Windfall Run

Last updated
Windfall Run
Physical characteristics
Main source wetland on a plateau in Noxen Township, Wyoming County, Pennsylvania
between 2,200 and 2,220 feet (671 and 677 m)
River mouth Baker Run in Noxen Township, Wyoming County, Pennsylvania
1,365 ft (416 m)
41°24′16″N76°07′20″W / 41.40438°N 76.12233°W / 41.40438; -76.12233 Coordinates: 41°24′16″N76°07′20″W / 41.40438°N 76.12233°W / 41.40438; -76.12233
Length 1.6 mi (2.6 km)
Basin features
Progression Baker Run → Bowman Creek → Susquehanna River → Chesapeake Bay
Basin size 1.68 sq mi (4.4 km2)

Windfall Run is a tributary of Baker Run in Wyoming County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. It is approximately 1.6 miles (2.6 km) long and flows through Noxen Township. [1] [2] The watershed of the stream has an area of 1.68 square miles (4.4 km2). The stream itself is classified as Class A Wild Trout Waters by the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission. The surficial geology in its vicinity includes Wisconsinan Till and bedrock.

Tributary stream or river that flows into a main stem river or lake

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.

Baker Run river in the United States of America

Baker Run is a tributary of Bowman Creek in Wyoming County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. It is approximately 1.1 miles (1.8 km) long and flows through Noxen Township. The watershed of the stream has an area of 2.28 square miles (5.9 km2). The stream is not designated as an impaired waterbody. The surficial geology in its vicinity consists of alluvium, alluvial terrace, and Wisconsinan Till. Its watershed is designated as a High-Quality Coldwater Fishery and a Migratory Fishery.

Wyoming County, Pennsylvania County in the United States

Wyoming County is a county located in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. As of the 2010 census, the population was 28,276. Its county seat is Tunkhannock. It was created in 1842 from part of Luzerne County.

Contents

Course

Windfall Run begins in a wetland on a plateau in Noxen Township. It flows north-northeast for several tenths of a mile and enters a deep valley before turning east-southeast. The stream flows in this direction for more than a mile before reaching its confluence with Baker Run. [1]

Wetland A land area that is permanently or seasonally saturated with water

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.

Plateau An area of a highland, usually of relatively flat terrain

In geology and physical geography, a plateau, also called a high plain or a tableland, is an area of a highland, usually consisting of relatively flat terrain, that is raised significantly above the surrounding area, often with one or more sides with steep slopes. Plateaus can be formed by a number of processes, including upwelling of volcanic magma, extrusion of lava, and erosion by water and glaciers. Plateaus are classified according to their surrounding environment as intermontane, piedmont, or continental.

Windfall Run joins Baker Run, which is itself only 1.1 miles (1.8 km) long, 0.66 miles (1.06 km) upstream of its mouth. [1] [3]

Hydrology

The concentration of alkalinity in Windfall Run is 4 milligrams per liter (0.0040 oz/cu ft). [4]

Alkalinity The capacity of water to resist changes in pH that would make the water more acidic

Alkalinity is the capacity of water to resist changes in pH that would make the water more acidic. Alkalinity is the strength of a buffer solution composed of weak acids and their conjugate bases. It is measured by titrating the solution with a monoprotic acid such as HCl until its pH changes abruptly, or it reaches a known endpoint where that happens. Alkalinity is expressed in units of meq/L, which corresponds to the amount of monoprotic acid added as a titrant in millimoles per liter.

Geography and geology

The elevation near the mouth of Windfall Run is 1,365 feet (416 m) above sea level. [5] The elevation near the source of the stream is between 2,200 and 2,220 feet (671 and 677 m) above sea level. [1]

River mouth end of a river

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.

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.

River source The starting point of a river

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.

The surficial geology along Windfall Run in the Dutch Mountain quadrangle, where most of the stream is situated, consists of a till known as Wisconsinan Till. However, bedrock consisting of sandstone and shale occurs on the sides of the stream's valley. [6]

Till Unsorted glacial sediment

Till or glacial till is unsorted glacial sediment.

Bedrock Lithified rock under the regolith

In geology, bedrock is the lithified rock that lies under a loose softer material called regolith within the surface of the crust of the Earth or other terrestrial planets.

Sandstone A clastic sedimentary rock composed mostly of sand-sized particles

Sandstone is a clastic sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized mineral particles or rock fragments.

For much of its length, Noxen Township flows through a deep valley cut into a plateau. [7]

Watershed

The watershed of Windfall Run has an area of 1.68 square miles (4.4 km2). [3] The mouth of the stream is in the United States Geological Survey quadrangle of Noxen. However, its source is in the quadrangle of Dutch Mountain. [5]

The entire length of Windfall Run is on public land that is open to access. [4] The stream is situated entirely within Pennsylvania State Game Lands Number 57. [7]

History

Windfall Run was entered into the Geographic Names Information System on August 2, 1979. Its identifier in the Geographic Names Information System is 1199800. [5]

Biology

Wild trout naturally reproduce in Windfall Run from its headwaters downstream to its mouth. [2] The stream is designated by the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission as Class A Wild Trout Waters for brook trout from its headwaters downstream to its mouth. [4]

See also

Related Research Articles

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Sorber Run river in the United States of America

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Cider Run (Bowman Creek tributary) river in United States of America

Cider Run is a tributary of Bowman Creek in Wyoming County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. It is approximately 2.5 miles (4.0 km) long and flows through Forkston Township and Noxen Township. The watershed of the stream has an area of 3.77 square miles (9.8 km2). The stream is not designated as an impaired waterbody. Its watershed is classified as Exceptional Value waters and a Migratory Fishery and the stream is designated as a Wilderness Trout Stream.

Butternut Run is a tributary of Bowman Creek in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. It is approximately 1.5 miles (2.4 km) long and flows through Lake Township. The watershed of the stream has an area of 1.30 square miles (3.4 km2). The surficial geology along the stream consists of Wisconsinan Till. Its drainage basin is designated as a High-Quality Coldwater Fishery and a Migratory Fishery and the stream is Class A Wild Trout Waters.

Beth Run river in the United States of America

Beth Run is a tributary of Bowman Creek in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. It is approximately 1.9 miles (3.1 km) long and flows through Ross Township and Lake Township. The watershed of the stream has an area of 2.34 square miles (6.1 km2). The surficial geology along it consists of Wisconsinan Till and alluvium. The stream's watershed is designated as a High-Quality Coldwater Fishery and a Migratory Fishery and the stream is Class A Wild Trout Waters.

Little Indian Run is a tributary of Little Muncy Creek in Lycoming County and Sullivan County, in Pennsylvania, in the United States. It is approximately 4.3 miles (6.9 km) long and flows through Franklin Township and Jordan Township in Lycoming County and Davidson Township in Sullivan County. The watershed of the stream has an area of 3.36 square miles (8.7 km2). The surficial geology in the stream's vicinity mainly consists of alluvium, bedrock, Wisconsinan Till, Wisconsinan Till Moraine, and Wisconsinan Ice-Contact Stratified Drift. Wild trout naturally reproduce within the stream. A number of sawmills were historically located on the stream.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 United States Geological Survey, The National Map Viewer , retrieved October 12, 2015
  2. 1 2 Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission (August 2015), Pennsylvania Wild Trout Waters (Natural Reproduction) – August 2015 (PDF), p. 106, retrieved October 12, 2015
  3. 1 2 Pennsylvania Gazetteer of Streams (PDF), November 2, 2001, p. 152, retrieved October 12, 2015
  4. 1 2 3 Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission (August 2015), Class A Wild Trout Waters (PDF), p. 24, retrieved October 12, 2015
  5. 1 2 3 Geographic Names Information System, Feature Detail Report for: Windfall Run , retrieved October 12, 2015
  6. ↑ Duane D. Braun (2007), Surficial geology of the Dutch Mountain 7.5-minute quadrangle, Wyoming, Sullivan, and Luzerne Counties, Pennsylvania, p. 18, retrieved October 12, 2015
  7. 1 2 United States Geological Survey (1987), noxen.jpg , retrieved October 12, 2015
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