| Coal Creek | |
|---|---|
 Coal Creek looking downstream in its lower reaches | |
 | |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Source | |
| • location | valley near the northern border of Plymouth Township, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania |
| • elevation | between 1,400 and 1,420 feet (430 and 430 m) |
| Mouth | |
• location | Susquehanna River in Plymouth, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania |
• coordinates | 41°13′45″N75°57′23″W / 41.2293°N 75.9564°W /41.2293; -75.9564 |
• elevation | 515 ft (157 m) |
| Length | 2.9 mi (4.7 km) |
| Basin size | 1.46 sq mi (3.8 km2) |
| Discharge | |
| • average | often dry |
| Basin features | |
| Progression | Susquehanna River →Chesapeake Bay |
Coal Creek is atributary of theSusquehanna River inLuzerne County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. It is approximately 2.9 miles (4.7 km) long and flows throughPlymouth Township andPlymouth.[1] The watershed of the creek has an area of 1.46 square miles (3.8 km2). A reservoir known as Spring Brook Reservoir Number Four is situated on the creek. The surficial geology near the creek includes Wisconsinan Till, Wisconsinan Ice-Contact Stratified Drift, alluvium, coal dumps, and bedrock consisting of sandstone and shale. On July 3, 2011, Coal Creek flooded when 5 inches (13 cm) of rain fell in the watershed in less than 90 minutes. The flood caused $5 million in damage. The creek is designated as a Coldwater Fishery and a Migratory Fishery.
Coal Creek begins in a valley near the northwestern border of Plymouth Township. It flows south-southwest for nearly a mile, passing through Spring Brook Reservoir Number Four. After passing through the reservoir, the creek continues flowing south-southwest for a short distance before turning south-southeast. After several tenths of a mile, its valley becomes significantly shallower and it turns southeast, entering Plymouth. A few tenths of a mile further downstream, the creek turns south-southeast. After several tenths of a mile, it crossesUS Route 11 and, about 3,000 feet from its mouth, exits Plymouth, reentering Plymouth Township. A short distance further downstream, it reaches its confluence with the Susquehanna River.[1]
Coal Creek joins the Susquehanna River 184.96 miles (297.66 km) upriver of its mouth.[2]
In 1916, Coal Creek was described as having clear waters as far downstream as the Lehigh and Wilkes-Barre Coal Company's mine openings, near an outcrop. However, downstream of that point, large amounts of mine water were pumped into the creek.[3] Nowadays the creek is often dry, but can experience short, high-rate floods on occasion.[4]
The elevation near themouth of Coal Creek is 515 feet (157 m) abovesea level.[5] The elevation near the creek'ssource is between 1,400 and 1,420 feet (430 and 430 m) above sea level.[1] As it descends over 800 feet (240 m) in less than three miles between its source and its mouth, the creek is a "rapid stream".[6]
Since the Coal Creek Flood in 2011, 1,500 feet (460 m) of Coal Creek in residential areas have been protected withriprap and concrete walls.[7] The creek is in the Wyoming Valley.[8] Its headwaters are in mountains in Plymouth Township.[6]
Reynolds Shaft is not far from the mouth of Coal Creek.[3] The Baltimore Coal Company historically had a mine on the creek.[9] A 100-year-oldwater main runs through the creek. The water main is made ofcast iron and supplies water to a third of theWyoming Valley.[7]
For a significant portion of its length, the surficial geology of the watershed of Coal Creek features a glacial or resedimentedtill known as Wisconsinan Till, as well asbedrock consisting ofsandstone andshale. Near the creek's lower reaches,alluvium, coal dumps, Wisconsinan Ice-Contact Stratified Drift, and land wherecoal was oncesurface mined.[10]
Thewatershed of Coal Creek has an area of 1.46 square miles (3.8 km2).[2] The creek's mouth is in theUnited States Geological Survey quadrangle of Wilkes-Barre West. However, its source is in the quadrangle of Kingston.[5]
The watershed of Coal Creek is extremely narrow in its lower reaches. It is considerably broader in its middle and upper reaches, but is still much longer than it is wide.[11]
Areservoir known as the Spring Brook Reservoir Number Four is situated on Coal Creek approximately 1 mile (1.6 km) downstream of its source.[1][6] This reservoir is at an elevation of 1,280 feet (390 m) above sea level. It isdammed and has a capacity of 6,000,000 gallons. In the early 1900s, another reservoir was present on the creek 0.5 miles (0.80 km) further downstream, at an elevation of 1,100 feet (340 m) above sea level. This reservoir held only 3,000,000 gallons and is known as Reservoir Number Three. Further downstream was Reservoir Number Two, which was at an elevation of 940 feet (290 m) above sea level and held 1,500,000 gallons.[6]
Much of the flow of Coal Creek is diverted around alevee at one point. Some of the creek's flow also goes throughstorm sewers.[4]
Coal Creek has been known by other names during its history, including: Coleman's Creek, Mill Creek, Smith's Creek and Ransom Creek.
Coal beds lay below Plymouth's surface at various depths, beds that were visible in the form of outcrops along Coal Creek, about a mile upstream from the Susquehanna River. Attracted by this outcrop, Abijah Smith came to Plymouth about 1806, and with his business partner Lewis Hepburn, bought a 75-acre plot (called Lots 45 and 46) on the east side of the creek, intending to mine, ship and sell coal. According to Plymouth historian Hendrick B. Wright, in the fall of 1807, Abijah Smith purchased an ark fromJohn P. Arndt, a Wilkes-Barre merchant, which Arndt had used for the transportation of plaster. Smith floated the ark from Wilkes-Barre to Plymouth, loaded it with about fifty tons of anthracite coal, and shipped it toColumbia, inLancaster County.[12] By 1835, the mine belonged to John Ingham (married in 1827 to Abijah Smith's widow), who lost it that year in a Sheriff's sale.[13] By 1873, the mine was owned byHendrick B. Wright, and leased to Broderick, Conyngham & Co., operators of the Nottingham Colliery.[12]
In 1805, Hezekiah Roberts, Sr. obtained a patent for 121 acres (0.49 km2) of land, called Lot 44, on the west side of Coal Creek, which he sold to William Currie, who in 1810, sold to Lewis Hepburn (Abijah's Smith's partner). In 1811, Hepburn sold half the rights to John Smith (Abijah Smith's brother). In 1816, after Lewis Hepburn died, Hepburn's son Patrick sold Smith the second half of the coal rights. John Smith operated his mine on the west side of Coal Creek from 1811 until about 1837. In 1840, Smith leased his coal beds to his son, Francis J. Smith, his stepson, Samuel French, and his sons-in-law, Draper Smith and William C. Reynolds. In 1848, Smith sold the coal rights to Lot 44 outright to Reynolds.[14]
Coal Creek was entered into theGeographic Names Information System on August 2, 1979. Its identifier in the Geographic Names Information System is 1172052.[5] On July 3, 2011, a localizedflooding event known as the Coal Creek Flood occurred.[11] During the event, 5 inches (13 cm) or more of rain fell in 90 minutes in the watershed, causing "indescribable damage".[7][11] After the flood, the municipalities of Plymouth and Plymouth Township began clearing the resulting debris and opening temporary access roads.[11] However, the area did not qualify for federal aid, as the damage was highly localized.[7] The flood is considered to be a1000 year flood.[7] However, the nearbyWadham Creek (less than a mile from Coal Creek) did not even overflow its banks.[15]
In 2011, severalEmergency Watershed Program projects were planned for the watershed of Coal Creek. Flooding on the creek in 2011 destroyed the nearby Coal Street and exposed a 100-year-old 36-inchwater main.[11] The damage cost by the Coal Creek Flood in 2011 was upwards of $5,000,000.[16] The total cost of repairing Coal Creek was $1,342,732.[11]
Coal Creek is designated as a Coldwater Fishery and a Migratory Fishery.[17]