Leach Creek
| Leach Creek | |
|---|---|
| Basin features | |
| Main source | pond in a deep valley near Morgan Manor in Scranton, Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania between 1,320 and 1,340 feet (400 and 410 m) |
| River mouth | Leggetts Creek in Scranton, Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania 781 ft (238 m) 41°26′35″N 75°39′38″W / 41.44315°N 75.66060°WCoordinates: 41°26′35″N 75°39′38″W / 41.44315°N 75.66060°W |
| Progression | Leggetts Creek → Lackawanna River → Susquehanna River → Chesapeake Bay |
| Basin size | 2.55 sq mi (6.6 km2) |
| Tributaries |
|
| Physical characteristics | |
| Length | 1.9 mi (3.1 km) |
Leach Creek is a tributary of Leggetts Creek in Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. It is approximately 1.9 miles (3.1 km) long and flows through Scranton. The watershed of the creek has an area of 2.55 square miles (6.6 km2). The creek loses substantial amounts of water to underground mine pools. The creek is in the Coal Region and has been channelized and/or culvertized in some reaches. It flows alongside Pennsylvania Route 307 for a substantial part of its length. The creek has a riparian buffer in its upper and middle reaches, but various invasive plants grow along its banks in its lower reaches.
Leach Creek begins in a pond in a deep valley near Morgan Manor in Scranton. It flows southeast alongside Pennsylvania Route 307 before turning south and continuing to flow alongside that highway. After a few tenths of a mile, the creek turns southeast again and receives South Branch Leach Creek, its only named tributary, from the . It then turns south-southeast for several tenths of a mile and crosses Pennsylvania Route 307 before turning east and crossing US Route 11. After several tenths of a mile, the creek reaches its confluence with Leggetts Creek.
Leach Creek joins Leggetts Creek 1.00 mile (1.61 km) upstream of its mouth.
Leach Creek experiences a measurable amount of flow loss to underground mine pools via cracks in the bedrock. This water contributes to the Marvine Pool and the Stoors Pool. It typically, but not always, lacks any base flow. Several establishments discharge stormwater into the creek. There are an estimated two stormwater detention facilities in the watershed. The creek experiences extreme sedimentation and embeddedness in its lower reaches. The city of Scranton applied for a permit to discharge stormwater into the creek.
In the early 1900s, Leach Creek was found to be a clear stream above the Cayuga Shaft, where mine water flowed into the creek. From that point downstream, culm in the water deposited on the banks and streambed. In 1948, the creek was found to lose between 968 and 1319 gallons of water per minute to mines.
At its mouth, the peak annual discharge of Leach Creek has a 10 percent chance of reaching 430 cubic feet per second. It has a 2 percent chance of reaching 1000 cubic feet per second and a 1 percent chance of reaching 1360 cubic feet per second. It has a 0.2 percent chance of reaching 2760 cubic feet per second. Like many other streams in the area, the creek is prone to flash floods.
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Wikipedia