Drakes Creek

For the stream in Kentucky, see Drakes Creek (Barren River).
Drakes Creek
Origin village of Chase, in Jackson Township, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania
Mouth East Fork Harveys Creek in Jackson Township, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania
41°15′23″N 75°59′44″W / 41.25649°N 75.99547°W / 41.25649; -75.99547Coordinates: 41°15′23″N 75°59′44″W / 41.25649°N 75.99547°W / 41.25649; -75.99547
Progression East Fork Harveys Creek → Harveys Creek → Susquehanna River → Chesapeake Bay
Length 2.2 mi (3.5 km)
Source elevation between 980 and 1,000 feet (300 and 300 m)
Mouth elevation 866 ft (264 m)
Avg. discharge 260 cu ft/s (7.4 m3/s)peak annual discharge at river mile 0.51 (10% probability)
Basin area 2.10 sq mi (5.4 km2)

Drakes Creek is a tributary of East Fork Harveys Creek in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. It is approximately 2.2 miles (3.5 km) long and flows through Jackson Township.[1] The watershed of the creek has an area of 2.10 square miles (5.4 km2). In 1974, the creek itself was described as having "excellent" water quality. The surficial geology in its watershed features Wisconsinan Till, Wisconsinan Ice-Contact Stratified Drift, and bedrock consisting of sandstone, conglomeratic sandstone, shale, and coal.

Course

Drakes Creek begins in the village of Chase, in Jackson Township. It flows west for a few tenths of a mile before turning southwest and flowing through a valley for more than a mile. The creek then turns south for a short distance before turning south-southwest. After several tenths of a mile, it reaches its confluence with East Fork Harveys Creek.[1]

Drakes Creek joins East Fork Harveys Creek 0.40 miles (0.64 km) upstream of its mouth.[2]

Hydrology

At river mile 0.51, the peak annual discharge of Drakes Creek has a 10 percent chance of reaching 260 cubic feet per second and a 2 percent chance of reaching 420 cubic feet per second. It has a 1 percent chance of reaching 510 cubic feet per second and a 0.2 percent chance of reaching 700 cubic feet per second.[3]

Upstream of Pine Tree Road, the peak annual discharge of Drakes Creek has a 10 percent chance of reaching 200 cubic feet per second and a 2 percent chance of reaching 320 cubic feet per second. It has a 1 percent chance of reaching 380 cubic feet per second and a 0.2 percent chance of reaching 550 cubic feet per second.[3]

Geography and geology

The elevation near the mouth of Drakes Creek is 866 feet (264 m) above sea level.[4] The elevation of the creek's source is between 980 and 1,000 feet (300 and 300 m) above sea level.[1]

A mountain known as Larksville Mountain runs parallel to Drakes Creek on the creek's eastern side.[5]

The surficial geology in the vicinity of Drakes Creek mostly features a glacial or resedimented till known as Wisconsinan Till and bedrock consisting of sandstone, conglomeratic sandstone, shale, and coal. However, there are also two patches of Wisconsinan Ice-Contact Stratified Drift, which consists of stratified sand and gravel and some boulders, in the vicinity of the creek. One patch is the creek's headwaters in the community of Chase.[5]

Watershed

The watershed of Drakes Creek has an area of 2.10 square miles (5.4 km2).[2] The stream is entirely within the United States Geological Survey quadrangle of Kingston.[4]

History

Drakes Creek was entered into the Geographic Names Information System on August 2, 1979. Its identifier in the Geographic Names Information System is 1173453.[4]

In a 1974 by the Pennsylvania Bureau of Water Quality Management, Drakes Creek was described as having "excellent" water quality.[6]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 United States Geological Survey, The National Map Viewer, retrieved January 24, 2015
  2. 1 2 Pennsylvania Gazetteer of Streams (PDF), November 2, 2001, p. 57, retrieved January 24, 2015
  3. 1 2 Federal Emergency Management Agency, Flood Insurance Study VOLUME 1 of 6 LUZERNE COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA (ALL JURISDICTIONS) (PDF), p. 48, retrieved January 25, 2015
  4. 1 2 3 Geographic Names Information System, Feature Detail Report for: Drakes Creek, retrieved January 24, 2015
  5. 1 2 Duane D. Braun (2006), Surficial geology of the Kingston 7.5-minute quadrangle, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, p. 15, retrieved January 25, 2015
  6. ↑ Edward R. Brezina (1974), A Listing of Aquatic Biological Stream Investigations: June, 1968 to January, 1974, p. 40, retrieved January 25, 2015
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