Six Springs Creek

Six Springs Creek is a tributary of Rattlesnake Creek in Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. It is approximately 2.1 miles (3.4 km) long and flows through Spring Brook Township.[1] The watershed of the creek has an area of 2.95 square miles (7.6 km2). Wild trout naturally reproduce in the creek and it is considered to be a High-Quality Coldwater Fishery. However, it has been affected by sewage contamination. The surficial geology in the creek's vicinity consists of Wisconsinan Till, bedrock, Wisconsinan Ice-Contact Stratified Drift, and wetlands.

Six Springs Creek
Physical characteristics
Source 
 • locationvalley near Interstate 380 in Spring Brook Township, Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania
 • elevationbetween 1,700 and 1,720 feet (520 and 520 m)
Mouth 
 • location
Rattlesnake Creek in Spring Brook Township, Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania
 • coordinates
41°18′53″N 75°35′01″W
 • elevation
1,450 ft (440 m)
Length2.1 mi (3.4 km)
Basin size2.95 sq mi (7.6 km2)
Basin features
ProgressionRattlesnake Creek → Spring Brook → Lackawanna River → Susquehanna River → Chesapeake Bay
Tributaries 
 • leftthree unnamed tributaries
 • righttwo unnamed tributaries

Course

Six Springs Creek begins in a valley near Interstate 380 in Spring Brook Township. It flows south for several tenths of a mile and crosses Pennsylvania Route 307 before turning southwest, receiving two unnamed tributaries from the left and entering a valley. In the valley, the creek gradually turns west-northwest, passing through several ponds and receiving three more unnamed tributaries: one from the left and two from the right. The creek eventually turns southwest and after a short distance, reaches its confluence with Rattlesnake Creek.[1]

Six Springs Creek joins Rattlesnake Creek 3.40 miles (5.47 km) upstream of its mouth.[2]

Hydrology

The waters of Six Springs Creek used to be potable. However, runoff from septic tanks has caused the creek to experience substantial pollution.[3] In 1984 Our Water: Legacy in Peril described the creek as being "a catch basin for runoffs from a car wash, laundromat and malfunctioning septic tanks".[4] One entity also has a permit to discharge stormwater into the creek.[5]

The waters of Six Springs Creek indirectly feed into the Nesbitt Reservoir, an unfiltered reservoir owned by the Pennsylvania Gas and Water Company. However, the officials of the company made plans to improve the chlorination facilities of the pipelines carrying water from the reservoir.[4]

Geography and geology

The elevation near the mouth of Six Springs Creek is 1,450 feet (440 m) above sea level.[6] The elevation of the creek's source is between 1,700 and 1,720 feet (520 and 520 m) above sea level.[1]

The surficial geology in the vicinity of Six Springs Creek mainly consists of a glacial or resedimented till known as Wisconsinan Till. However, patches of bedrock consisting of conglomeratic sandstone, sandstone, and shale are also present, as are smaller areas of Wisconsinan Ice-Contact Stratified Drift. There are also a few patches of wetland.[7]

IH Land Development, Inc. has received a permit to construct and maintain a road and a driveway crossing through 0.18 acres (730 m2) of wetland in the watershed of Six Springs Creek. The purpose of this project is to provide access to Tranquility Woods Resiential Development, just south of the corner of Pennsylvania Route 690 and Maple Lake Road.[8]

Watershed

The watershed of Six Springs Creek has an area of 2.95 square miles (7.6 km2).[2] The watershed is mostly in Spring Brook Township. However, a small part is in Covington Township.[9] The creek is entirely within the United States Geological Survey quadrangle of Moscow.[6]

There is a tract of Exceptional Value wetland in the watershed of Six Springs Creek.[8]

History

Six Springs Creek was entered into the Geographic Names Information System on August 2, 1979. Its identifier in the Geographic Names Information System is 1187734.[6]

In 2001, the Lackawanna River Watershed Conservation Plan recommended that Spring Brook Township include protection of Six Springs Creek in their zoning plans.[10] A culvert carrying Swartz Valley Road across the creek was constructed some time before 2011. It was damaged during Tropical Storm Lee in 2011 and plans were later made to replace it for $263,730.[11]

Biology

Wild trout naturally reproduce in Six Springs Creek from its headwaters downstream to its mouth.[12] The watershed of the creek is designated as a High-Quality Coldwater Fishery.[8]

See also

References
  1. United States Geological Survey, The National Map Viewer, retrieved March 30, 2015
  2. Pennsylvania Gazetteer of Streams (PDF), November 2, 2001, retrieved March 30, 2015
  3. Jim Van Nostrand (July 27, 1993), "PG&W wants watershed rezoned for houses company says it has no plans to build, but Pittston Township officials wonder why, then, the zoning should be changed", Times Leader, retrieved March 30, 2015
  4. Our Water: Legacy in Peril
  5. "VI. NPDES Individual Permit Applications for Discharges of Stormwater Associated with Construction Activities", Pennsylvania Bulletin, retrieved March 30, 2015
  6. Geographic Names Information System, Feature Detail Report for: Six Springs Creek, retrieved March 30, 2015
  7. Duane D. Braun (2007), Surficial geology of the Moscow 7.5-minute quadrangle, Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania, p. 14, archived from the original on May 24, 2014, retrieved March 30, 2015
  8. "Applications received under the Dam Safety and Encroachments Act (32 P. S. §§ 693.1–693.27) and section 302 of the Flood Plain Management Act (32 P. S. § 679.302) and requests for certification under section 401(a) of the FWPCA (33 U.S.C.A. § 1341(a)).", Pennsylvania Bulletin, retrieved March 30, 2015
  9. Lackawanna River Watershed in Wayne County, Pennsylvania (PDF), archived from the original (PDF) on April 27, 2015, retrieved March 30, 2015
  10. Lackawanna River Corridor Association (2001), Lackawanna River Watershed Conservation Plan (PDF), p. 111, archived from the original (PDF) on September 23, 2015, retrieved March 30, 2015
  11. David Singleton (August 29, 2013), "Renegotiated contract to save Lackawanna County thousands", The Times-Tribune, retrieved March 30, 2015
  12. Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission (January 2015), Pennsylvania Wild Trout Waters (Natural Reproduction) (PDF), p. 46, retrieved March 30, 2015
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