Pine Creek (Pennsylvania)

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For other streams in Pennsylvania named Pine Creek, see Pine Creek.

Map of the West Branch Susquehanna River (dark blue) and Major Streams in Lycoming County, Pennsylvania. Pine Creek (red) is the first major stream to enter the river in the county. Key to Pine Creek tributaries: 1 = West Branch Pine Creek; 2 = Marsh Creek; 3 = Babb Creek; 4 = Little Pine Creek / Blockhouse Creek

Pine Creek is a tributary of the West Branch Susquehanna River in Potter, Tioga, Lycoming and Clinton counties in Pennsylvania in the United States. The creek is 86.5 mi (139 km) long.

Pine Creek is the largest tributary of the West Branch Susquehanna River and has the largest watershed of all the West Branch’s tributaries.

[edit] Name

Pine Creek is named for the many pine trees that lined (and now again line) much of its banks. ^[1] The Iroquois called Pine Creek “Tiadaghton”, which according to Owlett, either meant “The River of Pines” or “The Lost or Bewildered River.” Pine Creek is the largest “creek” in the United States.^[2]

[edit] Geography

Pine Creek's source is in Potter County, 5 mi (8 km) southeast of Ulysses. It flows southeast 16 mi (25.7 km) to Galeton, where it receives its first major tributary, the West Branch Pine Creek. It then flows east 12 mi (19.3 km) to Tioga County and the village of Ansonia. Here it and receives its second major tributary, Marsh Creek and turns south again for 16 mi (25.7 km). This stretch is the start of the Pine Creek Gorge, which is about 1000 feet (305 meters) deep in places.

At the village of Blackwell, Pine Creek receives its third major tributary, Babb Creek. It continues southwest 14 mi (22.5 km) and enters Lycoming County, where it turns southeast for 28 mi (45.0 km) to its mouth. At Waterville it receives its fourth major tributary, Little Pine Creek. Pine Creek continues south and forms part of the border between Lycoming and Clinton Counties.

Its confluence with the West Branch Susquehanna River is at this border, between the boroughs of Avis (in Clinton County, to the west) and Jersey Shore (in Lycoming County, to the east).

The elevation at the source of Pine Creek is 2420 ft (738 m), while the mouth is at an elevation of 520 ft (158 m). The difference in elevation (1900 ft or 580 m) divided by the length of the creek of (86.5 mi or 139 km) gives the average drop in elevation per unit length of creek or relief ratio of 22.0 ft/mi (4.2 m/km ). The meander ratio is 1.08, so the creek is fairly straight in its bed.^[3]

[edit] Watershed

Pine Creek's watershed covers 979 mi² (2536 km²), the largest watershed of all tributaries of the West Branch Susquehanna River.

[edit] Recreation

Pine Creek and its gorge are a popular outdoor recreation destination known as the Grand Canyon of Pennsylvania. The West Rim Trail is a 30 mi (50 km) hiking trail along the west rim of the Pine Creek Gorge.

The Pine Creek Rail Trail runs beside the creek through the gorge from Ansonia to Jersey Shore. The railroad through the gorge opened in 1883 as the Jersey Shore, Pine Creek and Buffalo Railway, passing into the control of the Fall Brook Coal Company in 1884, and the New York Central Railroad via a lease in 1899, with full integration into the NYC in 1914. Conrail took over the line in 1976 and the last train ran through the gorge on October 7, 1988.

Pine Creek Gorge Panaorama from the West Rim Trail in Tioga County, Pennsylvania

[edit] History

[edit] See also

• List of Pennsylvania rivers

[edit] References

1. ^ Meginness, John Franklin [1892]. “Chapter II.”, History of Lycoming County, Pennsylvania: including its aboriginal history; the colonial and revolutionary periods; early settlement and subsequent growth; organization and civil administration; the legal and medical professions; internal improvement; past and present history of Williamsport; manufacturing and lumber interests; religious, educational, and social development; geology and agriculture; military record; sketches of boroughs, townships, and villages; portraits and biographies of pioneers and representative citizens, etc. etc.", 1st Edition, Chicago, IL: Brown, Runk & Co.. ISBN 0-78840-428-8. Retrieved on 2006-03-16. “(Note: ISBN refers to Heritage Books July 1996 reprint. URL is to scan of 1892 version with some typos).”
2. ^ Owlett, Steven E. [1993]. Seasons Along The Tiadaghton: An Environmental History of the Pine Creek Gorge, 1st Edition, Petaluma, CA: Interprint. ISBN 0-9635905-0-2.
3. ^ Shaw, Lewis C. [June, 1984]. Pennsylvania Gazetteer of Streams Part II (Water Resources Bulletin No. 16), Prepared in Cooperation with the United States Department of the Interior Geological Survey, 1st Edition, Harrisburg, PA: Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Department of Environmental Resources (no ISBN).

[edit] External links

• Pine Creek Gorge official website
• The Columbia Gazetteer of North America, 2000, entry on Pine Creek