Wadham Creek
Wadhams Creek
Wadham Creek looking upstream
Physical characteristics
Source 
 • locationBase of a mountain in Plymouth Township, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania
 • elevationBetween 740 and 760 feet (230 and 230 m)
Mouth 
 • location
Susquehanna River in Plymouth, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania
 • coordinates
41°14′09″N 75°57′07″W / 41.2357°N 75.9519°W / 41.2357; -75.9519
 • elevation
515 ft (157 m)
Length1.1 mi (1.8 km)
Basin size1.28 sq mi (3.3 km2)
Discharge 
 • averageOften dry
Basin features
ProgressionSusquehanna River → Chesapeake Bay

Wadham Creek, usually styled Wadhams Creek, and in the 18th century first known as Whittlesey Creek, [1] is a tributary of the Susquehanna River in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. It is approximately 1.1 miles (1.8 km) long and flows through Plymouth Township and Plymouth Borough.[2] The creek's watershed has an area of 1.28 square miles (3.3 km2). It has one dam. The drainage basin of Wadham Creek is designated as a Coldwater Fishery and a Migratory Fishery.

Course

Wadham Creek begins on the base of the Shawnee Mountain range in Plymouth Township. The elevation of the creek's source is between 740 and 760 feet (230 and 230 m) above sea level.[2] It flows south for a short distance before entering the Plymouth Borough. Once in Plymouth, the creek continues to flow south for several tenths of a mile before turning southwest. After several hundred feet, it turns southeast and crosses beneath US Route 11. A short distance further downstream, it reaches its confluence with the Susquehanna River.[2] The elevation near the mouth of Wadham Creek is 515 feet (157 m) above sea level.[3]

Wadham Creek joins the Susquehanna River 185.43 miles (298.42 km) upstream of its mouth.[4]

Watershed, geography, hydrology, and geology

The watershed of Wadham Creek has an area of 1.28 square miles (3.3 km2).[4] The creek's mouth is in the United States Geological Survey's Wilkes-Barre West quadrangle, while its source is in the Kingston quadrangle.[3]

There are a number of diversions and debris structures on Wadham Creek upstream of Plymouth. In Plymouth, the creek flows through both open channels and culverts.[5] Wadham Creek has a dam above where it crosses Shawnee Avenue.[6] The dam is 32 feet (9.8 m) high.[7] Mine subsidence affects the dam, but as of 2009, Luzerne County considered the mitigation of this problem to be low-priority.[6]

Wadham Creek is typically dry. However, it can experience short, high-rate floods on occasion.[5]

The surficial geology in the vicinity of the lower reaches of Wadham Creek consists largely of alluvium, with some fill. The surficial geology near the creek's middle reaches consists mainly of alluvial fan and Wisconsinan Ice-Contact Stratified Drift. The surficial geology in the creek's upper reaches features land where coal was once surface mined, with large pits and piles of rock waste.[8]

History

Until the late 18th century, Wadham Creek was known as Whittlesey Creek.[1] In the 1940s, Wadham Creek was known as Nottingham Creek after the nearby Nottingham Colliery. On August 2, 1979, the creek was entered into the Geographic Names Information System as "Wadham Creek." Its identifier in the Geographic Names Information System is 1190462.[3]

According to Samuel L. French's 1915 history, Reminiscences of Plymouth, Luzerne County, Penna, arks and flat-bottomed boats used to transport coal downriver to market were constructed in a long-vanished natural formation known as the "basin". In the 19th century, a blacksmith shop and a mill operated adjacent to the creek.[1]

In 1959, the creek-bed was reformed in concrete from its source to a new earth-fill dam northeast terminus of First Street. The project, which cost $123,000, was flanked nearly its entire length by strip-mine operations.[6]

In 2000–01, after 30 years of political wrangling Wadham Creek was the subject of a restoration project costing $1.3 million. The restoration included giving the creek a concrete streambed and walls. Had the restoration not been done, the creek could have eventually flooded and caused severe damage like the nearby Coal Creek, according to Clif Madrack, a former borough administrator.[9]

In 2011, Coal Creek, less than a mile away, flooded severely after a rainfall 4 inches (10 cm) in less than 45 minutes, but Wadham Creek was did not overflow its banks or suffer any erosion.[9]

Biology

The entire drainage basin of Wadham Creek is designated as a Coldwater Fishery and a Migratory Fishery.[10]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 Samuel Livingston French (1915), Reminiscences of Plymouth, Luzerne County, Penna: A Pen Picture of the Old Landmarks of the Town; the Names of Old Residents; the Manners, Customs and Descriptive Scenes, and Incidents of Its Early History, Lotus Press, pp. 20, 52, 53
  2. 1 2 3 United States Geological Survey, The National Map Viewer, retrieved February 13, 2015
  3. 1 2 3 Geographic Names Information System, Feature Detail Report for: Wadham Creek, retrieved February 13, 2015
  4. 1 2 Pennsylvania Gazetteer of Streams (PDF), November 2, 2001, p. 146, retrieved February 13, 2015
  5. 1 2 Wyoming Valley Local Flood Protection: Environmental Impact Statement, 1983
  6. 1 2 3 McCormick/Taylor, Borton-Lawson, Vision Planning and Consulting, Inc. (October 2009), Bi-County Hazard Mitigation Plan for Lackawanna & Luzerne Counties, PA (PDF), pp. 66, 185, retrieved February 14, 2015{{citation}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  7. ↑ "Wednesday, July 16, 1958 Gettysburg Times", Gettysburg Times, July 16, 1958, retrieved February 14, 2015
  8. ↑ Duane D. Braun (2008), Surficial geology of the Wilkes-Barre West 7.5-minute quadrangle, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, p. 14, archived from the original on May 24, 2014, retrieved February 14, 2015
  9. 1 2 "Wadham Creek project, dams' removal reduced damage", Times Leader, July 6, 2011, retrieved February 13, 2015
  10. ↑ "§ 93.9k. Drainage List K. Susquehanna River Basin in Pennsylvania Susquehanna River", Pennsylvania Code, retrieved February 13, 2015
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