Raccoon Creek (Tomhicken Creek)

Raccoon Creek
Raccoon Creek looking downstream in Nuremberg, Pennsylvania
Basin features
Main source	valley between Little Sugarloaf Mountain and South Buck Mountain in Black Creek Township, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania 1,240 ft (380 m)
River mouth	Tomhicken Creek in North Union Township, Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania 902 ft (275 m)
Progression	Tomhicken Creek → Catawissa Creek → Susquehanna River → Chesapeake Bay
Basin size	2.67 sq mi (6.9 km2)
Physical characteristics
Length	3.3 mi (5.3 km)

Raccoon Creek is a tributary of Tomhicken Creek in Luzerne County and Schuylkill County, in Pennsylvania, in the United States. It is approximately 3.3 miles (5.3 km) long and flows through Black Creek Township in Luzerne County and North Union Township in Schuylkill County. The watershed of the stream has an area of 2.67 square miles (6.9 km²). The stream is considered to be a High-Quality Coldwater Fishery and Class A Wild Trout Waters. The main rock formations in the stream's watershed are the Mauch Chunk Formation and the Pottsville Formation and the main soil is the Leck Kill soil.

Raccoon Creek begins in a valley between Little Sugarloaf Mountain and another ridge in Black Creek Township, Luzerne County. It flows roughly west and within a few tenths of a mile, passes through the community of Weston. Upon exiting Weston, the creek continues west for more than a mile before turning southwest and leaving Black Creek Township and Luzerne County.

Upon exiting Luzerne County, Raccoon Creek enters North Union Township, Schuylkill County. It continues southwest on the border of Nuremberg. The valley gets narrower as the creek flows through North Union Township and the creek eventually reaches its confluence with Tomhicken Creek.

Raccoon Creek joins Tomhicken Creek 3.40 miles (5.47 km) upstream of its mouth.

The alkalinity concentration in the waters of Raccoon Creek is 20 milligrams per liter. The pH of the creek is 7.0. Its water hardness is 36 milligrams per liter. The water chemistry is affected by human development in the area.

On 1:00 P.M. on July 11, 1997, the air temperature in the vicinity of Raccoon Creek was measured to be 28 °C (82 °F). The water temperature of the creek was measured to be 16.8 °C (62.2 °F) at that time. The specific conductivity of the creek's waters is 129 umhos.