East Branch Roaring Brook

East Branch Roaring Brook is a tributary of Roaring Brook in Wayne County and Lackawanna County, in Pennsylvania in the United States. It is approximately 3.7 miles (6.0 km) long and flows through Sterling Township in Wayne County and Madison Township and Covington Township in Lackawanna County.[1] The watershed of the stream has an area of 5.90 square miles (15.3 km2). Wild trout naturally reproduce within the stream and many macroinvertebrate taxa inhabit it. The surficial geology in the area consists of Wisconsinan Till, Wisconsinan Ice-Contact Stratified Drift, alluvium, bedrock, fill, sand and gravel pits, and wetlands.

East Branch Roaring Brook
Physical characteristics
Source 
 • locationpond near Freytown in Sterling Township, Wayne County, Pennsylvania
 • elevationbetween 1,940 and 1,960 feet (590 and 600 m)
Mouth 
 • location
Roaring Brook in Covington Township, Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania
 • coordinates
41°18′32″N 75°29′19″W
 • elevation
1,654 ft (504 m)
Length3.7 mi (6.0 km)
Basin size5.90 sq mi (15.3 km2)
Basin features
ProgressionRoaring Brook → Lackawanna River → Susquehanna River → Chesapeake Bay

Course

East Branch Roaring Brook begins in a pond near Freytown, in Sterling Township, Wayne County. It flows north for a short distance before turning southwest and exiting Wayne County. Upon exiting Wayne County, the stream enters Madison Township, Lackawanna County. It very briefly passes through the southernmost corner of that township and enters Covington Township. After a few tenths of a mile, it turns west-northwest and enters a wetland. It then turns west-northwest for several tenths of a mile before turning northwest for several tenths of a mile and then turning south. The stream turns west-northwest for several tenths of a mile before turning north and then southwest. After several tenths of a mile, it turns northwest and reaches its confluence with Roaring Brook at the Hollister Reservoir.[1]

East Branch Roaring Brook joins Roaring Brook 17.14 miles (27.58 km) upstream of its mouth.[2]

Geography and geology

The elevation near the mouth of East Branch Roaring Brook is 1,654 feet (504 m) above sea level.[3] The elevation near the source of the stream is between 1,940 and 1,960 feet (590 and 600 m) above sea level.[1]

The surficial geology in the vicinity of the lower reaches of East Branch Roaring Brook alluvium, Wisconsinan Ice-Contact Stratified Drift, bedrock consisting of conglomeratic sandstone and sandstone and shale, fill, and sand and gravel pits. Further upstream, the surficial geology mainly consists of a glacial or resedimented till known as Wisconsinan Till. However, there are large patches of wetland and smaller patches of bedrock and alluvium.[4]

Watershed

The watershed of East Branch Roaring Brook has an area of 5.90 square miles (15.3 km2).[2] The stream is entirely within the United States Geological Survey quadrangle of Sterling.[3]

East Branch Roaring Brook is a major tributary of Roaring Brook.[5] There are Exceptional Value wetlands in the stream's vicinity.[6] A reservoir known as Small Potential Reservoir #37-9 was proposed in the State Water Plan in 1978. The reservoir was to be situated on East Branch Roaring Brook and be dammed by a dam with a height of 46 feet (14 m). It was intended to be a multipurpose structure.[7]

History

East Branch Roaring Brook was entered into the Geographic Names Information System on August 2, 1979. Its identifier in the Geographic Names Information System is 1173767.[3]

The PPL Corporation has received a permit to construct an electric aerial line over East Branch Roaring Brook and nearby wetlands.[6]

Biology

Wild trout naturally reproduce in East Branch Roaring Brook from river mile 2.48 downstream to its mouth.[8] The stream meets the criteria to be an Exceptional Value waters candidate.[5] The creek is considered to be a High-Quality Coldwater Fishery.[6]

Numerous macroinvertebrate taxa have been observed in East Branch Roaring Brook, including 17 genera from the orders Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera, and Trichoptera. In a 212-individual sample taken near the stream's mouth, the most common taxa included the genus Epeorus (49 individuals), the genus Ephemerella (43 individuals), the genus Hydropsyche (20 individuals), the family Chironomidae (11 individuals), and the genus Nigronia (10 individuals). Less common taxa included the genus Psephenus (9 individuals), the genus Rhyacophila (9 individuals), the genus Acroneuria (8 individuals), the genus Neophylax (8 individuals), the genus Hexatoma (6 individuals), and the genus Agapetus (5 individuals). Rarer taxa included the genus Argentina (4 individuals); the genera Baetis, Stenonema, and Paraleptophlebia (3 individuals each); and the genus Cambarus. Only one individual each of several genera were observed: Drunella, Pteronarcys, Pycnopsyche, Promoresia, and Prosimulium.[5]

See also

References
  1. United States Geological Survey, The National Map Viewer, archived from the original on March 29, 2012, retrieved April 14, 2015
  2. Pennsylvania Gazetteer of Streams (PDF), November 2, 2001, retrieved April 14, 2015
  3. Geographic Names Information System, Feature Detail Report for: East Branch Roaring Brook, retrieved April 14, 2015
  4. Duane D. Braun (2008), Surficial geology of the Sterling 7.5-minute quadrangle, Wayne and Lackawanna Counties, Pennsylvania, p. 15, archived from the original on May 24, 2014, retrieved April 15, 2015
  5. Lackawanna River Corridor Association, North Pocono Watershed Coalition (March 2006), COLDWATER CONSERVATION PLAN FOR THE NORTH POCONO TRIBUTARY STREAMS OF THE LACKAWANNA RIVER WATERSHED (PDF), pp. 6, 8, 23, retrieved April 15, 2015
  6. "Actions on applications for the following activities filed under the Dam Safety and Encroachments Act (32 P. S. §§ 693.1—693.27), section 302 of the Flood Plain Management Act (32 P. S. § 679.302) and The Clean Streams Law and Notice of Final Action for Certification under section 401 of the FWPCA.", Pennsylvania Bulletin, retrieved April 15, 2015
  7. Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Resources Bureau of Resources Programming (1978), The State Water Plan: Subbasin 5 : Upper Central Susquehanna River, retrieved April 15, 2015
  8. Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission (January 2015), Pennsylvania Wild Trout Waters (Natural Reproduction) - Jan 2015 (PDF), p. 46, retrieved April 15, 2015
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