Raven Creek

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Raven Creek

Raven Creek.JPG

Raven Creek in its lower reaches
Etymology corruption of Raving Creek
Physical characteristics
Main source Saint Gabriel Hill in southern Sugarloaf Township, Columbia County, Pennsylvania
1,240 to 1,260 feet (380 to 380 m)
River mouth Fishing Creek in Fishing Creek Township, Columbia County, Pennsylvania
686 ft (209 m)
41°09′05″N76°21′38″W / 41.15135°N 76.36050°W / 41.15135; -76.36050 Coordinates: 41°09′05″N76°21′38″W / 41.15135°N 76.36050°W / 41.15135; -76.36050
Length 8.1 mi (13.0 km)
Basin features
Progression Fishing Creek → Susquehanna River → Chesapeake Bay
Basin size 11.90 sq mi (30.8 km2)
Tributaries

Raven Creek is a tributary of Fishing Creek in Columbia County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. It is approximately 8.1 miles (13.0 km) long and flows through Sugarloaf Township, Benton Township, and Fishing Creek Township. [1] The watershed of the creek has an area of 11.90 square miles (30.8 km2). Numerous bridges, both covered and non-covered, have been built over the creek. Its main tributary is East Branch Raven Creek.

Columbia County, Pennsylvania County in the United States

Columbia County is a county located in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. As of the 2010 census, the population was 67,295. Its county seat is Bloomsburg. The county was created on March 22, 1813, from part of Northumberland County and named for Columbia, a poetic name for the United States that alludes to Christopher Columbus.

Contents

Course

Raven Creek begins in southern Sugarloaf Township near the community of Five Points on Saint Gabriel Hill. It flows south-southwest, reaching Benton Township within a mile. In Benton Township, the creek flows into a valley between Saint Gabriel Hill and Long Hill. Further downstream, it turns south for a few miles, crossing Pennsylvania Route 239. In the southern part of the township, it receives the tributary East Branch Raven Creek and turns southwest, exiting Benton Township. Upon exiting Benton Township, the creek enters Fishing Creek Township and shortly afterwards Stillwater. In Stillwater, Raven Creek enters the valley of Fishing Creek and turns southeast, flowing parallel to the latter creek. Slightly more than a mile downstream, it reaches its confluence with Fishing Creek. [1]

Sugarloaf Township, Columbia County, Pennsylvania Township in Pennsylvania, United States

Sugarloaf Township is a township in Columbia County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 913 at the 2010 census.

Benton Township, Columbia County, Pennsylvania Township in Pennsylvania, United States

Benton Township is a township in Columbia County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 1,245 at the 2010 census.

Pennsylvania Route 239 highway in Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania Route 239 (PA 239) is a 36.84-mile-long (59.29 km) state highway located in Luzerne, Columbia and Lycoming Counties in Pennsylvania. The southern terminus is at PA 93 in Nescopeck Township. The northern terminus is at PA 42 in North Mountain. The route heads north from PA 93 and parallels the Susquehanna River between Wapwallopen and Mocanaqua before crossing the river into Shickshinny and forming a concurrency with U.S. Route 11 (US 11). Past Shickshinny, PA 239 runs west through rural areas to Benton, where it has a concurrency with PA 487. The route continues northwest and crosses PA 118 before it reaches its northern terminus.

Raven Creek joins Fishing Creek 18.62 miles (29.97 km) upstream of its mouth. [2]

Tributaries

East Branch Raven Creek is the main tributary of Raven Creek. [1] It is 2.9 miles (4.7 km) long. [3]

Geography and geology, and watershed

The elevation near the mouth of Raven Creek is 686 feet (209 m) above sea level. [4] The elevation of the creek's source ranges from 1,240 to 1,260 feet (380 to 380 m). [1]

Sea level Average level for the surface of the ocean at any given geographical position on the planetary surface

Mean sea level (MSL) is an average level of the surface of one or more of Earth's oceans from which heights such as elevation may be measured. MSL is a type of vertical datum – a standardised geodetic datum – that is used, for example, as a chart datum in cartography and marine navigation, or, in aviation, as the standard sea level at which atmospheric pressure is measured to calibrate altitude and, consequently, aircraft flight levels. A common and relatively straightforward mean sea-level standard is the midpoint between a mean low and mean high tide at a particular location.

The watershed of Raven Creek has an area of 11.90 square miles (30.8 km2). [2]

Two covered bridges historically crossed Raven Creek: the Joe Ash Covered Bridge and the McHenry's Mill or Paperdale Covered Bridge. The former was destroyed in 1963 or 1964 and the latter was destroyed in 1958. [5] The Joe Ash Covered Bridge was 27 feet (8.2 m) long. [6]

Additionally, a number of other bridges have been built across Raven Creek. A concrete tee beam bridge was built across the creek in 1928. Another bridge was built across it in 1950 and three more were built between 1958 and 1963. A prestressed box beam bridge was built in 1968. A steel culvert bridge and a concrete culvert bridge were built across the creek in 1974 and 1976, respectively and another bridge was built in 2011. [7]

Raven Creek is described as "quite a stream" in John Gosse Freeze's 1888 book A History of Columbia County, Pennsylvania: From the Earliest Times. [8]

History and etymology

Raven Creek may have been historically known as Raving Creek due to the way it appeared during floods. [9] The name later became Ravin' Creek before becoming Raven Creek. [9]

On July 30, 1864, a group of several army veterans (including a Lieutenant Robinson) and two civilians named Isiah Harrison and Eli Buckalew rode on horseback from Fairmount Springs, in Luzerne County, into Columbia County to search for deserters. During this search, the searchers, who were later dubbed the "Lincoln Midnight Riders", rode parallel to Raven Creek for some time. Lieutenant Robinson was shot later in the search, triggering claims of an alleged military uprising called the Fishing Creek Confederacy. [10]

A member of the Patterson family constructed a gristmill at the mouth of Raven Creek in Stillwater in 1865. After some time, it was converted into a paper mill and used to manufacture wrapping paper. The Impervious Paper Company of Scranton owned the mill from 1910 to 1912 and used it to make cartridge paper. [11]

Biology

East Branch Raven Creek, a tributary of Raven Creek, has brook trout reproducing in it. [3]

See also

Related Research Articles

Fishing Creek (North Branch Susquehanna River tributary) tributary of the Susquehanna River in Columbia County, Pennsylvania, USA

Fishing Creek is a 29.98-mile (48.25 km) long tributary of the Susquehanna River in Columbia County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. It joins the Susquehanna River near the census-designated place of Rupert and the town of Bloomsburg. The watershed has an area of 385 square miles (1,000 km2).

Huntington Creek (Pennsylvania) tributary of Fishing Creek (North Branch Susquehanna River) in Luzerne and Columbia counties, Pennsylvania

Huntington Creek is a tributary of Fishing Creek in Luzerne and Columbia counties, Pennsylvania, in the United States. It is approximately 29.5 miles (47.5 km) long.

Little Fishing Creek creek in Columbia County, Pennsylvania

Little Fishing Creek is a tributary of Fishing Creek in Sullivan County, Lycoming County, and Columbia County, in Pennsylvania, in the United States. It is approximately 23.5 miles (37.8 km) long and flows through eight townships. The watershed of the creek has an area of 68.1 square miles (176 km2). The creek has six named tributaries, of which the largest are Spruce Run and West Branch Run.

West Creek (Pennsylvania) tributary of Fishing Creek in Columbia County, Pennsylvania

West Creek is a tributary of Fishing Creek, in Columbia County and Sullivan County, in Pennsylvania, in the United States. It is 9.1 miles (14.6 km) long and flows through Davidson Township in Sullivan County and Jackson Township, Sugarloaf Township, Benton Township, and Benton in Columbia County. The water temperature of the creek ranges from 0 °C (32 °F) to 25 °C (77 °F). The discharge ranges from 0 to nearly 10 cubic meters per second. Rock formations in the watershed include the Trimmers Rock Formation, the Catskill Formation, and the Huntley Mountain Formation. The creek's watershed has an area of 16.6 square miles, most of which is agricultural, forested, or urban land. A small number of dams, mills, and schoolhouses were built on West Creek in the 19th and early 20th century. West Creek has the highest level of biodiversity of any stream in the upper Fishing Creek watershed.

Green Creek (Fishing Creek tributary) tributary of Fishing Creek in Columbia County, Pennsylvania

Green Creek is a tributary of Fishing Creek in Columbia County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. It is approximately 12.7 miles (20.4 km) long and flows through Jackson Township, Greenwood Township, and Orange Township. The watershed of the creek has an area of 36.8 square miles (95 km2). Green Creek has three named tributaries: Little Green Creek, Rickard Hollow, and Mud Run. The creek is not designated as an impaired waterbody and is a relatively large stream, contributing a significant amount of water to Fishing Creek. A valley known as the Greenwood Valley is located in the vicinity of Green Creek. The creek's own valley was likely affected by glaciation during the Ice Age.

West Branch Fishing Creek tributary of Fishing Creek in Columbia and Sullivan Counties, Pennsylvania

West Branch Fishing Creek is one of the northernmost major tributaries of Fishing Creek in Sullivan County, Pennsylvania and Columbia County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. It is 11.1 miles (17.9 km) long and flows through Davidson Township, Sullivan County and Sugarloaf Township, Columbia County. The creek's watershed has an area of 33.5 square miles, nearly all of which is forested land.

West Branch Run tributary of Little Fishing Creek in Lycoming and Columbia Counties, Pennsylvania

West Branch Run is a tributary of Little Fishing Creek in Lycoming County and Columbia County, in Pennsylvania, in the United States. It is approximately 7.3 miles (11.7 km) long and flows through Jordan Township, Lycoming County and. The area of the stream's watershed is 10.20 square miles (26.4 km2). The stream's only named tributary is Shingle Run. West Branch Run flows through a valley known as California Hollow, which is listed as a "locally significant site" on the Columbia County Natural Areas Inventory. The Shoemaker Covered Bridge also crosses the stream, as does at least one other bridge in Lycoming County.

Rickard Hollow river in the United States of America

Rickard Hollow is a tributary of Green Creek in Columbia County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. It is approximately 2.6 miles (4.2 km) long and flows through Fishing Creek Township. The watershed of the stream has an area of 2.22 square miles (5.7 km2). The stream itself has two unnamed tributaries and sewage is discharged into it. The exact origin of its name is not known.

Little Green Creek river in the United States of America

Little Green Creek is a tributary of Green Creek in Columbia County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. It is approximately 4.7 miles (7.6 km) long and flows through Greenwood Township. The watershed of the creek has an area of 5.01 square miles (13.0 km2). At least two bridges have been built over the creek and at least one ridge and one hillside is in its vicinity.

East Branch Raven Creek river in the United States of America

East Branch Raven Creek is a tributary of Raven Creek in Columbia County and Luzerne County, in Pennsylvania, in the United States. It is approximately 3.7 miles (6.0 km) and flows through Benton Township in Columbia County and Fairmount Township in Luzerne County. The watershed of the creek has an area of 3.86 square miles (10.0 km2). It has one named tributary, which is known as Stine Hollow. East Branch Raven Creek is a freestone stream that is inhabited by brook trout. At least one bridge crosses it. The creek is named after Raven Creek.

Culley Run river in the United States of America

Culley Run is a tributary of Fishing Creek in Columbia County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. It is approximately 1.4 miles (2.3 km) long and flows through Benton Township. The stream's watershed has an area of 1.45 square miles (3.8 km2). Shale, sandstone, alluvium, and glacial till can be found in the watershed. At least one bridge crosses the stream. The stream is most likely named after Alexander Colley, Sr.

Marsh Run river in the United States of America

Marsh Run is a tributary of Coles Creek in Luzerne County and Columbia County, in Pennsylvania, in the United States. It is approximately one mile (1.6 km) long and flows through Fairmount Township in Luzerne County and Sugarloaf Township in Columbia County. The stream's watershed has an area of 0.44 square miles (1.1 km2). Wild trout reproduce throughout the stream. It is named after marshes, which can be found in the vicinity of the stream. Alluvium and Wisconsinian Outwash area also present, as is bedrock consisting of sandstone and shale. The stream has one unnamed tributary.

Rough Run is a tributary of West Branch Fishing Creek in Sullivan County and Columbia County, in Pennsylvania, in the United States. It is approximately 1.3 miles (2.1 km) long and flows through Davidson Township in Sullivan County and Sugarloaf Township in Columbia County. The watershed of the stream has an area of 0.72 square miles (1.9 km2). Glacial till and bedrock consisting of shale and sandstone can be found along the stream. It is named for the speed of its waters and the foliage along the sides of the stream.

Elk Run (West Branch Fishing Creek tributary) tributary of West Branch Fishing Creek in Sullivan and Columbia Counties, Pennsylvania

Elk Run is tributary of West Branch Fishing Creek in Sullivan County and Columbia County, in Pennsylvania, in the United States. It is approximately 4.8 miles (7.7 km) long and flows through Davidson Township in Sullivan County and Sugarloaf Township in Columbia County. The watershed of the stream has an area of 7.49 square miles (19.4 km2). The stream has three named tributaries: Gallows Run, Hog Run, and Long Run. Elk Run is considered to be an Exceptional Value stream and a Migratory Fishery. The forests surrounding it are deemed by the Sullivan County Natural Areas Inventory to be a "locally significant" area. The stream is named for an elk that was killed in it in the 1840s.

Spencer Run is a tributary of West Creek in Columbia County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. It is approximately 2.1 miles (3.4 km) long and flows through Jackson Township and Benton Township. The watershed of the stream has an area of 2.07 square miles (5.4 km2). Wild trout naturally reproduce in the stream. The surficial geology in the area mainly features Illinoian Till, Illinoian Leg, alluvium, colluvium, and bedrock.

York Hollow is a tributary of West Creek in Columbia County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. It is approximately 2.5 miles (4.0 km) long and flows through Jackson Township and Sugarloaf Township. The watershed of the stream has an area of 1.47 square miles (3.8 km2). Wild trout naturally reproduce in the stream. The surficial geology in the area mainly consists of Illinoian Till, Illinoian Lag, alluvium, colluvium, and bedrock.

Davis Hollow river in the United States of America

Davis Hollow is a tributary of Fishing Creek in Columbia County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. It is approximately 1.4 miles (2.3 km) long and flows through Benton Township. The watershed of the stream has an area of 0.80 square miles (2.1 km2). The surficial geology in its vicinity mainly consists of alluvium, alluvial terrace, Wisconsinan Till, Wisconsinan Lag, Illinoian Flow-Till, and Illinoian Lag.

Karnes Hollow is a tributary of Fishing Creek in Columbia County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. It is approximately 1.1 miles (1.8 km) long and flows through Fishing Creek Township and Benton Township. The watershed of the stream has an area of 0.90 square miles (2.3 km2). The stream is named after a valley whose etymology is unknown. The surficial geology in its vicinity consists of colluvium, alluvium, Illinoian Till, Illinoian Lag, and bedrock consisting of sandstone and shale.

Bee Sellers Hollow river in the United States of America

Bee Sellers Hollow is a tributary of Fishing Creek in Columbia County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. It is approximately 1.8 miles (2.9 km) long and flows through Stillwater. The watershed of Bee Sellers Hollow has an area of 1.58 square miles (4.1 km2). The stream is not considered to be impaired. The surficial geology in the area consists mainly of bedrock, along with alluvium, colluvium, Illinoian Till, and Illinoain Lag.

Bell Creek is a tributary of Pine Creek in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. It is approximately 4.0 miles (6.4 km) long and flows through Fairmount Township and Huntington Township. The creek is a freestone stream in the ridge and valley physiographic province. Wild trout naturally reproduce within the creek. It has one named tributary, which is known as Ashs West Branch, and two unnamed tributaries.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 United States Geological Survey, The National Map Viewer , retrieved September 5, 2014
  2. 1 2 Pennsylvania Gazetteer of Streams (PDF), November 2, 2001, retrieved September 5, 2014
  3. 1 2 INSTREAM FLOW STUDIES PENNSYLVANIA AND MARYLAND (PDF), May 1998, retrieved September 5, 2014
  4. ↑ Topographic Map Stream Features in Columbia County, Pennsylvania , retrieved September 5, 2014
  5. ↑ lostbridges.org - select Pennsylvania for the state, Columbia for the county, and Raven Creek for feature crossed , retrieved September 5, 2014
  6. ↑ Fred J. Moll (2012), Pennsylvania's Covered Bridges, Arcadia Publishing, p. 40
  7. ↑ Columbia County , retrieved September 5, 2014
  8. ↑ John Gosse Freeze (1888), A History of Columbia County, Pennsylvania: From the Earliest Times, p. 49, retrieved September 5, 2014
  9. 1 2 Walter M. Brasch (1984), Columbia County place names, p. 181
  10. ↑ Richard A. Sauers, Peter Tomasak (January 4, 2012), The Fishing Creek Confederacy: A Story of Civil War Draft Resistance, University of Missouri Press
  11. ↑ J.H. Beers (1915), Historical and biographical annals of Columbia and Montour counties, Pennsylvania, p. 229
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