Trout Brook (South Branch Tunkhannock Creek tributary)

Trout Brook
	Trout Brook in its lower reaches
Physical characteristics
Main source	pond or small lake in West Abington Township, Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania; between 1,180 and 1,200 feet (360 and 366 m)
River mouth	South Branch Tunkhannock Creek in Clinton Township, Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania; 732 ft (223 m); 41°33′09″N75°49′44″W / 41.55244°N 75.82888°W Coordinates: 41°33′09″N75°49′44″W / 41.55244°N 75.82888°W
Length	5.0 mi (8.0 km)
Basin features
Progression	South Branch Tunkhannock Creek → Tunkhannock Creek → Susquehanna River → Chesapeake Bay
Tributaries	Left:; five unnamed tributaries; Right:; five unnamed tributaries ;

Last updated March 22, 2019

Trout Brook is a tributary of South Branch Tunkhannock Creek in Lackawanna County and Wyoming County, in Pennsylvania, in the United States. It is approximately 5.0 miles (8.0 km) long and flows through West Abington Township in Lackawanna County and Clinton Township in Wyoming County. The stream has no named tributaries, but it does have ten unnamed tributaries.^[1] There are also a number of wetlands in the watershed of the stream. The stream is classified as a Coldwater Fishery. Its watershed occupies portions of three municipalities in Wyoming County and five in Lackawanna County.

A tributary or affluent is a stream or river that flows into a larger stream or main stem river or a lake. A tributary does not flow directly into a sea or ocean. Tributaries and the main stem river drain the surrounding drainage basin of its surface water and groundwater, leading the water out into an ocean.

South Branch Tunkhannock Creek is a tributary of Tunkhannock Creek in Lackawanna County and Wyoming County, in Pennsylvania, in the United States. It is approximately 22.5 miles (36.2 km) long and flows through Scott Township, Benton Township, North Abington Township, and La Plume Township in Lackawanna County and Clinton Township, Factoryville, and Tunkhannock Township in Wyoming County. The watershed of the creek has an area of 98.3 square miles (255 km²). The creek's named tributaries include Trout Brook, Ackerly Creek, and Kennedy Creek. South Branch Tunkhannock Creek is not designated as an impaired waterbody and has relatively good water quality.

Lackawanna County is a county in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. As of the 2010 census, the population was 214,437. Its county seat and largest city is Scranton.

Course

Trout Brook begins in a pond or small lake in West Abington Township, to the northeast of Wilbur Hill. It flows northwest for a short distance before turning north for several tenths of a mile, passing through one pond or small lake and entering another, where it receives an unnamed tributary from the right. The stream then turns west-northwest for a short distance before turning north-northwest and passing through two more lakes and receiving an unnamed tributary from the left and two more from the right. The stream then turns northwest for several tenths of a mile before exiting West Abington Township and Lackawanna County.^[1]

Upon exiting Lackawanna County, Trout Brook enters Clinton Township, Wyoming County. It heads west-northwest for several tenths of a mile, receiving two unnamed tributaries from the left and one from the right, and then turns southwest. After a few tenths of a mile, it turns west-northwest for several tenths of a mile, receiving one unnamed tributary from the left and one from the right. The stream then turns west-southwest for several tenths of a mile before receiving a final unnamed tributary from the left. It then turns northwest for several tenths of a mile before reaching its confluence with South Branch Tunkhannock Creek.^[1]

Geography and geology

The elevation near the mouth of Trout Brook is 732 feet (223 m) above sea level.^[2] The elevation of the stream's source is between 1,180 and 1,200 feet (360 and 366 m) above sea level.^[1]

A river mouth is the part of a river where the river debouches into another river, a lake, a reservoir, a sea, or an ocean.

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 source or headwaters of a river or stream is the furthest place in that river or stream from its estuary or confluence with another river, as measured along the course of the river.

Watershed and biology

Trout Brook is located entirely within the United States Geological Survey quadrangle of Factoryville.^[2] The watershed of the stream is located mainly in Clinton Township, Wyoming County; Overfield Township, Wyoming County; and West Abington Township, Lackawanna County. Smaller areas of the watershed are in Factoryville, Wyoming County; La Plume Township, Lackawanna County; Dalton, Lackawanna County; and Glenburn Township, Lackawanna County.^[3]

United States Geological Survey scientific agency of the United States government

The United States Geological Survey is a scientific agency of the United States government. The scientists of the USGS study the landscape of the United States, its natural resources, and the natural hazards that threaten it. The organization has four major science disciplines, concerning biology, geography, geology, and hydrology. The USGS is a fact-finding research organization with no regulatory responsibility.

In geology or geography, the word "quadrangle" usually refers to a United States Geological Survey (USGS) 7.5-minute quadrangle map, which are usually named after a local physiographic feature. The shorthand "quad" is also used, especially with the name of the map; for example, "the Ranger Creek, Texas quad map". These maps are one-quarter of the older 15-minute series. On a quadrangle map, the north and south limits of the quadrangle are not straight lines, but are actually curved to match Earth's lines of latitude on the standard projection. The east and west limits are usually not parallel as they match Earth's lines of longitude. In the United States, a 7.5 minute quadrangle map covers an area of 49 to 70 square miles.

Overfield Township is a township in Wyoming County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 1,666 at the 2010 census. Lake Winola is located in Overfield Township.

Trout Brook flows alongside roads for most of its length. There are numerous wetlands and ponds or lakes in the stream's watershed.^[3]

A wetland is a distinct ecosystem that is inundated by water, either permanently or seasonally, where oxygen-free processes prevail. The primary factor that distinguishes wetlands from other land forms or water bodies is the characteristic vegetation of aquatic plants, adapted to the unique hydric soil. Wetlands play a number of functions, including water purification, water storage, processing of carbon and other nutrients, stabilization of shorelines, and support of plants and animals. Wetlands are also considered the most biologically diverse of all ecosystems, serving as home to a wide range of plant and animal life. Whether any individual wetland performs these functions, and the degree to which it performs them, depends on characteristics of that wetland and the lands and waters near it. Methods for rapidly assessing these functions, wetland ecological health, and general wetland condition have been developed in many regions and have contributed to wetland conservation partly by raising public awareness of the functions and the ecosystem services some wetlands provide.

Trout Brook and all of its unnamed tributaries are classified as Coldwater Fisheries.^[3]

History

Trout Brook was entered into the Geographic Names Information System on January 1, 1990 due to its presence in Israel C. White's 1883 book The geology of the North Branch Susquehanna River Region in the six counties of Wyoming, Lackawanna, Luzerne, Columbia, Montour and Northumberland. Its identifier in the Geographic Names Information System is 1202092.^[2]

Related Research Articles

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Leonard Creek is a tributary of Bowman Creek in Luzerne County and Wyoming County, in Pennsylvania, in the United States. It is approximately 7.2 miles (11.6 km) long and flows through Dallas Township in Luzerne County and Monroe Township in Wyoming County. The watershed of the creek has an area of 17.1 square miles (44 km²). The creek is not designated as an impaired waterbody. The surficial geology in its vicinity consists of Wisconsinan Till, alluvium, Wisconsinan Ice-Contact Stratified Drift, alluvial fan, alluvial terrace, bedrock, and sand and gravel pits.

Swale Brook is a tributary of Tunkhannock Creek in Wyoming County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. It is approximately 2.9 miles (4.7 km) long and flows through Tunkhannock Township and Tunkhannock. The watershed of the stream has an area of 4.01 square miles (10.4 km²). The stream is not designated as an impaired waterbody. The surficial geology near it consists of alluvium, alluvial terrace, Wisconsinan Outwash, Wisconsinan Till, Wisconsinan Ice-Contact Stratified Drift, fill, and a wetland.

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Ackerly Creek is a tributary of South Branch Tunkhannock Creek in Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. It is approximately 8.7 miles (14.0 km) long and flows through South Abington Township, Waverly Township, Glenburn Township, Dalton, and La Plume Township. The creek has several unnamed tributaries and drains an area of nearly 18 square miles (47 km²). Ackerly Creek is not designated as an impaired waterbody, but it is impacted by some water quality problems. In one reach, the creek flows through Rabbit Hollow, which is set aside as a preserve. The creek experiences some erosion due to its banks being managed and straightened where it flows alongside US Route 6 and US Route 11.

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Dundaff Creek is a tributary of East Branch Tunkhannock Creek in Susquehanna County and Lackawanna County, in Pennsylvania, in the United States. It is approximately 6.7 miles (10.8 km) long and flows through Clifford Township in Susquehanna County and Greenfield Township in Lackawanna County. The watershed of the creek has an area of 10.3 square miles (27 km²). The creek has no named tributaries and is not designated as an impaired waterbody.

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References

1 2 3 4 United States Geological Survey, The National Map Viewer , retrieved November 1, 2015
1 2 3 Geographic Names Information System, Feature Detail Report for: Trout Brook , retrieved November 7, 2015
1 2 3 SAPA Hydrology (PDF), retrieved November 7, 2015

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[nationalmap-1] 1 2 3 4 United States Geological Survey, The National Map Viewer , retrieved November 1, 2015

[gnis-2] 1 2 3 Geographic Names Information System, Feature Detail Report for: Trout Brook , retrieved November 7, 2015

[sapaplan-3] 1 2 3 SAPA Hydrology (PDF), retrieved November 7, 2015