Harveys Creek
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Harveys Creek (also known as Harvey Creek or Harvey's Creek) is a 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 Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. It is approximately long and flows through Harveys Lake, Lake Township, Lehman Township, Jackson Township, and Plymouth Township. The creek's watershed has an area of . The creek has four named tributaries, which are known as Bear Hollow Creek, Paint Spring Run, Pikes Creek, and East Fork Harveys Creek. The watershed is designated as a High-Quality Coldwater Fishery and a Migratory Fishery above Pikes Creek and as a Coldwater Fishery and a Migratory Fishery below it. The creek's source is Harveys Lake, the largest natural lake in Pennsylvania. Harveys Creek was used as a water supply as early as the beginning of the 1900s. A number of bridges have been constructed over the creek since the 1920s, and it has been dammed by the Bryant Pond Dam. It is possible to canoe on part of the creek. Rock formations consisting of sandstone and shale occur in the watershed.


Course

Harveys Creek begins in Harveys Lake in the community of Harveys Lake. The creek flows southwest and soon enters Lake Township. A short distance downstream, it picks up the tributary Bear Hollow Creek and turns south for several miles. The creek receives the tributary Paint Spring Run during this stretch. It eventually enters Lehman Township and turns southeast, crossing
Pennsylvania Route 118 Pennsylvania Route 118 (PA 118) is a state route located in northeastern Pennsylvania. The western terminus of the route is at PA 405 in Hughesville. The eastern terminus is at PA 415 in Dallas. The road is known briefly as East Wa ...
. Slightly more than a mile (two kilometers) downstream, the creek turns south again. It eventually enters Jackson Township, where it crosses Pennsylvania Route 29 and picks up the tributary Pikes Creek. It then turns southeast and enters a valley, where it flows roughly parallel to Pennsylvania Route 29 for a number of miles. The creek enters Plymouth Township and soon afterwards turns abruptly southwest. Several miles downstream it enters the community of West Nanticoke. Here, it crosses
U.S. Route 11 {{Infobox road , country=USA , type=US , route=11 , map={{maplink, frame=yes, plain=yes, frame-align=center, frame-width=290, frame-height=330, type=line, from=U.S. Route 11.map , map_custom=yes , map_notes=US 11 in red, US 11E in blue, US 11W in ...
and reaches its confluence with the Susquehanna River. Harveys Creek joins the Susquehanna River upstream of its mouth.


Tributaries

Harveys Creek has four named tributaries: Bear Hollow Creek, Paint Spring Run, Pikes Creek, and East Fork Harveys Creek. Bear Hollow Creek joins Harveys Creek in the latter creek's upper reaches. Paint Spring Run joins Harveys Creek upstream of its mouth. Its watershed has an area of . Pikes Creek joins Harveys Creek upstream of its mouth. Its watershed has an area of . East Fork Harveys Creek joins Harveys Creek upstream of its mouth. Its watershed has an area of .


Hydrology and climate

High levels of nutrients have been observed in the waters of Harveys Creek and the tributary East Fork Harveys Creek. Harveys Creek has been described as having "degraded conditions". However, it is not considered to be impaired, although its tributary East Fork Harveys Creek is. In the mid-1970s, the specific conductance of Harveys Creek at West Nanticoke ranged from 70 to 90 micro-siemens. The pH of the creek ranged from 6.5 to 7.8 and the concentration of dissolved oxygen ranged between 9.7 and 12.0 milligrams per liter. The concentration of
water hardness Hard water is water that has high mineral content (in contrast with "soft water"). Hard water is formed when water percolates through deposits of limestone, chalk or gypsum, which are largely made up of calcium and magnesium carbonates, bicarbo ...
ranged from 27 to 37 milligrams per liter. During this time period, the concentration of
carbon dioxide Carbon dioxide (chemical formula ) is a chemical compound made up of molecules that each have one carbon atom covalently double bonded to two oxygen atoms. It is found in the gas state at room temperature. In the air, carbon dioxide is transpar ...
in the waters of Harveys Creek at West Nanticoke ranged from 0.3 to 8.7 milligrams per liter. The concentration of
ammonia Ammonia is an inorganic compound of nitrogen and hydrogen with the formula . A stable binary hydride, and the simplest pnictogen hydride, ammonia is a colourless gas with a distinct pungent smell. Biologically, it is a common nitrogenous was ...
ranged from 0.026 to 0.077 milligrams per liter, the concentration of
nitrogen Nitrogen is the chemical element with the symbol N and atomic number 7. Nitrogen is a nonmetal and the lightest member of group 15 of the periodic table, often called the pnictogens. It is a common element in the universe, estimated at se ...
in the form 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 ranged from 0.90 to 1.82 milligrams per liter, and the concentration of nitrogen in the form of
nitrite The nitrite polyatomic ion, ion has the chemical formula . Nitrite (mostly sodium nitrite) is widely used throughout chemical and pharmaceutical industries. The nitrite anion is a pervasive intermediate in the nitrogen cycle in nature. The name ...
s ranged between 0.026 and 0.048 milligrams per liter. The concentration 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 ...
ranged from 0.040 to 0.160 milligrams per liter and the sulfate concentration ranged from 8.0 to 12.0 milligrams per liter. The
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 ...
concentration ranged from 5.0 to 90.0 milligrams per liter. The concentration of
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 ...
in the waters of Harveys Creek at West Nanticoke ranged from 2.00 to 4.75 milligrams per liter. 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 ...
ranged between 6.40 and 8.80 milligrams per liter. 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 ...
ranged from 120 to 740 micrograms per liter. At the boundary between Lake Township and Lehman Township, the peak annual
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 Harveys Creek has a 10 percent chance of reaching 1133 cubic feet per second. It has a 2 percent chance of reaching 2017 cubic feet per second, a 1 percent chance of reaching 2494 cubic feet per second, and a 0.2 percent chance of reaching 3909 cubic feet per second. Upstream of the tributary Paint Spring Run, the peak annual discharge of Harveys Creek has a 10 percent chance of reaching 710 cubic feet per second. It has a 2 percent chance of reaching 1291 cubic feet per second and a 1 percent chance of reaching 1607 cubic feet per second. The peak annual discharge has a 0.2 percent chance of reaching 2553 cubic feet per second. The average annual rate of precipitation in the watershed of Harveys Creek ranges from . The creek's water temperature is typically low, even in the summer. During the 1970s, the water temperature of the creek was as low as in the winter and as high as in the spring and summer.


Geography

The elevation near the mouth of Harveys 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 is above sea level. Its elevation around
river mile A river mile is a measure of distance in miles along a river from its mouth. River mile numbers begin at zero and increase further upstream. The corresponding metric unit using kilometers is the river kilometer. They are analogous to vehicle road ...
4 (river kilometer 7) is above sea level. Upstream of this point, the creek's elevation decreases at a rate of per mile. Downstream of that point, its elevation decreases at a rate of per mile. Harveys Creek is in the Wyoming Valley. Much of Harveys Creek, in its lower reaches, is in a forested
gorge A canyon (from ; archaic British English spelling: ''cañon''), or gorge, is a deep cleft between escarpments or cliffs resulting from weathering and the erosion, erosive activity of a river over geologic time scales. Rivers have a natural tenden ...
. The upper reaches of its watershed contain
swamp A swamp is a forested wetland.Keddy, P.A. 2010. Wetland Ecology: Principles and Conservation (2nd edition). Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK. 497 p. Swamps are considered to be transition zones because both land and water play a role in ...
s and
glacial lake A glacial lake is a body of water with origins from glacier activity. They are formed when a glacier erodes the land and then melts, filling the depression created by the glacier. Formation Near the end of the last glacial period, roughly 10,0 ...
s. The cliffs of Tilbury Knob are also situated near the mouth of the creek. The creek's source is in Harveys Lake, which is the largest natural lake in Pennsylvania. It flows in a generally southward direction. The topography of the watershed of Harveys Creek is described as "rough and hilly" in a 1921 book. The creek's
channel Channel, channels, channeling, etc., may refer to: Geography * Channel (geography), in physical geography, a landform consisting of the outline (banks) of the path of a narrow body of water. Australia * Channel Country, region of outback Austral ...
is
sinuous Sinuosity, sinuosity index, or sinuosity coefficient of a continuously differentiable curve having at least one inflection point is the ratio of the curvilinear length (along the curve) and the Euclidean distance (straight line) between the ...
and flows through
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 ...
s consisting of
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) ...
and
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 creek was described as having "rushing waters" in a 2001 article in the '' Times Leader''.


Watershed

The watershed of Harveys Creek has an area of . The creek is in the Lower North Branch Susquehanna
drainage basin A drainage basin is an area of land where all flowing surface water converges to a single point, such as a river mouth, or flows into another body of water, such as a lake or ocean. A basin is separated from adjacent basins by a perimeter, t ...
. Its watershed is in the northwestern part of Luzerne County. Upstream of the boundary between Lake Township and Lehman Township, the watershed has an area of . Upstream of the tributary Paint Spring Run, its watershed has an area of only . The creek's mouth 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 Nanticoke. However, its source is in the quadrangle of Harveys Lake. Additionally, it flows through the quadrangles of Wilkes-Barre West and Kingston. Harveys Creek is one of four major sources of
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 ...
ing in Lake Township. The other three are Pikes Creek, Fades Creek, and Beaver Run. However, the floods of these creeks have not caused much damage since Lake Township is relatively undeveloped. Lakes in the watershed of Harveys Creek include a natural lake known as Harveys Lake, which has a surface area of 658.6 acres. Pennsylvania Route 29 follows Harveys Creek for several miles. Harveys Creek is
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, a ...
med by a rockfill and earthfill dam known as Bryants Pond Dam. The dam is long, with a height of . Harveys Creek and its tributary Pikes Creek are used by the Pennsylvania American Water Company Ceasetown as a
water supply Water supply is the provision of water by public utilities, commercial organisations, community endeavors or by individuals, usually via a system of pumps and pipes. Public water supply systems are crucial to properly functioning societies. Thes ...
for part or all of 15 municipalities and communities, including Wilkes-Barre, Nanticoke,
Shickshinny Shickshinny is a borough in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 630 at the 2020 census. The borough is named after Shickshinny Creek, which runs through the municipality and the surrounding area. According to the book ...
, and others. As of 2002, the creeks supply 67,500 people with water. Pennsylvania American Water Company Ceasetown is permitted to take 16 million gallons of water per day from them.


History

The
United States Board on Geographic Names The United States Board on Geographic Names (BGN) is a federal body operating under the United States Secretary of the Interior. The purpose of the board is to establish and maintain uniform usage of geographic names throughout the federal governm ...
made an official decision pertaining to Harveys Creek in 1950. Harveys 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 1217352. Historically, the Great Warrior Path of the Native Americans crossed Harveys Creek near its mouth. The path ran from Sunbury to
Athens Athens ( ; el, Αθήνα, Athína ; grc, Ἀθῆναι, Athênai (pl.) ) is both the capital and largest city of Greece. With a population close to four million, it is also the seventh largest city in the European Union. Athens dominates ...
. In December 1775, a battle known as Plunkett's Battle was fought along the Susquehanna River very close to the creek. This battle was one of the major battles in the Yankee-Pennamite Wars. The first
school A school is an educational institution designed to provide learning spaces and learning environments for the teaching of students under the direction of teachers. Most countries have systems of formal education, which is sometimes compuls ...
house in the lower part of Plymouth Township was built by Jameson Harvey near the mouth of Harveys Creek in 1834. The first mill in Lehman Township was built on the creek in 1837. In 1849, Johnathan Williams constructed a small mill on the creek. In 1869, a mining disaster occurred at the Avondale Mine just east of Harveys Creek. This event killed 108 people. In the early 1900s, communities in the watershed of Harveys Creek included Alderson, West Nanticoke, Shawanese, Pikes Creek, Laketon, and Ceases Mills. Their populations in 1921 were 386, 300, 150, 76, 73, and 55, respectively. The main industries in the watershed at that time were
agriculture Agriculture or farming is the practice of cultivating plants and livestock. Agriculture was the key development in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that enabled people to ...
and summer resorts. As early as the 1890s, the Nanticoke Water Company (which was formed in 1885) pumped water from the creek via gravity lines. In the early 1900s, Harveys Creek and its tributary Pikes Creek were used as a
water supply Water supply is the provision of water by public utilities, commercial organisations, community endeavors or by individuals, usually via a system of pumps and pipes. Public water supply systems are crucial to properly functioning societies. Thes ...
by the Spring Brook Water Supply Company. The creeks supplied Nanticoke, West Nanticoke,
Plymouth Plymouth () is a port city and unitary authority in South West England. It is located on the south coast of Devon, approximately south-west of Exeter and south-west of London. It is bordered by Cornwall to the west and south-west. Plymouth ...
, and Glen Lyon. In 2001, the
Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission The Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission is an independent state agency responsible for the regulation of all fishing and boating in the state of Pennsylvania within the United States of America. Unlike many U.S. states, Pennsylvania has a separ ...
banned alcoholic beverages within of an 8.5-mile-stretch of Harveys Creek.


Bridges

A steel girder and floorbeam system
bridge A bridge is a structure built to span a physical obstacle (such as a body of water, valley, road, or rail) without blocking the way underneath. It is constructed for the purpose of providing passage over the obstacle, which is usually somethi ...
carrying T-486/East Poplar Street was constructed over Harveys Creek in 1924. It is long. A two-span
concrete Concrete is a composite material composed of fine and coarse aggregate bonded together with a fluid cement (cement paste) that hardens (cures) over time. Concrete is the second-most-used substance in the world after water, and is the most wi ...
tee beam bridge carrying Pennsylvania Route 29 over the creek was built in 1927 and repaired in 1980. It is in Jackson Township and is long. In 1935, another two-span concrete tee beam bridge, this one carrying Pennsylvania Route 118, was constructed over the creek. It is long and is in Lehman Township. Another two-span bridge, this one a steel
stringer bridge Beam bridges are the simplest structural forms for bridge spans supported by an abutment or pier at each end. No moments are transferred throughout the support, hence their structural type is known as '' simply supported''. The simplest beam ...
, was constructed over the creek in Lehman Township in 1952. It is long and carries State Route 1016. A four-span steel
culvert A culvert is a structure that channels water past an obstacle or to a subterranean waterway. Typically embedded so as to be surrounded by soil, a culvert may be made from a pipe, reinforced concrete or other material. In the United Kingdom ...
bridge carrying State Route 1048/Meeker Road over Harveys Creek was built in 1977. It is long and is in Lehman Township. In 1992, a prestressed box beam bridge was built over the creek. It is long and carries T-497/Pavlick Road. A bridge of the same type and length, but carrying T-499/Zbick Road was built over the creek in 1993. One more bridge of the same type was built over the creek in Lehman Township in 1997. It is long and carries State Route 1059/Fedor Road. A bridge carrying Pennsylvania Route 29 over Harveys Creek in Plymouth Township was built in 2005. It is a two-span prestressed box beam bridge with a length of .


Biology

Upstream of the tributary Pikes Creek, Harveys Creek and its drainage basin are designated as a High-Quality Coldwater Fishery and a Migratory Fishery. Downstream of Pikes Creek, Harveys Creek and its drainage basin are 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 a stretch of the creek from Meeker Outlet Road/T810, downstream to its mouth. This stretch is long. Harveys Creek is inhabited by
brown trout The brown trout (''Salmo trutta'') is a European species of salmonid fish that has been widely introduced into suitable environments globally. It includes purely freshwater populations, referred to as the riverine ecotype, ''Salmo trutta'' morph ...
and native
brook trout The brook trout (''Salvelinus fontinalis'') is a species of freshwater fish in the char genus ''Salvelinus'' of the salmon family Salmonidae. It is native to Eastern North America in the United States and Canada, but has been introduced elsewhere ...
. It is stocked with fish.


Recreation

It is possible to
canoe A canoe is a lightweight narrow water vessel, typically pointed at both ends and open on top, propelled by one or more seated or kneeling paddlers facing the direction of travel and using a single-bladed paddle. In British English, the term ...
on of Harveys Creek during a fast
snowmelt In hydrology, snowmelt is surface runoff produced from melting snow. It can also be used to describe the period or season during which such runoff is produced. Water produced by snowmelt is an important part of the annual water cycle in many part ...
or within two days of heavy
rain 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 ...
. Its difficulty rating ranges between 2 and 4 and Edward Gertler describes the scenery along the creek as "good to very good" in his book ''Keystone Canoeing''. Gertler also describes it as an "obscure torrent". The creek is considered to be suitable for advanced paddlers. In the late 1980s, Harveys Creek was the most popular trout stream in Luzerne County. A 1991 book stated that the creek was the most extensively stocked and fished stream in the county.


See also

* Hunlock Creek, next tributary on the west side of the Susquehanna River going downriver * Coal Creek, next tributary on the west side of the Susquehanna River going upriver * List of rivers of Pennsylvania


References


External links

{{authority control Rivers of Pennsylvania Tributaries of the Susquehanna River Rivers of Luzerne County, Pennsylvania