads, but also includes other public roads and public tracks. In some areas of the United States, it is used as an equivalent term to controlled-access ...

in the valley of Little Shamokin Creek was built in 1787.

Tributaries

Plum Creek is one named tributary of Little Shamokin Creek. There are no other named tributaries of the creek, although there are several unnamed ones.

Fauna and flora

In some of the agricultural areas of the Little Shamokin Creek watershed, there is very little

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 ...

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 ...

also have easy access to the creek in some areas. There are

beef Beef is the culinary name for meat from cattle (''Bos taurus''). In prehistoric times, humankind hunted aurochs and later domesticated them. Since that time, numerous breeds of cattle have been bred specifically for the quality or quantity ...

and

pork Pork is the culinary name for the meat of the domestic pig (''Sus domesticus''). It is the most commonly consumed meat worldwide, with evidence of pig husbandry dating back to 5000 BCE. Pork is eaten both freshly cooked and preserved; ...

farms located near the creek. The farms contribute to the stream's rating by the

Department of Environmental Protection This article lists subnational environmental agencies in the United States, by state. Agencies with a variety of titles and responsibilities are included, e.g. Department of Environment, Department of Environmental Conservation, Department of E ...

as "impaired". Water-penny beetles have also been observed in the creek, indicating that it is recovering from being biologically impaired. However, there is

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 ...

in the creek, which damages the

food chain A food chain is a linear network of links in a food web starting from producer organisms (such as grass or algae which produce their own food via photosynthesis) and ending at an apex predator species (like grizzly bears or killer whales), det ...

there. Little Shamokin Creek is part of a

trout Trout are species of freshwater fish belonging to the genera '' Oncorhynchus'', ''Salmo'' and ''Salvelinus'', all of the subfamily Salmoninae of the family Salmonidae. The word ''trout'' is also used as part of the name of some non-salmoni ...

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 ...

that also contains

South Branch Roaring Creek South Branch Roaring Creek is a tributary of Roaring Creek in Columbia County and Northumberland County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. It is approximately long. The upper reaches of the creek are located in Weiser State Forest, between Bi ...

Mahantango Creek Mahantango Creek is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map, accessed August 8, 2011 tributary of the Susquehanna River in Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, Dauphin, Northumberland County, P ...

, and other streams.

Recreation

An area of 25.5 acres on the side of Little Shamokin Creek in Rockefeller Township was converted to a recreational area by the Little Shamokin Creek Watershed Association. This was also the first public recreational area in the township. As of August 20, 2012, the recreational area was almost complete.

References

{{authority control Tributaries of Shamokin Creek Rivers of Northumberland County, Pennsylvania Rivers of Pennsylvania