Little Tomhicken Creek
| Little Tomhicken Creek | |
|---|---|
Little Tomhicken Creek looking upstreamin its middle reaches
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| Basin features | |
| Main source | strip mine on Green Mountain in East Union Township, Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania 1,500 to 1,520 feet (460 to 460 m) |
| River mouth | Tomhicken Creek in North Union Township, Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania 1,200 ft (370 m) 40°54′59″N 76°08′36″W / 40.91634°N 76.14342°WCoordinates: 40°54′59″N 76°08′36″W / 40.91634°N 76.14342°W |
| Progression | Tomhicken Creek → Catawissa Creek → Susquehanna River → Chesapeake Bay |
| Basin size | 4.31 sq mi (11.2 km2) |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Length | 1.0 mi (1.6 km) |
Little Tomhicken Creek is a tributary of Tomhicken Creek in Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. It is approximately 1.0 mile (1.6 km) long and flows through East Union Township and North Union Township. The watershed of the stream has an area of 4.31 square miles (11.2 km2). The creek is considered to be a Coldwater Fishery. However, it is devoid of fish life and is impaired by acid mine drainage. It also has low water quality. The main rock formations in the creek's watershed are the Mauch Chunk Formation and the Pottsville Formation and the main soil is the Hazleton soil. Nearly all of the creek's length is fairly close to a road.
Little Tomhicken Creek begins in a strip mine on Green Mountain near Cove Mountain Drive in East Union Township. It flows north for a few hundred feet, almost immediately entering a valley. It then turns northeast for a few hundred feet before turning north again and flowing parallel to Nuremberg Road for several tenths of a mile. The creek then enters North Union Township and continues north. A few hundred feet downstream, it reaches its confluence with Tomhicken Creek.
Little Tomhicken Creek joins Tomhicken Creek 6.03 miles (9.70 km) upstream of its mouth.
Little Tomhicken Creek is considered by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection to be impaired for aquatic life by acid mine drainage and pH. There is one source of acid mine drainage in the watershed near the mouth of the creek. Strip mines at its headwaters also contribute acid mine drainage making the creek highly acidic and significantly degrading its water quality.
The pH of Little Tomhicken Creek is 4.4. The concentration of alkalinity in the creek is 0 milligrams per liter. The water hardness is 22 milligrams per liter.
At 1:20 P.M. on July 8, 1997, the air temperature in the vicinity of Little Tomhicken Creek 0.52 miles (0.84 km) upstream of its mouth was 30 °C (86 °F). The water temperature of the creek at that place and time was 15.5 °C (59.9 °F). The specific conductance of its waters is 107 μmhos.
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