Bell Creek (Pine Creek tributary)

Bell Creek is a tributary of Pine Creek in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. It is approximately 4.0 miles (6.4 km) long and flows through Fairmount Township and Huntington Township.[1] The creek is a freestone stream in the ridge and valley physiographic province. Wild trout naturally reproduce within the creek. It has one named tributary, which is known as Ashs West Branch, and two unnamed tributaries.

Bell Creek
Physical characteristics
Source 
 • locationborder between Sugarloaf Township, Columbia County, Pennsylvania and Fairmount Township, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania
 • elevationbetween 1,280 and 1,300 feet (390 and 400 m)
Mouth 
 • location
Pine Creek in Huntington Township, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania
 • coordinates
41°12′56″N 76°16′41″W
 • elevation
833 ft (254 m)
Length4.0 mi (6.4 km)
Basin features
ProgressionPine Creek → Huntington Creek → Fishing Creek → Susquehanna River → Chesapeake Bay
Tributaries 
 • righttwo unnamed tributaries, Ashs West Branch

Course

Bell Creek begins on the border between Sugarloaf Township, Columbia County and Fairmount Township, Luzerne County. It flows east into Fairmount Township for a short distance before gradually turning southeast. After several tenths of a mile, the creek passes through Fairmount Springs and shortly afterwards turns south. Several tenths of a mile further downstream, it turns south-southeast for a few miles, entering Huntington Township and receiving its only named tributary, Ashs West Branch, from the right. The creek then turns east for a few tenths of a mile before reaching its confluence with Pine Creek.[1]

Tributaries

Bell Creek has one named tributary, which is known as Ashs West Branch. That tributary is approximately 3.5 miles (5.6 km) long. Bell Creek also has two unnamed tributaries, both of which enter it from the right.[1]

Geography and geology

The elevation near the mouth of Bell Creek is 833 feet (254 m) above sea level.[2] The elevation near the creek's source is between 1,280 and 1,300 feet (390 and 400 m) above sea level.[1]

Bell Creek is in the ridge and valley phyoigraphic province. The creek is a freestone stream.[3]

Watershed

The mouth of Bell Creek is in the United States Geological Survey quadrangle of Stillwater. However, its source is in the quadrangle of Red Rock.[2]

History

Bell Creek was entered into the Geographic Names Information System on August 2, 1979. Its identifier in the Geographic Names Information System is 1169145.[2]

A stone arch bridge across Bell Creek in Huntington Township was proposed in 1901. It was to be located near J.T. Hess and would cost $250.[4] A similar bridge over the creek in the same township was also proposed nearly two years earlier, in 1899. However, this bridge was to cost $700.[5]

Biology

Wild trout naturally reproduce in Bell Creek from its headwaters downstream to its mouth. They also do so in the tributary Ashs West Branch.[6]

See also

References
  1. United States Geological Survey, The National Map Viewer, archived from the original on March 29, 2012, retrieved March 15, 2015
  2. Geographic Names Information System, Feature Detail Report for: Bell Creek, archived from the original on November 6, 2014, retrieved March 15, 2015
  3. Thomas L. Denslinger; William A. Gast; John J. Hauenstein; et al. (May 1998), INSTREAM FLOW STUDIES PENNSYLVANIA AND MARYLAND (PDF), p. 74, archived from the original (PDF) on March 4, 2016, retrieved March 15, 2015
  4. Proposals, The Wilkes-Barre Record, May 30, 1901, p. 2, retrieved March 15, 2015 – via newspapers.com open access
  5. Proposals, The Wilkes-Barre Record, June 12, 1899, p. 2, retrieved March 15, 2015 – via newspapers.com open access
  6. Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission (January 2015), Pennsylvania Wild Trout Waters (Natural Reproduction) - Jan 2015 (PDF), p. 48, archived from the original (PDF) on July 1, 2015, retrieved March 15, 2015
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