Green Run (also known as Green Run Creek) is a

tributary A tributary, or affluent, is a stream or river that flows into a larger stream or main stem (or parent) river or a lake. A tributary does not flow directly into a sea or ocean. Tributaries and the main stem river drain the surrounding drainag ...

of Spring Brook in

Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania Lackawanna County (; unm, Lèkaohane) is a county in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. It is located in Northeastern Pennsylvania and had a population of 215,896 as of the 2020 census. Its county seat and largest city is Scranton. The county ...

, in the United States. It is approximately long and flows through Spring Brook Township, Roaring Brook Township, and

Scranton Scranton is a city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Lackawanna County. With a population of 76,328 as of the 2020 U.S. census, Scranton is the largest city in Northeastern Pennsylvania, the Wyoming Vall ...

. The watershed of the stream has an area of . It is considered to be

Class A Wild Trout Waters Class A Wild Trout Waters are the highest biomass class given to streams in Pennsylvania by the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission. They are considered to contain the highest-quality naturally reproducing trout populations in Pennsylvania. ...

throughout its entire length. Numerous

macroinvertebrate Invertebrates are a paraphyletic group of animals that neither possess nor develop a vertebral column (commonly known as a ''backbone'' or ''spine''), derived from the notochord. This is a grouping including all animals apart from the chordate s ...

taxa also inhabit the stream. The surficial geology in the vicinity of the stream's lower reaches mainly consists of Wisconsinan Till, bedrock, and Boulder

Colluvium Colluvium (also colluvial material or colluvial soil) is a general name for loose, unconsolidated sediments that have been deposited at the base of hillslopes by either rainwash, sheetwash, slow continuous downslope creep, or a variable combinatio ...

Course

Green Run begins in a pond near Tooley Corners in Spring Brook Township. It flows northwest for a few tenths of a mile and almost immediately enters Roaring Brook Township. It then turns west and crosses

Pennsylvania Route 307 Pennsylvania Route 307 (PA 307) is a north–south route of the Pennsylvania Highway System that runs for . The southern terminus is PA 435 in Covington Township and the northern terminus is PA 92 in Tunkhannock Township. The highway is ...

before turning southwest. Several tenths of a mile further downstream, it reenters Spring Brook Township and turns west-northwest, reentering Roaring Brook Township. The stream then turns west and enters Scranton. After a few tenths of a mile, it turns southwest and reenters Spring Brook Township. It flows generally in a westerly direction for a few miles in a deep valley near the border between Spring Brook Township and Scranton. The stream eventually turns south-southwest for several tenths of a mile and reaches its confluence with Spring Brook. Green Run joins Spring Brook upstream of its mouth.

Hydrology

The concentration of

alkalinity Alkalinity (from ar, القلوي, al-qaly, lit=ashes of the saltwort) is the capacity of water to resist acidification. It should not be confused with basicity, which is an absolute measurement on the pH scale. Alkalinity is the strengt ...

in Green Run is 17 milligrams per liter. In the 1970s, the Roaring Brook Sewage Treatment Plant discharged high levels of

sewage Sewage (or domestic sewage, domestic wastewater, municipal wastewater) is a type of wastewater that is produced by a community of people. It is typically transported through a sewer system. Sewage consists of wastewater discharged from residenc ...

into the stream after rains.

Geography and geology

The elevation near the

mouth In animal anatomy, the mouth, also known as the oral cavity, or in Latin cavum oris, is the opening through which many animals take in food and issue vocal sounds. It is also the cavity lying at the upper end of the alimentary canal, bounded on t ...

of Green Run is above

sea level Mean sea level (MSL, often shortened to sea level) is an average surface level of one or more among Earth's coastal bodies of water from which heights such as elevation may be measured. The global MSL is a type of vertical datuma standardise ...

. The elevation of the stream's

source Source may refer to: Research * Historical document * Historical source * Source (intelligence) or sub source, typically a confidential provider of non open-source intelligence * Source (journalism), a person, publication, publishing institute ...

is between above sea level. Green Run is a

perennial stream A perennial stream is a stream that has continuous flow of surface water throughout the year in at least parts of its catchment during seasons of normal rainfall, Water Supply Paper 494. as opposed to intermittent river, one whose flow is interm ...

. The

surficial geology Superficial deposits (or surficial deposits) refer to geological deposits typically of Quaternary age (less than 2.6 million years old). These geologically recent unconsolidated sediments may include stream channel and floodplain deposits, beac ...

along the valley floor in the lower reaches of Green Run mainly consists of a glacial or resedimented

till image:Geschiebemergel.JPG, Closeup of glacial till. Note that the larger grains (pebbles and gravel) in the till are completely surrounded by the matrix of finer material (silt and sand), and this characteristic, known as ''matrix support'', is d ...

known as Wisconsinan Till. The sides of the valley have

bedrock In geology, bedrock is solid rock that lies under loose material ( regolith) within the crust of Earth or another terrestrial planet. Definition Bedrock is the solid rock that underlies looser surface material. An exposed portion of be ...

consisting of

conglomerate Conglomerate or conglomeration may refer to: * Conglomerate (company) * Conglomerate (geology) * Conglomerate (mathematics) In popular culture: * The Conglomerate (American group), a production crew and musical group founded by Busta Rhymes ** C ...

sandstone Sandstone is a clastic sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized (0.0625 to 2 mm) silicate grains. Sandstones comprise about 20–25% of all sedimentary rocks. Most sandstone is composed of quartz or feldspar (both silicates ...

, and

shale Shale is a fine-grained, clastic sedimentary rock formed from mud that is a mix of flakes of clay minerals (hydrous aluminium phyllosilicates, e.g. kaolin, Al2 Si2 O5( OH)4) and tiny fragments (silt-sized particles) of other minerals, especia ...

. Some patches of Boulder Colluvium are also present.

Watershed

The

watershed Watershed is a hydrological term, which has been adopted in other fields in a more or less figurative sense. It may refer to: Hydrology * Drainage divide, the line that separates neighbouring drainage basins * Drainage basin, called a "watershe ...

of Green Run has an area of . The mouth of the stream is in the

United States Geological Survey The United States Geological Survey (USGS), formerly simply known as the Geological Survey, is a scientific agency of the United States government. The scientists of the USGS study the landscape of the United States, its natural resources, ...

quadrangle of Avoca. However, its source is in the quadrangle of Moscow. A total of 74 percent of the length of Green Run is on public land. The remaining 26 percent is on private land. A swampy meadow was observed near the stream in the early 1900s.

History and recreation

Green Run was entered into the

Geographic Names Information System The Geographic Names Information System (GNIS) is a database of name and locative information about more than two million physical and cultural features throughout the United States and its territories, Antarctica, and the associated states of ...

on August 2, 1979. Its identifier in the Geographic Names Information System is 1192551. The Spring Brook Railroad historically went up the valley of Green Run. A bridge carrying Pennsylvania Route 307 over Green Run was once replaced for a cost of $600,000. In the early 2000s, the Lackawanna River Watershed Conservation Plan recommended that Spring Brook Township include protection of Green Run in their comprehensive plans, as well as their ordinances for land use, zoning, and subdivision. In 2015, a tract of land containing the stream was purchased by the

Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources The Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR), established on July 1, 1995, is the agency in the U.S. State of Pennsylvania responsible for maintaining and preserving the state's 124 state parks and 20 state forests; ...

and made public land. In-stream fishing is permitted on Green Run.

Biology

Wild

trout Trout are species of freshwater fish belonging to the genera '' Oncorhynchus'', '' Salmo'' and '' Salvelinus'', all of the subfamily Salmoninae of the family Salmonidae. The word ''trout'' is also used as part of the name of some non-sa ...

naturally reproduce in Green Run from its headwaters downstream to its mouth. The stream is also considered by the

Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission The Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission is an independent state agency responsible for the regulation of all fishing and boating in the state of Pennsylvania within the United States of America. Unlike many U.S. states, Pennsylvania has a separ ...

to be Class A Wild Trout Waters from its headwaters downstream to its mouth. It meets the criteria for an Exceptional Value designation, a designation that gives extensive protection to a stream, forbidding any impact on water quality for any reason. Numerous

butterfly Butterflies are insects in the macrolepidopteran clade Rhopalocera from the order Lepidoptera, which also includes moths. Adult butterflies have large, often brightly coloured wings, and conspicuous, fluttering flight. The group comprises ...

species were observed in the vicinity of Green Run in the early 1900s. They included ''

Polygonia faunus ''Polygonia faunus'', the green comma, Faunus comma, or Faunus anglewing is a butterfly of the family Nymphalidae. Subspecies Subspecies include: *''Polygonia faunus smythi'' *''Polygonia faunus faunus'' *''Polygonia faunus articus'' *''Polyg ...

'', ''

Argynnis atlantis ''Argynnis'' is a genus of butterflies in the family Nymphalidae, one of several groups known as "fritillaries". Its species are commonly found in Europe and Asia. Systematics Several current species of ''Argynnis'' used to be included in disti ...

'', and Harris's checkerspot. A large number of

species have been observed in Green Run, including 16 genera in the orders Ephemeroptera,

Plecoptera Plecoptera is an order of insects, commonly known as stoneflies. Some 3,500 species are described worldwide, with new species still being discovered. Stoneflies are found worldwide, except Antarctica. Stoneflies are believed to be one of the mos ...

, and

Trichoptera The caddisflies, or order Trichoptera, are a group of insects with aquatic larvae and terrestrial adults. There are approximately 14,500 described species, most of which can be divided into the suborders Integripalpia and Annulipalpia on the ...

. Of a 210-individual sample, the most common taxa included ''

Ephemerella ''Ephemerella'' is a genus of spiny crawler mayflies in the family Ephemerellidae Ephemerellidae are known as the spiny crawler mayflies. They are a family of the order Ephemeroptera. There are eight genera consisting of a total 90 species (M ...

'' (57 individuals), ''

Chironomidae The Chironomidae (informally known as chironomids, nonbiting midges, or lake flies) comprise a family of nematoceran flies with a global distribution. They are closely related to the Ceratopogonidae, Simuliidae, and Thaumaleidae. Many species ...

'' (39 individuals), ''

Cheumatopsyche ''Cheumatopsyche'' is a genus of netspinning caddisflies in the family Hydropsychidae The Hydropsychidae are a family-level taxon consisting of net-spinning caddisflies. Hydropsychids are common among much of the world's streams, and a few sp ...

'' (19 individuals), ''

Pteronarcys ''Pteronarcys'' is a genus of giant stoneflies in the family Pteronarcyidae. There are about 8 described species in ''Pteronarcys''. Species * ''Pteronarcys biloba'' Newman, 1838 (knobbed salmonfly) * ''Pteronarcys californica'' Newport, 1848 ( ...

'' (17 individuals), and ''

Baetis ''Baetis'' is a genus of mayflies of the family Baetidae, known as the blue-winged olive to anglers. There are at least 150 described species in ''Baetis''. They are distributed worldwide, with the most variety in North America and norther ...

'' (10 individuals). Less common taxa included ''

Epeorus ''Epeorus'' is a genus of mayflies in the family Heptageniidae. Species * '' Epeorus aculeatus'' Braasch, 1990 * '' Epeorus aesculus'' Imanishi, 1934 * '' Epeorus albertae'' (McDunnough, 1924) * '' Epeorus alexandri'' (Kluge & Tiunova, 1989) * ...

'' (9 individuals), '' Dolophilodes'' (7 individuals), ''

Acroneuria ''Acroneuria'' is a genus of common stoneflies in the family Perlidae. There are more than 30 described species in ''Acroneuria''. Species These 32 species belong to the genus ''Acroneuria'': * '' Acroneuria abnormis'' (Newman, 1838) (common ...

'' (6 individuals), ''

Leuctra Leuctra or Leuktra ( grc, τὰ Λεῦκτρα, tà Leûktra, grc, τὸ Λεῦκτρον, tò Leûktron, label=none ) was a village of ancient Boeotia, situated on the road from Thespiae to Plataea, and in the territory of the former city. I ...

'' (5 individuals), and ''

Hexatoma ''Hexatoma'' is a genus of Tipuloidea, crane fly in the family Limoniidae. Species *Subgenus ''Cladolipes'' Hermann Loew, Loew, 1865 :*''Hexatoma cisatlantica, H. cisatlantica'' Charles Paul Alexander, Alexander, 1937 :*''Hexatoma haiasana, H. h ...

'' (5 individuals). Rarer taxa included '' Isoperfa'' (4 individuals), ''

Optioservus ''Optioservus'' is a genus of riffle beetles in the family Elmidae. There are about 13 described species in ''Optioservus''. Species * ''Optioservus browni'' White, 1978 (Brown's optioservus riffle beetle) * ''Optioservus canus'' Chandler, 1954 ( ...

'' (4 individuals), ''

Lanthus ''Lanthus'' is a genus of club-tailed dragonflies found in North America, commonly called pygmy clubtails. They are found in Japan and North America. The species are clear winged with black bodies and yellow markings. This genus includes the fo ...

'' (4 individuals), ''

Drunella ''Drunella'' is a genus of spiny crawler mayflies in the family Ephemerellidae Ephemerellidae are known as the spiny crawler mayflies. They are a family of the order Ephemeroptera. There are eight genera consisting of a total 90 species (Merr ...

'' (3 individuals), ''

Pycnopsyche ''Pycnopsyche'' is a genus of northern caddisflies in the family Limnephilidae __NOTOC__ Limnephilidae is a family of caddisflies with about 100 genera. They belong to the main lineage of case-constructing caddisflies, the Integripalpia or tub ...

'' (3 individuals), ''

Polycentropus ''Polycentropus'' is a genus of tube maker caddisflies in the family Polycentropodidae. There are more than 190 described species in ''Polycentropus''. See also * List of Polycentropus species This is a list of 161 species in ''Polycentropus'' ...

'' (3 individuals), '' Rhycophi'' (3 individuals), ''

Agapetus Agapetus ( grc, Ἀγαπητός, link=no, ''beloved'') may refer to: * ''Agapetus'' (caddisfly), a genus of caddisflies ** List of Agapetus species * Agapetus (deacon) (), a deacon of the church of Hagia Sophia in Constantinople * Agapetus (phys ...

'' (2 individuals), and '' Nigronia'' (2 individuals). The rarest taxa were ''

Lepidostoma ''Lepidostoma'' is a genus of bizarre caddisflies in the family Lepidostomatidae. There are more than 150 described species in ''Lepidostoma''. See also * List of Lepidostoma species References Further reading * * * External links

* ...

'', ''

Boyeria ''Boyeria'' is a genus of dragonfly in the family Aeshnidae, commonly called spotted darners. They occur in temperate North America and Eurasia. The name ''Boyeria'' commemorates the French entomologist Etienne Laurent Joseph Hippolyte Boyer ...

'', and ''

Cambaridae The Cambaridae are the largest of the four families of freshwater crayfish, with over 400 Species. Most of the species in the family are native the United States east of the Great Divide and Mexico, but fewer range north to Canada, and south to ...

'' (1 individual each). The modified

Hilsenhoff Biotic Index The Hilsenhoff Biotic Index (HBI) is a quantitative method of evaluating the abundance of arthropod fauna in stream ecosystems as a measurement of estimating water quality based on the predetermined pollution tolerances of the observed taxa. This bi ...

value of Green Run is 2.83. The modified EPT Index value is 12 and the total taxa richness is 23.

References

{{authority control Rivers of Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania Tributaries of Spring Brook (Lackawanna River) Rivers of Pennsylvania