Nesquehoning Creek

Nesquehoning Creek
Twin sources of Nesquehoning Creek as Nesquehoning Mountain and Broad Mountain merge in the saddle above Tamaqua, Pennsylvania and below the drainage divide from the Little Schuylkill River below and west. (Image is rotated so east is at bottom)
Basin features
Main source	Highest of two: on south face Broad Mountain above Hometown 1,360 feet (415 m) 40°51′00″N 75°58′30″W / 40.85°N 75.975°W / 40.85; -75.975
River mouth	Lehigh River between Jim Thorpe and Nesquehoning, Pennsylvania. 40°52′32″N 75°45′41″W / 40.8755°N 75.7615°W / 40.8755; -75.7615Coordinates: 40°52′32″N 75°45′41″W / 40.8755°N 75.7615°W / 40.8755; -75.7615
Physical characteristics
Length	14.9 mi (24.0 km)

Nesquehoning Creek is an east flowing 14.9-mile-long (24.0 km)tributary of the Lehigh River in northeastern Pennsylvania in the United States.

Nesquehoning Creek joins the Lehigh River 2 miles (3.2 km) upstream of the borough of Jim Thorpe in Carbon County.

Nesquehoning Creek rises along the slopes of Nesquehoning Ridge and Broad Mountain and flows through two man-made lakes in its descent through a generally steep sided gully bottomed V-shaped valley. Along most of its run the stream hugs Broad Mountain which contributes tributary waters and digs it deeper below the navigable floor of the valley.

Nesquehoning Creek encompasses a 34 square miles (88 km²) sq-mi drainage area between Broad Mountain to the northwest and the north along the left bank of its generally eastern course and Nesquehoning Mountain to the south. It rises in the peaks flanking join of the two ridgelines in a saddle at Hometown, PA and terminates in the Lehigh River about two miles below the town of Nesquehoning, Pennsylvania in the shadow of Mount Pisgah from which several minor unnamed tributary streams descend adding their waters. All the mountains in the area are among a series of near parallel ridgelines in the region. Approximately 7.2 square miles (18.6 km²) of the drainage basin or watershed is located in Schuylkill County while 26.7 square miles (69.2 km²) is located in Carbon County.

Nesquehoning Creek originates in two forested gullies diametrically opposed N-to-S along the east edge of Hometown, the major fork on the slopes of Broad Mountain to the north and the minor to the south on the last minor peak of Nesquehoning Ridge. From their confluence the creek flows south for about 2 miles (3.2 km) then turns to the northeast and flows into and through Greenwood Lake, which is nearly a mile long. Approximately 600 feet (180 m) downstream from the spillway, it discharges into Lake Hauto, both lakes being man-made. It then continues to the northeast in a relatively narrow valley over its steepest stretch then flattens out and slows making its way through Nesquehoning, which is a right bank town. The stream then travels down a narrow undeveloped ladder or rapids section where its elevation drops significantly to its confluence with the Lehigh River opposite and downstream from the Lehigh River Gorge around the bend from Jim Thorpe, PA formed by the roots of Mount Pisgah. Six left bank tributaries enter the stream below Hauto Dam from State Game Lands No. 141 before and west of the 1,563 feet (476.4 m) summit on Broad Mountain, the uppermost named 'Broad Run', the lower 'Deep Run' being the largest and named, the other four being short and relatively insignificant rills.