Kellum Creek

Kellum Creek is a tributary of Roaring Brook in Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. It is approximately 2.9 miles (4.7 km) long and flows through Madison Township.[1] The watershed of the creek has an area of 2.56 square miles (6.6 km2). The creek is considered to be Class A Wild Trout Waters. A planned trail is in its vicinity. The surficial geology in the area consists of alluvium, bedrock, peat bogs, wetlands, Boulder Colluvium, and Wisconsinan Till.

Kellum Creek
Physical characteristics
Source 
 • locationvalley in Madison Township, Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania
 • elevationbetween 1,660 and 1,680 feet (510 and 510 m)
Mouth 
 • location
Roaring Brook at the Elmhurst Reservoir in Madison Township, Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania
 • coordinates
41°21′26″N 75°31′26″W
 • elevation
1,424 ft (434 m)
Length2.9 mi (4.7 km)
Basin size2.56 sq mi (6.6 km2)
Basin features
ProgressionRoaring Brook → Lackawanna River → Susquehanna River → Chesapeake Bay

Course

Kellum Creek begins in a broad and shallow valley in Madison Township. It flows south for several tenths of a mile before turning west and then south again. After a few tenths of a mile, the creek reaches the community of Aberdeen and turns west for more than a mile, flowing through a much narrower valley. It then turns northwest for a short distance before reaching its confluence with Roaring Brook at the southern tip of the Elmhurst Reservoir.[1]

Kellum Creek joins Roaring Brook 12.80 miles (20.60 km) upstream of its mouth.[2]

Hydrology, geography, and geology

The elevation near the mouth of Kellum Creek is 1,424 feet (434 m) above sea level.[3] The elevation of the creek's source is between 1,660 and 1,680 feet (510 and 510 m) above sea level.[1]

The surficial geology along the valley floor of Kellum Creek in its lower reaches mainly consists of Boulder Colluvium (which contains numerous quartz, sandstone, or conglomerate boulders) and alluvium. Bedrock containing conglomeratic sandstone, sandstone, and shale occurs on the sides of the valley and a glacial or resedimented till known as Wisconsinan Till also occurs in the area.[4] Further upstream, the surficial geology in the creek's vicinity consists mainly of Wisconsinan Till, with some patches of bedrock, Boulder Colluvium, peat bogs, and wetlands.[5]

The concentration of alkalinity in Kellum Creek is 20 milligrams per liter.[6]

Watershed

The watershed of Kellum Creek has an area of 2.56 square miles (6.6 km2).[2] The mouth of the creek is in the United States Geological Survey quadrangle of Moscow. However, its source is in the quadrangle of Sterling.[3]

History and recreation

Kellum Creek was entered into the Geographic Names Information System on August 2, 1979. Its identifier in the Geographic Names Information System is 1178331.[3]

In the early 2000s, the Lackawanna River Watershed Conservation Plan recommended that Madison Township include protection of Kellum Creek in their zoning plans.[7] A bridge carries State Route 2004/Reservoir Road over the creek. Its replacement has been proposed.[8] Land along the creek was historically owned by the Theta Land Corporation. However, they opened the creek and many others in the area to the public in 2002 by leasing the surrounding land to the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission for $1 per year.[9]

A trail crossing Kellum Creek on its path from Pennsylvania American Water lands in Roaring Brook Township to a location near the sewer plant in Mosvow in the North Pocono region has been planned.[10] The trail will be known as the Roaring Creek Trail and will be 3 miles (4.8 km) long.[11] Construction was slated for 2014 and part of the funding was supplied by the Pennsylvania Environmental Council.[10] The crossing of Kellum Creek is planned to be as natural as possible and contain no bridges, only a rock crossing.[11]

Biology

Wild trout naturally reproduce in Kellum Creek from its upper reaches downstream to its mouth.[12] The creek is also considered by the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission to be Class A Wild Trout Waters for brook trout.[6]

See also

References
  1. United States Geological Survey, The National Map Viewer, archived from the original on April 5, 2012, retrieved April 10, 2015
  2. Pennsylvania Gazetteer of Streams (PDF), November 2, 2001, retrieved April 10, 2015
  3. Geographic Names Information System, Feature Detail Report for: Kellum Creek, retrieved April 10, 2015
  4. Duane D. Braun (2007), Surficial geology of the Moscow 7.5-minute quadrangle, Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania, p. 14, retrieved April 13, 2015
  5. Duane D. Braun (2008), Surficial geology of the Sterling 7.5-minute quadrangle, Wayne and Lackawanna Counties, Pennsylvania, p. 15, retrieved April 13, 2015
  6. Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission (December 16, 2013), Class A Wild Trout Waters (PDF), p. 21, retrieved April 13, 2015
  7. Lackawanna River Corridor Association (2001), Lackawanna River Watershed Conservation Plan (PDF), p. 113, retrieved April 13, 2015
  8. Lackawanna County (PDF), retrieved April 13, 2015
  9. George Smith (March 10, 2002), "TROUT STOCKING RETURNS TO HARVEYS CREEK", Times Leader, archived from the original on April 4, 2015, retrieved April 13, 2015
  10. Kyle Wind (March 15, 2014), "North Pocono trail gets grant; could open in spring or summer", The Times-Tribune, retrieved April 13, 2015
  11. Barbara Grace (April 2, 2014), "The Roaring Brook Trail", Moscow Villager, retrieved April 13, 2015
  12. Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission (January 2015), Pennsylvania Wild Trout Waters (Natural Reproduction) - Jan 2015 (PDF), p. 45, retrieved April 13, 2015
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