North Branch Bowman Creek

North Branch Bowman Creek is a tributary of Bowman Creek in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. It is approximately 3.2 miles (5.1 km) long and flows through Fairmount Township and Ross Township.[1] The watershed of the creek has an area of 2.63 square miles (6.8 km2). The creek is not designated as an impaired waterbody. The surficial geology in its vicinity includes Wisconsinan Till, alluvial fan, Boulder Colluvium, alluvium, bedrock, and a peat bog. The creek is mostly in Pennsylvania State Game Lands and Ricketts Glen State Park.

North Branch Bowman Creek
Physical characteristics
Source 
 • locationwetland in Fairmount Township, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania
 • elevationbetween 2,240 and 2,260 feet (683 and 689 m)
Mouth 
 • location
Bowman Creek at Mountain Springs in Ross Township, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania
 • coordinates
41°20′26″N 76°13′14″W
 • elevation
1,837 ft (560 m)
Length3.2 mi (5.1 km)
Basin size2.63 sq mi (6.8 km2)
Basin features
ProgressionBowman Creek → Susquehanna River → Chesapeake Bay
Tributaries 
 • leftone unnamed tributary
 • rightone unnamed tributary

The drainage basin of North Branch Bowman Creek is designated as a High-Quality Coldwater Fishery and a Migratory Fishery. The creek has been stocked with fish in the past, but also has wild trout. There is a hiking trail that is located in its vicinity. An 11-acre (4.5 ha) natural lake is situated on the creek.

Course

North Branch Bowman Creek begins in a wetland in Fairmount Township. It flows in a northeasterly direction for a few tenths of a mile before turning south-southeast for several tenths of a mile, entering Ross Township. Here, the creek turns southeast for a few tenths of a mile, passing through a wetland and receiving an unnamed tributary from the left. It then turns south-southwest for a few tenths of a mile before receiving an unnamed tributary from the right. The creek then turns south-southeast and enters a narrow valley before turning south. After several tenths of a mile, it turns southeast, leaving its valley. Several tenths of a mile further downstream, it meets South Branch Bowman Creek to form Bowman Creek.[1]

North Branch Bowman Creek joins Bowman Creek 26.13 miles (42.05 km) upstream of its mouth.[2]

Hydrology

North Branch Bowman Creek is not designated as an impaired waterbody.[3] However, in the 1980s, the creek was considered to be vulnerable to acidification.[4]

Geography and geology

The elevation near the mouth of North Branch Bowman Creek is 1,837 feet (560 m) above sea level.[5] The elevation of the creek's source is between 2,240 and 2,260 feet (683 and 689 m) above sea level.[1]

The surficial geology in the vicinity of the lower reaches of North Branch Bowman Creek consists of alluvial fan and alluvium. Further upstream, in the creek's valley, there is Boulder Colluvium, which is rich in boulders made of quartz, sandstone, or conglomerate. The valleys of North Branch Bowman Creek and South Branch Bowman Creek are the only places in the Sweet Valley quadrangle where this type of surficial geology occurs. Part of the creek's valley also has surficial geology of bedrock consisting of sandstone and shale, which occurs on the valley walls and part of the valley floor. Most of the rest of the surficial geology along the creek consists of a till known as Wisconsinan Till, but there are wetlands and peat bogs as well.[6]

A talus deposit with sandstone boulders is located in the vicinity of North Branch Bowman Creek.[7]

Watershed

The watershed of North Branch Bowman Creek has an area of 2.63 square miles (6.8 km2).[2] The mouth of the creek is in the United States Geological Survey quadrangle of Sweet Valley. However, its source is in the quadrangle of Red Rock.[5] The mouth of the stream is located at Mountain Springs.[2]

A lake that was known as Bowmans Pond or Bean Pond in the early 1900s is situated on North Branch Bowman Creek. It is a natural lake with a surface area of 11 acres (4.5 ha).[8]

For most of its length, North Branch Bowman Creek is either in Pennsylvania State Game Lands Number 57 or Ricketts Glen State Park. Its mouth is on land belonging to the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission.[9]

History and recreation

North Branch Bowman Creek was entered into the Geographic Names Information System on August 2, 1979. Its identifier in the Geographic Names Information System is 1182526.[5]

A hiking trail in Ricketts Glen State Park follows North Branch Bowman Creek for a short distance. A road known as Mountain Springs Road is also in the vicinity of the creek.[10]

North Branch Bowman Creek has been stocked with trout in the past, though in 1984, it was said in The Morning Call that trout stocking was no longer being done there.[4][11] The creek was stocked as early as 1952.[12] In 1969, the creek was slated to be stocked with 350 brook trout.[11] However, stocking of the creek was cancelled in 1978.[13]

Biology

The drainage basin of North Branch Bowman Creek is designated as a High-Quality Coldwater Fishery and a Migratory Fishery.[14] Wild trout naturally reproduce in the creek from its headwaters downstream to its mouth.[15]

See also

References
  1. United States Geological Survey, The National Map Viewer, retrieved October 20, 2015
  2. Pennsylvania Gazetteer of Streams (PDF), November 2, 2001, p. 106, retrieved October 20, 2015
  3. United States Environmental Protection Agency, Assessment Summary for Reporting Year 2006 Pennsylvania, Upper Susquehanna-Tunkhannock Watershed, archived from the original on November 21, 2015, retrieved October 20, 2015
  4. Charles H. Nehf (January 22, 1984), "Acid Rain Real Threat Throughout Pennsylvania", The Morning Call, retrieved October 20, 2015
  5. Geographic Names Information System, Feature Detail Report for: North Branch Bowman Creek, retrieved October 20, 2015
  6. Duane D. Braun (2007), SURFICIAL GEOLOGY OF THE SWEET VALLEY 7.5-MINUTE QUADRANGLE, LUZERNE COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA (PDF), p. 17, archived from the original (PDF) on July 13, 2007, retrieved October 20, 2015
  7. Specimen Record, retrieved October 20, 2015
  8. Pennsylvania Water Supply Commission (1917), Water Resources Inventory Report ...: Act of July 25, 1913, Part 4, p. 30, retrieved October 20, 2015
  9. Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, Ricketts Glen State Park (PDF), archived from the original (PDF) on November 16, 2006, retrieved October 20, 2015
  10. Jeff Mitchell (2014), Hiking the Endless Mountains: Exploring the Wilderness of Northeastern Pennsylvania, Stackpole Books, p. 105, ISBN 9780811744232, retrieved October 20, 2015
  11. "Trout Stocking Program To Commence on Thursday", Standard-Speaker, p. 13, March 18, 1969, retrieved October 20, 2015 – via newspapers.com open access
  12. "Stock Luzerne Co. Streams", The Plain Speaker, p. 29, April 3, 1952, retrieved October 20, 2015 – via newspapers.com open access
  13. Bruce Dallas (April 14, 1978), "700,000 Anglers Expected To Launch Trout Season", Gettysburg Times, p. 8, retrieved October 20, 2015
  14. "§ 93.9i. Drainage List I. Susquehanna River Basin in Pennsylvania Susquehanna River", Pennsylvania Code, retrieved October 20, 2015
  15. Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission (August 2015), Pennsylvania Wild Trout Waters (Natural Reproduction) - August 2015 (PDF), p. 51, retrieved October 20, 2015
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