Idlewild Creek

Idlewild Creek is a tributary of East Branch Tunkhannock Creek in Susquehanna County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. It is approximately 5.1 miles (8.2 km) long and flows through Clifford Township. The watershed of the creek has an area of 8.14 square miles (21.1 km2). The creek is not designated as an impaired waterbody and has no named tributaries. A 68.4 acres (27.7 ha) lake known as Lake Idlewild is located in the creek's watershed. Wild trout naturally reproduce in the creek.

Idlewild Creek
Physical characteristics
Source 
 • locationfoot of a mountain near the northern border of Clifford Township, Susquehanna County, Pennsylvania
 • elevation1,457 feet (444 m)
Mouth 
 • location
East Branch Tunkhannock Creek in Clifford Township, Susquehanna County, Pennsylvania near Royal
 • coordinates
41°39′48″N 75°36′44″W
 • elevation
1,017 feet (310 m)
Length5.1 miles (8.2 km)
Basin size8.14 square miles (21.1 km2)
Basin features
ProgressionEast Branch Tunkhannock Creek → Tunkhannock Creek → Susquehanna River → Chesapeake Bay
Tributaries 
 • lefttwo unnamed tributaries
 • rightone unnamed tributary

Course

Idlewild Creek begins near the northern border of Clifford Township, at the foot of a mountain. It flows southwest for a short distance before entering a wetland and turning west. Upon exiting the wetland, the creek turns southwest for several tenths of a mile, entering Lake Idlewild, where it receives an unnamed tributary from the right. From the southern end of the lake, it flows south for a short distance before turning southeast for a few tenths of a mile. The creek then enters a wetland where it receives an unnamed tributary from the left and turns south. After several tenths of a mile, it receives another unnamed tributary from the left and passes near another wetland, turning south-southwest for more than a mile. The creek then turns west for a short distance before reaching its confluence with East Branch Tunkhannock Creek.[1]

Idlewild Creek is approximately 5.1 miles (8.2 km) long.[1] The creek joins East Branch Tunkhannock Creek 7.50 miles (12.07 km) upstream of its mouth.[2]

Hydrology, geography and geology

The elevation near the mouth of Idlewild Creek is 1,017 feet (310 m) above sea level.[3] The elevation near the creek's source is 1,457 feet (444 m) above sea level.[1]

The surficial geology along the lower reaches of Idlewild Creek consists mainly of alluvium, although a till known as Wisconsinan Till is more prevalent on the sides of the valley, and occurs along the creek itself at times. There are also a few wetland patches and one patch of Wisconsinan Ice-Contact Stratified Drift. Further upstream, the surficial geology is mostly Wisconsinan Till, except for Lake Idlewild, a wetland, and some patches of bedrock consisting of sandstone and shale on nearby hills.[4]

A 68.4-acre (27.7 ha) lake known as Lake Idlewild is located in the watershed of Idlewild Creek.[4][5] The designated uses of the lake are aquatic life and potable water.[5]

Idlewild Creek is not designated as an impaired waterbody.[6]

Watershed

The watershed of Idlewild Creek has an area of 8.14 square miles (21.1 km2).[2] The creek is entirely within the United States Geological Survey quadrangle of Clifford.[3] Its mouth is located within 1 mile (1.6 km) of Royal.[2]

Williams Field Services Company, LLC. has been issued a permit to build, maintain, and operate a 20-inch (51 cm) natural gas pipeline crossing one or more unnamed tributaries of Idlewild Creek.[7] The creek is one of the receiving streams for an Erosion and Sediment Control permit.[8]

History

Idlewild Creek was entered into the Geographic Names Information System on August 2, 1979. Its identifier in the Geographic Names Information System is 1177685.[3]

Biology

Wild trout naturally reproduce in the lower 3.29 miles (5.29 km) of Idlewild Creek.[9] The creek is classified as a Coldwater Fishery and a Migratory Fishery.[8]

The designated use for Idlewild Creek is aquatic life.[6]

See also

References
  1. United States Geological Survey, The National Map Viewer, archived from the original on April 5, 2012, retrieved August 6, 2016
  2. Pennsylvania Gazetteer of Streams (PDF), November 2, 2001, retrieved August 6, 2016
  3. Geographic Names Information System, Feature Detail Report for: Idlewild Creek, retrieved August 6, 2016
  4. Duane D. Braun (2008), Surficial geology of the Clifford 7.5-minute quadrangle, Susquehanna and Lackawanna Counties, Pennsylvania, p. 14, retrieved August 6, 2016
  5. 2014 Pennsylvania Integrated Water Quality Monitoring and Assessment Report - Lakes, Category 2 Waterbodies, Attaining Some Uses, p. 14, retrieved August 6, 2016
  6. United States Environmental Protection Agency, 2006 Waterbody Report for Idlewild Creek, retrieved August 6, 2016
  7. "WATER OBSTRUCTIONS AND ENCROACHMENTS", Pennsylvania Bulletin, August 2, 2014, retrieved August 6, 2016
  8. "EROSION AND SEDIMENT CONTROL", Pennsylvania Bulletin, March 30, 2013, retrieved August 6, 2016
  9. Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission (July 2016), Pennsylvania Wild Trout Waters (Natural Reproduction) - July 2016 (PDF), p. 86, retrieved August 6, 2016
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