:Stranger Hollow
{{Use American English|date=February 2025}}
{{Infobox river
| name = Stranger Hollow
| source1_location = Catawissa Mountain in Beaver Township, Columbia County, Pennsylvania
| mouth_location = Catawissa Creek in Beaver Township, Columbia County, Pennsylvania
| mouth_coordinates = {{coord|40.9310|-76.2903|region:US-PA|format=dms|display=inline,title}}
| progression = Catawissa Creek → Susquehanna River → Chesapeake Bay
| length = {{convert|1.0|mi|km|abbr=on}}
| source1_elevation = {{convert|1440|to|1460|ft|m}}
| mouth_elevation = {{convert|712|ft|m|abbr=on}}
| basin_size = {{convert|0.57|sqmi|km2|abbr=on}}
}}
Stranger Hollow (also known as Stranger's Hollow{{Citation|author = Charles Newhall Taintor|url = https://books.google.com/books?id=Qao_AQAAMAAJ&pg=PA109|title = Taintor's Philadelphia and Reading Railway Guide Book|page = 109|year = 1887}}) is a tributary of Catawissa Creek in Columbia County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. It is approximately {{convert|1.0|mi|km}} long and flows through Beaver Township.{{Citation|author = United States Geological Survey|url = http://viewer.nationalmap.gov/viewer/|title = The National Map Viewer|accessdate = September 17, 2014}} The watershed of the stream has an area of {{convert|0.57|sqmi|km2}}. The stream is considered to be a coldwater fishery. The main rock formations in the stream's watershed are the Mauch Chunk Formation and the Pocono Formation and the main soils are the Leck Kill soil and the Hazleton soil. Historically the Catawissa Railroad and the Philadelphia and Reading Railway crossed over the stream.
Course
Stranger Hollow begins on Catawissa Mountain in Beaver Township. It flows east for a few tenths of a mile and enters a valley. It eventually turns northeast for another few tenths of a mile before reaching its confluence with Catawissa Creek.
Stranger Hollow joins Catawissa Creek {{convert|15.42|mi|km}} upstream of its mouth.{{Citation|url = http://www.lycoming.edu/cwi/pdfs/paGazetterOfStreams.pdf|title = Pennsylvania Gazetteer of Streams|date = November 2, 2001|accessdate = September 17, 2014}}
=Tributaries=
Hydrology
Stranger Hollow is considered to be impaired by atmospheric deposition due to pH. The pH of the stream is unknown.{{Citation|author = Pennsylvania Environmental Council|url = http://www.dcnr.state.pa.us/cs/groups/public/documents/document/dcnr_20029597.pdf|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20150923215915/http://www.dcnr.state.pa.us/cs/groups/public/documents/document/dcnr_20029597.pdf|url-status = dead|archive-date = September 23, 2015|title = Catawissa Creek Watershed Rivers Conservation Plan|date = December 9, 2010|accessdate = September 11, 2014}}
Geography and geology
The elevation near the mouth of Stranger Hollow is {{convert|712|ft|m}} above sea level.{{Citation|url = http://www.topozone.com/states/Pennsylvania.asp?county=Columbia&feature=Valley|title = Topographic Map Valley Features in Columbia County, Pennsylvania|accessdate = September 17, 2014}} The elevation of the stream at its source is between {{convert|1440|ft|m}} and {{convert|1460|ft|m}}.
The lower reaches of Stranger Hollow are on rock of the Mauch Chunk Formation. The rest of the stream is on rock of the Pocono Formation. The lower reaches of the stream are on Leck Kill soil and the rest of the stream is on Hazleton soil.
Stranger Hollow has an extremely high gradient of {{convert|449.5|ft|m}} per {{convert|0.62|mi|km}}.{{Citation|author1=R. Moase |author2=T. Copeland |author3=R. Wnuk |author4=R. Mulberger |url = http://www.epcamr.org/storage/watersheds/CatawissaCrFisheriesMgmtRpt1997.pdf|title = PA Fish and Boat Commission Comments and Recommendations|date = June 8, 1992|accessdate = September 19, 2014}}
Watershed and history
The watershed of Stranger Hollow has an area of {{convert|0.57|sqmi|km2}}. Most of the watershed is in Beaver Township, but a small portion on its western side is in Roaring Creek Township. The headwaters of the stream are in Pennsylvania State Game Lands Number 58, as is most of the rest of the watershed. The watershed is almost entirely on forested land. It is in the Shumans United States Geological Survey quadrant.
It is difficult to access Stranger Hollow and no portion of the stream is within {{convert|500|m|ft}} of a road.
The population density of the watershed of Stranger Hollow was 10 people per square kilometer in 1990.
In the late 1800s, a railroad bridge carrying the Philadelphia and Reading Railway crossed Stranger Hollow. This bridge was known as the Stranger's Hollow Bridge and was {{convert|90|ft|m}} high. The Catawissa Railroad bridge over the stream was {{convert|756|ft|m}} long and {{convert|125|ft|m}} high.{{Citation|url = https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/46437471/|title = Reading Times from Reading, Pennsylvania |page=1|date = July 7, 1879|accessdate = September 19, 2014}} An 1862 article described the view from the Catawissa Railroad near the stream as a "most striking and characteristic view".{{Citation|publisher = Harpers Monthly|url = http://www.catskillarchive.com/rrextra/catawiss.Html|title = The Catawissa Railroad|year = 1862|accessdate = September 19, 2014}}
Biology
Stranger Hollow is considered by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection to be a coldwater fishery.
See also
- Long Hollow (Catawissa Creek), next tributary of Catawissa Creek going downstream
- Klingermans Run, next tributary of Catawissa Creek going upstream
- List of tributaries of Catawissa Creek
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- [http://ccra.epcamr.org/storage/CattyCreek.pdf Map of the watershed of Catawissa Creek]
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Category:Rivers of Columbia County, Pennsylvania