Peters Creek (Pennsylvania)

Peters Creek is a 16.8-mile-long (27.0 km)[5] tributary of the Monongahela River and part of the Ohio River and Mississippi River watersheds, flowing through southwestern Pennsylvania in the United States.[6]

Peters Creek
Tributary to Monongahela River
Location of Peters Creek mouth
Peters Creek (Pennsylvania) (the United States)
Location
CountryUnited States
StatePennsylvania
CountyAllegheny
Washington
BoroughClairton
Physical characteristics
SourceLittle Chartiers Creek divide
 • locationThomas, Pennsylvania[1]
 • coordinates40°14′08″N 080°05′52″W[2]
 • elevation1,200 ft (370 m)[1]
MouthMonongahela River
 • location
Clairton, Pennsylvania[1]
 • coordinates
40°18′34″N 079°52′52″W[2]
 • elevation
719 ft (219 m)[2]
Length16.16 mi (26.01 km)[3]
Basin size51.44 square miles (133.2 km2)[4]
Discharge 
 • locationMonongahela River
 • average54.41 cu ft/s (1.541 m3/s) at mouth with Monongahela River[4]
Basin features
Progressionnortheast
River systemMonongahela River
Tributaries 
 • leftPiney Fork
Lick Run
Beam Run
Lewis Run

Variant names

According to the Geographic Names Information System, it has also been known historically as:[2]

  • Peter's Creek

Course

Peters Creek starts in Nottingham Township in Washington County and runs generally northerly until it joins the Monongahela River at Clairton in Allegheny County.

Watershed

The Peters Creek watershed is a diverse fifty square miles in southwestern Allegheny County and northeastern Washington County. From the heavy industry in the east where Peters Creek enters the Monongahela River, to the commercial northeast, the suburban northern communities, and the still rural and farming south, the watershed is a veritable patchwork of land use types. There is also a county park, a turnpike, a landfill, and a coal mining legacy to add to the mix. Some communities are relatively stable while others are undergoing rapid development. Peters Creek and its tributaries provide utility to them all in a myriad of ways.

Tributaries

Peters Creek also collects numerous unnamed tributaries along its course.

Water quality and recreation

Because of past water quality issues, Peters Creek was not considered to have any recreational purpose, but since the 1990s the water quality has improved dramatically. Once plagued with garbage and acid mine drainage, the water quality is now high enough to support its own fish population, which includes trout, bass, catfish, carp, and bluegill. It is now again possible to enjoy the stream through such activities as fishing, swimming, and during high water, kayaking. There is also a new bike trail that runs along its bank, formerly part of the Montour Railroad.[7]

See also

References
  1. "Peters Creek Topo Map, Allegheny County PA (Glassport Area)". TopoZone. Locality, LLC. Retrieved 31 December 2019.
  2. "GNIS Detail - Peters Creek". geonames.usgs.gov. US Geological Survey. Retrieved 31 December 2019.
  3. "ArcGIS Web Application". epa.maps.arcgis.com. US EPA. Retrieved 31 December 2019.
  4. "Peters Creek Watershed Report". Waters Geoviewer. US EPA. Retrieved 31 December 2019.
  5. U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline data. The National Map, accessed August 15, 2011
  6. U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Peters Creek (Pennsylvania)
  7. Welcome to Peters Creek Watershed Association Web Site
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