Butternut Run

{{Infobox river

| name = Butternut Run

| source1_location = head of a valley on Kocher Mountain in Lake Township, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania

| mouth_location = Bowman Creek near Mountain Springs in Lake Township, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania

| mouth_coordinates = {{coord|41.37339|-76.14855|region:US-PA|format=dms|display=inline,title}}

| progression = Bowman Creek → Susquehanna River → Chesapeake Bay

| length_mi = 1.5

| source1_elevation = between {{convert|2060|and|2080|ft|m|0}}

| mouth_elevation = {{convert|1440|ft|m|abbr=on}}

| basin_size_mi2 = 1.30

| tributaries_left = one unnamed tributary

| tributaries_right = one unnamed tributary

}}

Butternut Run is a tributary of Bowman Creek in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. It is approximately {{convert|1.5|mi|km}} long and flows through Lake Township.{{Citation |author=United States Geological Survey |url=http://viewer.nationalmap.gov/viewer/ |title=The National Map Viewer |accessdate=October 17, 2015 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120329155652/http://viewer.nationalmap.gov/viewer/ |archivedate=March 29, 2012 |author-link=United States Geological Survey }} The watershed of the stream has an area of {{convert|1.30|sqmi|km2}}. The surficial geology along the stream consists of Wisconsinan Till. Its drainage basin is designated as a High-Quality Coldwater Fishery and a Migratory Fishery and the stream is Class A Wild Trout Waters.

Course

Butternut Run begins at the head of a valley on Kocher Mountain in Lake Township. It flows north through the valley for several tenths of a mile, receiving two short, unnamed tributaries (one from the left and one from the right). The stream then turns northwest for several tenths of a mile before turning north for several hundred feet. After this, it turns northeast, leaving its valley. A short distance further downstream, it reaches its confluence with Bowman Creek.

Butternut Run joins Bowman Creek {{convert|20.62|mi|km}} upstream of its mouth.{{Citation|url = http://www.lycoming.edu/cwi/pdfs/paGazetterOfStreams.pdf|title = Pennsylvania Gazetteer of Streams|page = 43|date = November 2, 2001|accessdate = October 17, 2015}}

Hydrology

The concentration of alkalinity in Butternut Run is {{convert|6|mg/L|oz/cuft|sp=us}}.{{Citation|author = Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission|url = http://fishandboat.com/classa.pdf|title = Class A Wild Trout Waters|page = 13|date = August 2015|accessdate = October 17, 2015|author-link = Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission|archive-date = March 4, 2016|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160304061031/http://fishandboat.com/classa.pdf|url-status = dead}}

Geography and geology

The elevation near the mouth of Butternut Run is {{convert|1440|ft|m}} above sea level.{{Citation|author = Geographic Names Information System|url = http://gnis.usgs.gov/apex/f?p=136:3:0::NO::P3_FID,P3_TITLE:1170818,Butternut%20Run|title = Feature Detail Report for: Butternut Run|accessdate = October 17, 2015|author-link = Geographic Names Information System}}{{Dead link|date=July 2020 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} The elevation of the stream's source is between {{convert|2060|and|2080|ft|m|0}} above sea level.

The surficial geology along the length of Butternut Run features a till known as Wisconsinan Till. In the streams lower reaches, this is underlain by glacial lake clays. The stream's valley walls and the area surrounding the valley has surficial geology featuring bedrock consisting of sandstone and shale.{{Citation|author=Duane D. Braun |url=http://www.dcnr.state.pa.us/topogeo/openfile/sweetvalley.pdf |title=SURFICIAL GEOLOGY OF THE SWEET VALLEY 7.5-MINUTE QUADRANGLE, LUZERNE COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA |page=17 |year=2007 |accessdate=October 17, 2015 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20070713162238/http://www.dcnr.state.pa.us/topogeo/openfile/sweetvalley.pdf |archivedate=July 13, 2007 }}

Watershed

The watershed of Butternut Run has an area of {{convert|1.30|sqmi|km2}}. The stream is entirely within the United States Geological Survey quadrangle of Sweet Valley. Its mouth is located near Mountain Springs.

The entire length of Butternut Run is on private land that is closed to access.

History

Butternut Run was entered into the Geographic Names Information System on August 2, 1979. Its identifier in the Geographic Names Information System is 1170818.

Biology

The drainage basin of Butternut Run is designated as a High-Quality Coldwater Fishery and a Migratory Fishery.{{Citation|work = Pennsylvania Code|url = http://www.pacode.com/secure/data/025/chapter93/s93.9i.html|title = § 93.9i. Drainage List I. Susquehanna River Basin in Pennsylvania Susquehanna River|accessdate = October 17, 2015}} Wild trout naturally reproduce in the stream from its headwaters downstream to its mouth.{{Citation|author = Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission|url = http://fishandboat.com/trout_repro.pdf|title = Pennsylvania Wild Trout Waters (Natural Reproduction) - August 2015|page = 50|date = August 2015|accessdate = October 17, 2015|author-link = Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission|archive-date = July 1, 2015|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20150701171657/http://www.fishandboat.com/trout_repro.pdf|url-status = dead}} It is classified by the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission as Class A Wild Trout Waters for brook trout from its headwaters downstream to its mouth.

References

Category:Rivers of Luzerne County, Pennsylvania

Category:Tributaries of Bowman Creek

Category:Rivers of Pennsylvania