Susquehecka Creek

File:Susquehecka_Creek_looking_downstream.jpg

Susquehecka Creek begins in a broad valley known as Pleasant Valley, in Washington Township. It flows east-northeast for a few miles alongside Pennsylvania Route 35, crossing it twice. As the creek nears Freeburg, it receives the tributary Dry Run from the left and turns northeast, entering Freeburg. After a few tenths of a mile, it turns east-southeast for a short distance and reenters Washington Township before turning east-northeast, continuing to follow Pennsylvania Route 35. After more than a mile, the creek arrives at the end of Pleasant Valley and reaches its confluence with Middle Creek.

Susquehecka Creek joins Middle Creek {{convert|3.22|mi|km}} upstream of its mouth.{{Citation|url = http://www.lycoming.edu/cwi/pdfs/paGazetterOfStreams.pdf|title = Pennsylvania Gazetteer of Streams|pages = 57, 138|date = November 2, 2001|access-date = December 29, 2015}}

Susquehecka Creek has one named tributary, which is known as Dry Run. Dry Run joins Susquehecka Creek {{convert|2.64|mi|km}} upstream of its mouth, at Freeburg, and drains an area of {{convert|1.83|sqmi|km2}}.

A reach of Susquehecka Creek is designated as an impaired waterbody. The cause of the impairment is siltation/sedimentation and the likely source of the impairment is grazing-related agriculture.{{citation|author = United States Environmental Protection Agency|url = http://oaspub.epa.gov/tmdl/attains_waterbody.control?p_list_id=&p_au_id=PA242&p_cycle=2006&p_state=PA&p_report_type=A|title = 2006 Waterbody Report for Susquehecka Creek|access-date = December 29, 2015|author-link = United States Environmental Protection Agency}}

The elevation near the mouth of Susquehecka Creek is {{convert|436|ft|m}} above sea level. The elevation of the creek's source is {{convert|614|ft|m}} above sea level. The creek is a relatively small stream.

In the middle of the 20th century, the channel of Susquehecka Creek was significantly modified and relocated. The modifications included straightening, adding dikes, cleaning, and widening and deepening.{{citation|url = https://books.google.com/books?id=qCFJAAAAYAAJ&q=%22The+channel+of+Freeburg+Run+%28Susquehecka+Creek%29+was+straightened,+widened,+deepened,+cleaned,+diked+and+partially+relocated+throughout+a+distance+of+4+14+miles+upstream+from+its+confluence%22|title = Pennsylvania Forests and Waters, Volumes 2–4|page = 136|year = 1950}} A. Joseph Armstrong's book Trout Unlimited's Guide to Pennsylvania Limestone Streams described the creek as "yet another alleged limestone stream in an area with little appeal".{{citation|author = A. Joseph Armstrong|url = https://books.google.com/books?id=mhRawG_jSJgC&pg=PA222|title = Trout Unlimited's Guide to Pennsylvania Limestone Streams|page = 222|year = 2000| publisher=Stackpole Books |isbn = 9780811729444}}

The watershed of Susquehecka Creek has an area of {{convert|9.44|sqmi|km2}}. The mouth of the creek is in the United States Geological Survey quadrangle of Freeburg. However, its source is in the quadrangle of Dalmatia.

Flooding has been known to occur along Susquehecka Creek and its tributary Dry Run in the borough of Freeburg.{{citation|url = http://www.snydercounty.org/Depts/Planning/Documents/15_appendix_c-hazard_profiles_flooding.pdf|title = Snyder County Hazard Mitigation Plan Appendix C – Hazard Profile|page = 18|access-date = December 29, 2015}}

The designated use of Susquehecka Creek is aquatic life.

Susquehecka Creek was entered into the Geographic Names Information System on August 2, 1979. Its identifier in the Geographic Names Information System is 1189115.{{Citation|author = Geographic Names Information System|url = http://gnis.usgs.gov/apex/f?p=136:3:0::NO::P3_FID,P3_TITLE:1189115,Susquehecka%20Creek|title = Feature Detail Report for: Susquehecka Creek|access-date = December 29, 2015|author-link = Geographic Names Information System}} The creek is also known as Freeburg Creek or Freeburg Run. The former variant name appears in a 1953 United States Geological Survey map.{{citation|author = Geographic Names Information System|url = http://gnis.usgs.gov/apex/f?p=136:4:0::NO:4:P4_FID,FNAME:1189115,Freeburg%20Creek|title = Variant Citation|access-date = December 29, 2015|author-link = Geographic Names Information System}} However in 1965, USGS agent William L. Cain discovered that no locals had heard of the name "Freeburg Creek", and that every local he spoke to{{mdash}}including the then-mayor of Freeburg, a postmaster, a farmer, and a retired man{{mdash}}knew the creek as "Susquehecka Creek", though only two people he spoke to knew how to spell it. The name "Susquehecka Creek" had already been in use for many years by 1965.{{Citation|author = William L. Cain|url = http://geonames.usgs.gov/apex/feat_folder?p_file=1075019|title = PA_1189115_001_Susquehecka Creek_frm_1965.pdf|date = August 1965|access-date = December 29, 2015}}

A concrete tee beam bridge carrying State Route 2003 over Susquehecka Creek was built in 1937, {{convert|1|mi|km}} south of Freeburg and is {{convert|42.0|ft|m}} long. A prestressed box beam or girders bridge carrying Pennsylvania Route 35 across the creek was built in 2008, {{convert|3|mi|km}} east of Fremont and is {{convert|64.0|ft|m}} long.{{citation|url = http://www.uglybridges.com/pa/snyder/|title = Snyder County|access-date = December 29, 2015}} This bridge replaced a steel bridge built over the creek in 1952.{{citation|newspaper = The Daily Item|url = http://www.dailyitem.com/news/traffic-advisory-route-bridge/article_60552f5a-4097-5ea4-b5d4-54a90c9c3a63.html|title = Traffic Advisory: Route 35 bridge|date = May 6, 2008|access-date = December 29, 2015}}

The drainage basin of Susquehecka Creek is designated as a Coldwater Fishery and a Migratory Fishery.{{citation|work = Pennsylvania Code|url = http://www.pacode.com/secure/data/025/chapter93/s93.9m.html|title = § 93.9m. Drainage List M. Susquehanna River Basin in Pennsylvania Susquehanna River|access-date = December 29, 2015}} The creek has been officially proposed for future listing as a wild trout stream.{{citation|author = Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission|url = http://fishandboat.com/wild-trout-designations-step2.htm|title = Streams Officially Proposed for Wild Trout Designation|access-date = December 29, 2015|url-status = dead|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160130164513/http://fishandboat.com/wild-trout-designations-step2.htm|archive-date = January 30, 2016|author-link = Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission}}

• Kern Run, next tributary of Middle Creek going upstream
• List of rivers of Pennsylvania

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Category:Rivers of Snyder County, Pennsylvania

Category:Tributaries of the Susquehanna River

Category:Rivers of Pennsylvania