Millard Creek

{{Infobox river

| name = Millard Creek

| source1_location = unnamed pond south of a wetland in Harford Township, Susquehanna County, Pennsylvania

| mouth_location = Tunkhannock Creek in Lenox Township, Susquehanna County, Pennsylvania near Glenwood

| mouth_coordinates = {{coord|41.65691|-75.71915|region:US-PA|format=dms|display=inline,title}}

| progression = Tunkhannock Creek → Susquehanna River → Chesapeake Bay

| length_mi = 6.2

| source1_elevation = {{convert|1458|ft|m|abbr=on}}

| mouth_elevation = {{convert|778|ft|m|abbr=on}}

| tributaries_left = one unnamed tributary

}}

Millard Creek is a tributary of Tunkhannock Creek in Susquehanna County, Pennsylvania. It is approximately {{convert|6.2|mi|km}} long and flows through Harford Township and Lenox Township. The watershed of the creek has an area of {{convert|5.66|sqmi|km2}}. The creek is not designated as an impaired waterbody. The surficial geology in its vicinity includes Wisconsinan Till, alluvium, wetlands, lakes, bedrock, and alluvial fan. The dominant land uses in the creek's watershed include forested land and agricultural land. A number of bridges have been constructed over the creek. Its drainage basin is designated as a Coldwater Fishery and a Migratory Fishery.

Course

Millard Creek begins in a small unnamed pond to the south of a wetland in Harford Township. It flows south-southwest for a few tenths of a mile before turning south-southeast for several tenths of a mile, entering Lenox Township. Here, the creek turns south-southwest for several tenths of a mile before turning east and then southeast and then south-southwest. After several tenths of a mile, it passes through a wetland and a lake before turning south. For the next several tenths of a mile, it flows alongside Jeffers Hill before passing through a wetland and Jeffers Pond. The creek then turns southwest for a short distance before turning south-southeast. After several tenths of a mile, it passes through another wetland and turns southeast for a few tenths of a mile before receiving an unnamed tributary from the left. It then turns south for several tenths of a mile, beginning to flow alongside Pennsylvania Route 167 on one side and Hickory Ridge on the other side. The creek then turns southeast for a few tenths of a mile before turning east-southeast and crossing Pennsylvania Route 92. A short distance further downstream, it reaches its confluence with Tunkhannock Creek.{{citation|author=United States Geological Survey |url=http://viewer.nationalmap.gov/viewer/ |title=The National Map Viewer |access-date=July 6, 2016 |url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120329155652/http://viewer.nationalmap.gov/viewer/ |archive-date=March 29, 2012 }}

Millard Creek is approximately {{convert|6.2|mi|km}} long. It joins Tunkhannock Creek {{convert|20.95|mi|km}} upstream of its mouth.{{Citation|url = http://www.lycoming.edu/cwi/pdfs/paGazetterOfStreams.pdf |title = Pennsylvania Gazetteer of Streams|page = 100|date = November 2, 2001|access-date = July 6, 2016}}

Hydrology

Millard Creek is not designated as an impaired waterbody.{{citation|author = United States Environmental Protection Agency|url = https://oaspub.epa.gov/tmdl/attains_waterbody.control?p_list_id=&p_au_id=PA11270&p_cycle=2006&p_state=PA&p_report_type=A|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20170510080958/https://oaspub.epa.gov/tmdl/attains_waterbody.control?p_list_id=&p_au_id=PA11270&p_cycle=2006&p_state=PA&p_report_type=A|url-status = dead|archive-date = May 10, 2017|title = 2006 Waterbody Report for Millard Creek|access-date = July 6, 2016}}

The total sediment load in Millard Creek is {{convert|2822343|lb|kg}} per year. Cropland is by far the largest contributor, accounting for {{convert|2600926|lb|kg}} per year. Deciduous forest an hay/pastures/grass contribute {{convert|93348|and|88255|lb|kg}} per year respectively. The annual sediment load contributed by coniferous forest is {{convert|17638|lb|kg}}, while {{convert|13164|lb|kg}} comes from mixed forest and {{convert|9011|lb|kg}} comes from high-intensity development.

The annual nitrogen load in Millard Creek is {{convert|14604|lb|kg}}. A total of {{convert|10509|lb|kg}} per year comes from cropland, while {{convert|1203|lb|kg}} comes from groundwater and {{convert|1194|lb|kg}} comes from septic systems and {{convert|941|lb|kg}} comes from hay/pastures/grass. Deciduous forests contribute {{convert|452|lb|kg}} per year, coniferous forests contribute {{convert|128|lb|kg}}, mixed forests contribute {{convert|83|lb|kg}}, and high-intensity development contributes {{convert|64|ft|m}}.

The total phosphorus load in Millard Creek is {{convert|1861|lb|kg}}. Annually, {{convert|1585|lb|kg}} comes from cropland, {{convert|108|lb|kg}} comes from groundwater, {{convert|76|lb|kg}} comes from hay/pastures/grass, and {{convert|58|lb|kg}} comes from deciduous forest. A total of {{convert|12|lb|kg}} per year comes from coniferous forest, mixed forest and high-intensity development contribute {{convert|9|lb|kg}} each, and septic systems contribute {{convert|4|lb|kg}} per year.

Point source pollution does not contribute any nitrogen, phosphorus, or sediment to Millard Creek.

Geography and geology

The elevation near the mouth of Millard Creek is {{convert|778|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:1181198,Millard%20Creek|title = Feature Detail Report for: Millard Creek|access-date = July 6, 2016}} The elevation near the creek's source is {{convert|1458|ft|m}} above sea level.

The geology in the entire watershed of Millard Creek consists of interbedded sedimentary rock of the Catskill Formation.

The surficial geology in the vicinity of Millard Creek mostly consists of a till known as Wisconsinan Till. However, patches of alluvium, wetlands, and lakes occur along some areas of the creek and the surficial geology on some nearby hills include bedrock consisting of sandstone and shale. There is also a patch of alluvial fan near the mouth of the creek.{{citation|author = Duane D. Braun|url = http://www.dcnr.state.pa.us/cs/groups/public/documents/document/dcnr_015815.zip|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20140524155633/http://www.dcnr.state.pa.us/cs/groups/public/documents/document/dcnr_015815.zip|url-status = dead|archive-date = May 24, 2014|title = Surficial geology of the Lenoxville 7.5-minute quadrangle, Susquehanna, Lackawanna, and Wyoming Counties, Pennsylvania|page = 14|year = 2007|access-date = July 7, 2016}}

Watershed

The watershed of Millard Creek has an area of {{convert|5.66|sqmi|km2}}. The stream is entirely within the United States Geological Survey quadrangle of Lenoxville. Its mouth is located within {{convert|1|mi|km}} of Glenwood.

The main land use in the watershed of Millard Creek is forested land, which occupies nearly {{convert|2500|acre|ha}} in the watershed. Agricultural land occupies slightly over {{convert|1000|acre|ha}} and urban land occupies only a very small part of the creek's watershed.

The watershed of Millard Creek is relatively long in a north-south direction and relatively narrow in an east-west direction.

History

Millard Creek was entered into the Geographic Names Information System on August 2, 1979. Its identifier in the Geographic Names Information System is 1181198.

A prestressed box beam or girders bridge carrying State Route 2039 over Millard Creek in Lenox Township was built in 1951 and repaired in 2010 and is {{convert|24.0|ft|m}} long. A concrete tee beam bridge carrying Pennsylvania Route 92 over the creek in Lenox Township was built in 1959 and is {{convert|34.1|ft|m}} long.

{{citation|url = http://uglybridges.com/pa/susquehanna/|title = Susquehanna County|access-date = July 6, 2016}}

In 2001, Millard Creek was used as the reference watershed for the total maximum daily load for South Branch Wyalusing Creek.{{citation|author = Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection|url = http://www.dep.state.pa.us/dep/deputate/watermgt/wqp/wqstandards/tmdl/South_Wyalusing_Final_TMDL.pdf|title = Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) For Nutrients and Sediments in the South Branch Wyalusing Creek Susquehanna County|pages = 11–12, 18|date = February 27, 2001|access-date = July 7, 2016}}

Biology

The drainage basin of Millard Creek is designated as a Coldwater Fishery and a Migratory Fishery.{{citation|url = https://www.portal.state.pa.us/portal/server.pt/document/753952/annex_pdf_(4)|title = ANNEX A|page = 3|access-date = July 7, 2016}} Wild trout naturally reproduce in Millard Creek from its mouth upstream for {{convert|2.67|mi|km}}.{{citation|author = Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission|url = http://fishandboat.com/trout_repro.pdf|title = Pennsylvania Wild Trout Waters (Natural Reproduction) - May 2016|page = 81|date = May 2016|access-date = July 6, 2016}} The designated use of the creek is aquatic life.