Wilson Creek (also known as Elk Creek) is a

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 ...

of the

Lackawanna River The Lackawanna River 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 Northeastern Pennsylvania. It flows through a region of th ...

Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania Lackawanna County (; unm, Lèkaohane) is a county in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. It is located in Northeastern Pennsylvania and had a population of 215,896 as of the 2020 census. Its county seat and largest city is Scranton. The county ...

, in the United States. It is approximately long and flows through Fell Township. The watershed of the creek has an area of . The creek is impaired by metals and pH from abandoned mine drainage. Some reaches of it also experience total flow loss. There are three discharges of

acid mine drainage Acid mine drainage, acid and metalliferous drainage (AMD), or acid rock drainage (ARD) is the outflow of acidic water from metal mines or coal mines. Acid rock drainage occurs naturally within some environments as part of the rock weathering ...

entering the creek: the Upper Wilson Outfall, the Lower Wilson Outfall, and the Molensky Slope Outfall. The watershed of the creek is in the Appalachian Mountain section of the Ridge and Valley physiographic province. The main rock types in the watershed are interbedded sedimentary rock and sandstone. The creek flows past areas of disturbed mining land. Wilson Creek is a

first-order In mathematics and other formal sciences, first-order or first order most often means either: * "linear" (a polynomial of degree at most one), as in first-order approximation and other calculus uses, where it is contrasted with "polynomials of high ...

stream with a relatively narrow watershed. The watershed is mostly forested, with the upper reaches being largely undeveloped. Other

land use Land use involves the management and modification of natural environment or wilderness into built environment such as settlements and semi-natural habitats such as arable fields, pastures, and managed woods. Land use by humans has a long h ...

s include abandoned mine lands, developed lands, and open fields. Various

coal mine Coal mining is the process of extracting coal from the ground. Coal is valued for its energy content and since the 1880s has been widely used to generate electricity. Steel and cement industries use coal as a fuel for extraction of iron from ...

s, breakers, and

collieries Coal mining is the process of extracting coal from the ground. Coal is valued for its energy content and since the 1880s has been widely used to generate electricity. Steel and cement industries use coal as a fuel for extraction of iron from ...

historically existed in the creek's vicinity. Additionally, a number of bridges have been constructed across the creek. Wilson Creek is designated as a Coldwater Fishery and a Migratory Fishery. Wild trout naturally reproduce in the creek, but it has a low concentration of

macroinvertebrate Invertebrates are a paraphyletic group of animals that neither possess nor develop a vertebral column (commonly known as a ''backbone'' or ''spine''), derived from the notochord. This is a grouping including all animals apart from the chordate s ...

s, as of the early 1990s. A possible greenway/trail along the creek could provide a link between the communities of Simpson and Richmondale.

Course

Wilson Creek begins in a small

lake A lake is an area filled with water, localized in a basin, surrounded by land, and distinct from any river or other outlet that serves to feed or drain the lake. Lakes lie on land and are not part of the ocean, although, like the much large ...

in Fell Township, near the Lackawanna County/

Susquehanna County Susquehanna County is a county in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. It is part of Northeastern Pennsylvania. As of the 2020 census, the population was 38,434 Its county seat is Montrose. The county was created on February 21, 1810, from part ...

line Line most often refers to: * Line (geometry), object with zero thickness and curvature that stretches to infinity * Telephone line, a single-user circuit on a telephone communication system Line, lines, The Line, or LINE may also refer to: Arts ...

. It flows east-southeast for a few tenths of a mile before passing through another lake, turning southeast, and flowing down a slope. Several tenths of a mile further downstream, the creek turns south-southwest for several tenths of a mile, flowing between the base of a mountain and

Pennsylvania Route 171 Pennsylvania Route 171 (PA 171, also designated by the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation as SR 0171) is a north–south state highway located in northeast Pennsylvania. The southern terminus of the route is at U.S. Route 6 Business ...

. It then turns south for a few tenths of a mile before very briefly turning east and crossing Pennsylvania Route 171. The creek then turns south for more than a mile, still flowing alongside Pennsylvania Route 171. It eventually enters

Simpson Simpson most often refers to: * Simpson (name), a British surname *''The Simpsons'', an animated American sitcom **The Simpson family, central characters of the series ''The Simpsons'' Simpson may also refer to: Organizations Schools *Simpso ...

and turns south-southwest. After a short distance, it turns south for several tenths of a mile before turning southeast and reaching its confluence with the Lackawanna River. Wilson Creek joins the Lackawanna River upriver of its mouth.

Hydrology

Wilson Creek is designated as an impaired stream. The causes of the impairment are metals and pH. The likely source of the impairment is

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 ...

. In 1996 and 1998, were impaired, while in 2002 and 2004, were impaired. Reaches of Wilson Creek experience total flow loss. A loss of base flow in the stream was observed at the Richmondale Pile in September 2000. In 2002, the

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 Wilson Creek in its upper reaches ranged from per minute, with an average of per minute. In the creek's middle reaches, it ranged from 0 to per minute, with an average of per minute. In its lower reaches, the discharge ranged from per minute, with an average of per minute. In 2002, the concentration of

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 ...

in Wilson Creek ranged from less than 0.30 milligrams per liter to 0.39 milligrams per liter in the creek's upper reaches. In its middle reaches, the iron concentration was less than 0.30 milligrams per liter and in its lower reaches, it ranged from 0.01 to less than 0.30 milligrams per liter. In 2002, 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 Wilson Creek ranged from less than 0.05 milligrams per liter to 0.12 milligrams per liter in the creek's upper reaches. In its middle reaches, the manganese concentration was less than 0.050 milligrams per liter and in its lower reaches, it ranged from 0.02 to less than 0.12 milligrams per liter. In 2002, the 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 ...

in Wilson Creek was less than 0.5 milligrams per liter in its upper and middle reaches. In its lower reaches, the aluminum concentration ranged from 0.01 to 0.15 milligrams per liter. In its upper reaches, the concentration of

acidity In computer science, ACID ( atomicity, consistency, isolation, durability) is a set of properties of database transactions intended to guarantee data validity despite errors, power failures, and other mishaps. In the context of databases, a sequ ...

in Wilson Creek ranged from 0 to 31 milligrams per liter, with an average of 21 milligrams per liter. The concentration of

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 ...

ranged from 10.4 to 17.8 milligrams per liter, with an average of 13.2 milligrams per liter. The pH ranged from 5.8 to 6.7, with an average of 6.1. In its middle reaches, the concentration of acidity in the creek ranged from 0.8 to 22.0 milligrams per liter, with an average of 10.5 milligrams per liter. The concentration of alkalinity ranged from 8.6 to 15.0 milligrams per liter, with an average of 10.5 milligrams per liter. The pH ranged from 5.6 to 6.2, with an average of 6.0. In its lower reaches, the concentration of acidity in Wilson Creek ranged from 0 to 2 milligrams per liter, with an average of 0.25 milligrams per liter. The concentration of alkalinity ranged from 32 to 44 milligrams per liter, with an average of 37 milligrams per liter. The pH ranged from 5.9 to 6.9, with an average of 6.3. There are three discharges of

that flow into Wilson Creek: the Upper Wilson Outfall, the Lower Wilson Outfall, and the Molensky Slope Outfall. The first was found to have almost no flow, the second was found to have a flow of 10 gallons per minute, and the third was found to have a flow of 80 gallons per minute. The last of these accounts for most of the flow that Wilson Creek contributes to the Lackawanna River. The water from this outfall has a slightly

sulfur Sulfur (or sulphur in British English) is a chemical element with the symbol S and atomic number 16. It is abundant, multivalent and nonmetallic. Under normal conditions, sulfur atoms form cyclic octatomic molecules with a chemical formula ...

ic odor, but has low concentrations of metals. In the early 1900s, the creek had no culm at its mouth, but did have high concentrations of sulfur. The creek also historically carried some

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 ...

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 Wilson Creek is above

sea level Mean sea level (MSL, often shortened to sea level) is an average surface level of one or more among Earth's coastal bodies of water from which heights such as elevation may be measured. The global MSL is a type of vertical datuma standardised g ...

. The elevation of the creek's

source Source may refer to: Research * Historical document * Historical source * Source (intelligence) or sub source, typically a confidential provider of non open-source intelligence * Source (journalism), a person, publication, publishing institute o ...

is between above sea level. The watershed of Wilson Creek is in the

Appalachian Mountain 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 ...

section of the

Ridge and Valley The Ridge-and-Valley Appalachians, also called the Ridge and Valley Province or the Valley and Ridge Appalachians, are a physiographic province of the larger Appalachian division and are also a belt within the Appalachian Mountains extending ...

physiographic province. The topography of the watershed mainly consists of long, steep ridges with valleys interspersed. This is similar to the topography of the Lackawanna River watershed as a whole, but on a smaller scale. The creek has a defined channel. Various small

bog A bog or bogland is a wetland that accumulates peat as a deposit of dead plant materials often mosses, typically sphagnum moss. It is one of the four main types of wetlands. Other names for bogs include mire, mosses, quagmire, and muskeg; a ...

pond A pond is an area filled with water, either natural or artificial, that is smaller than a lake. Defining them to be less than in area, less than deep, and with less than 30% emergent vegetation helps in distinguishing their ecology from th ...

s, and

wetland A wetland is a distinct ecosystem that is flooded or saturated by water, either permanently (for years or decades) or seasonally (for weeks or months). Flooding results in oxygen-free (anoxic) processes prevailing, especially in the soils. The ...

s are in the watershed. The headwaters of Wilson Creek are in a

pond. The first of the creek are largely unimpacted, with an intact stream corridor. However, it eventually begins to flow alongside Pennsylvania Route 171, where it receives impacts from stripping pits and waste rock piles left over from past mining operations. The creek is also impacted by Pennsylvania Route 171 itself in this reach. Around the time that it begins flowing alongside Pennsylvania Route 171, it passes through the Richmondale Pile, an area of disturbed mining land with some culm. The creek has been channelized near its mouth. A report from the early 1900s noted that the

streambed A stream bed or streambed is the bottom of a stream or river (bathymetry) or the physical confine of the normal water flow (channel). The lateral confines or channel margins are known as the stream banks or river banks, during all but flood st ...

of Wilson Creek was rocky in certain reaches, with culm deposits of up to in area. The report also stated that the creek was fairly large, with banks high enough to avoid overflowing in most reaches. The uplands of the watershed of Wilson Creek lie on poorly-drained, rocky

soil Soil, also commonly referred to as earth or dirt, is a mixture of organic matter, minerals, gases, liquids, and organisms that together support life. Some scientific definitions distinguish ''dirt'' from ''soil'' by restricting the former te ...

. The other parts of the watershed have rapid permeability.

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 sedimen ...

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 ...

is the most common type of rock in the watershed, occupying 53 percent of its area. The remaining 47 percent is occupied by

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) ...

Watershed

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 Wilson Creek has an area of . The mouth of the creek is in the

United States Geological Survey The United States Geological Survey (USGS), formerly simply known as the Geological Survey, is a scientific agency of the United States government. The scientists of the USGS study the landscape of the United States, its natural resources, ...

quadrangle of Waymart. However, its source is in the quadrangle of Clifford. Wilson Creek is a

stream. The watershed is relatively narrow. The vast majority of the creek's drainage basin is in Fell Township. However, a small part of the northernmost reach is in Clifford Township, in

. The upper reaches of the creek's watershed are largely undeveloped. However, residential land lines the creek in Simpson. A total of 84 percent of the watershed is forested. The remaining 16 percent consists of abandoned mine lands, developed lands (which are mostly concentrated near the creek's mouth), and open fields. Wilson Creek can be accessed by taking

US Route 6 U.S. Route 6 (US 6), also called the Grand Army of the Republic Highway, honoring the American Civil War veterans association, is a main route of the U.S. Highway system. While it currently runs east-northeast from Bishop, California, to P ...

to Carbondale and then taking Pennsylvania Route 171 to Simpson.

History and recreation

Wilson Creek was entered into 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 ...

on August 2, 1979. Its identifier in the Geographic Names Information System is 1191536. The creek is also known as Elk Creek. This name appears on county highway maps published by the

Pennsylvania Department of Transportation The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) oversees transportation issues in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. The administrator of PennDOT is the Pennsylvania Secretary of Transportation, currently Yassmin Gramian. Presently, Pe ...

. The Williams Coal Mine was constructed on Wilson Creek by J.W. Williams and J.P. Williams in 1864. The Elk Creek Mine was constructed along the creek in 1873 by Clarkson and Brennan. Their breakers were built in 1874 and 1873, respectively. Additionally, the Richmond Number 4 Colliery was historically located near the creek's headwaters and the Buffalo Breaker was also in the watershed. Wilson Creek overflowed its banks during a 1924

flood A flood is an overflow of water ( or rarely other fluids) that submerges land that is usually dry. In the sense of "flowing water", the word may also be applied to the inflow of the tide. Floods are an area of study of the discipline hydrol ...

. During the same flood, the creek inundated a road to Forest City, rendering it impassible. A concrete stringer/multi-beam or girder bridge carrying T604/Midland Street was constructed across Wilson Creek in 1930. It is long. A steel stringer/multi-beam or girder bridge carrying Pennsylvania Route 171 was constructed over the creek in 1953. This bridge is long and is situated in Fell Township. Wilson Creek was given a stream ranking of "Moderate" in the Lackawanna Valley Industrial Highway Project's Environmental Impact Statement in 1992. In the early 2000s, the Lackawanna River Watershed Conservation Plan proposed the Wilson Creek Trail. A greenway and trail along the creek could link Simpson and Richmondale. The Lackawanna River Watershed Conservation Plan also recommended that Fell Township include protection of Wilson Creek in its comprehensive plans, as well as their ordinances for land use, zoning, and subdivision. The creek is on the Watershed Restoration Priority List of the Lackawanna River Corridor Association. In 2006, the Lackawanna County Conservation District received a letter of support for a Growing Greener grant for a Wilson Creek Watershed Implementation Plan.

Biology

The drainage basin of Wilson Creek is designated as a Coldwater Fishery and a Migratory Fishery. Wild

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 ...

naturally reproduce in Wilson Creek from its headwaters downstream to its mouth. As of the early 1990s, the creek has a low density of

Native Native may refer to: People * Jus soli, citizenship by right of birth * Indigenous peoples, peoples with a set of specific rights based on their historical ties to a particular territory ** Native Americans (disambiguation) In arts and entert ...

trees and

understory In forestry and ecology, understory (American English), or understorey (Commonwealth English), also known as underbrush or undergrowth, includes plant life growing beneath the forest canopy without penetrating it to any great extent, but abov ...

plants occur in the

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 ...

of Wilson Creek upstream of Pennsylvania Route 171. There is successional vegetation along the creek at the Richmondale Pile. In Simpson, the vegetation alongside the creek is either mowed or consists of successional and

invasive Invasive may refer to: *Invasive (medical) procedure *Invasive species *Invasive observation, especially in reference to surveillance *Invasively progressive spread of disease from one organ in the body to another, especially in reference to cancer ...

understory plants.

References

{{authority control Rivers of Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania Tributaries of the Lackawanna River Rivers of Pennsylvania