Coal Run (Shamokin Creek)
| Coal Run | |
|---|---|
Coal Run looking downstream in Shamokin
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| Basin features | |
| Main source | lake in Mount Carmel Township, Northumberland County, Pennsylvania between 1,220 and 1,240 feet (370 and 380 m) |
| River mouth | Shamokin Creek in Shamokin, Northumberland County, Pennsylvania 725 ft (221 m) 40°47′29″N 76°33′11″W / 40.79132°N 76.55298°WCoordinates: 40°47′29″N 76°33′11″W / 40.79132°N 76.55298°W |
| Progression | Shamokin Creek → Susquehanna River → Chesapeake Bay |
| Basin size | 6.25 sq mi (16.2 km2) |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Length | 4.7 mi (7.6 km) |
Coal Run is a tributary of Shamokin Creek in Northumberland County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. It is approximately 4.7 miles (7.6 km) long and flows through Mount Carmel Township, Coal Township, and Shamokin. The watershed of the stream has an area of 6.25 square miles (16.2 km2). The stream is designated as an impaired waterbody due to metals from abandoned mine drainage. It is an ephemeral stream. Virtually all of the watershed is in coal mining regions.
Various sawmills and coal mines have historically been constructed on Coal Run. A number of bridges have also been built across the stream. Its drainage basin is designated as a Coldwater Fishery and a Migratory Fishery and was historically inhabited by trout.
Coal Run begins in a lake in Mount Carmel Township. It flows east-southeast through a valley for several tenths of a mile before entering Coal Township. The stream continues flowing east-southeast for more than a mile before turning south for a short distance. It then turns southwest for a few tenths of a mile before turning south for a few tenths of a mile. After this, the stream crosses Pennsylvania Route 61 and passes near the census-designated place of Ranshaw. The stream then flows in a west-northwesterly direction for several tenths of a mile, passing through the census-designated place of Marshalton before entering Shamokin. The stream then flows west for a few tenths of a mile until it reaches its confuence with Shamokin Creek.
Coal Run joins Shamokin Creek 22.54 miles (36.27 km) upstream of its mouth.
The entire length of Coal Run is designated as an impaired waterbody. The cause of the impairment is metals and the source of the impairment is abandoned mine drainage. The stream is one of several in the watershed of Shamokin Creek to be impacted by abandoned mine drainage, although it is not seriously impacted. However, it is fairly consistently neutral or alkaline, with an average pH of 6.5, though its pH can be as low as 4.8. The stream's water comes from mine discharges such as the Greenough Mine discharge, the Nielson Mine discharge, and the Luke Fidler Mine discharge. The stream is also impacted by raw sewage discharges. In the early 1900s, mine water from the Richards No. 4 Colliery entered the stream. Numerous other streams of black waste water from other collieries discharged into the stream as well.
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