Pine Creek (Mahantango Creek)

Pine Creek is a tributary of Mahantango Creek in Schuylkill and Dauphin counties, Pennsylvania, in the United States. It is approximately long. The creek flows through Foster Township, Hegins Township, Hubley Township, and Upper Mahantango Township in Schuylkill County and Lykens Township in Dauphin County. The creek's watershed has an area of and its tributaries include Rausch Creek and Deep Creek. Pine Creek is considered by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection to be impaired by abandoned mine drainage and resource extraction. However, it is designated as a coldwater fishery.

Course

Pine Creek begins in southwestern Foster Township, Schuylkill County, near Interstate 81. The creek heads west-southwest into a valley, entering Hegins Township, where it passes through Dell Lake. Some distance downstream, the valley broadens significantly and the creek turns west. The creek continues west for many miles, flowing parallel to Good Spring Mountain. It passes by the community of Valley View and receives the tributary Rausch Creek and continues west, entering Hubley Township. In Hubley Township, the creek passes near the community of Sacramento. A few miles further on, it crosses Pennsylvania Route 25, passes through the community of Spring Glen, and begins meandering northwest, away from Good Spring Mountain. The creek receives the tributary Deep Creek there. Further downstream, Pine Creek leaves Schuylkill County.

Upon leaving Schuylkill County, Pine Creek enters Lykens Township, Dauphin County. Here, the creek flows west for a short distance before turning north. It then cuts through a ridge and re-enters Schuylkill County, this time in Upper Mahantango Township. A short distance downstream, the creek reaches its confluence with Mahantango Creek.

Pine Creek joins Mahantango Creek upstream of its mouth.

Tributaries

Tributaries of Pine Creek include Rausch Creek and Deep Creek. Rausch Creek joins Pine Creek upstream of its mouth and its watershed has an area of . Deep Creek reaches its confluence with Pine Creek upstream of the latter creek's mouth. The watershed of this tributary has an area of .

Hydrology and metals

Pine Creek is considered by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection to be impaired by abandoned mine drainage and resource extraction. Most of the creek is considered to be impaired, as is the entirety of the tributary Rausch Creek. One of Pine Creek's subtributaries in the Deep Creek sub-watershed is also impaired. The rest of the steams in the watershed are not considered by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection to be impaired.

South of the community of Fountain, the daily load of aluminum in the waters of Pine Creek is . At the Gap School Road bridge, the aluminum load is per day and the daily load is at the Schwenks Road bridge. At the Pennsylvania Route 25 bridge near the community of Spring Glen, the daily load is . At the end of State Route 4015, the daily load of aluminum is and at the Michaels Food Products Bridge in Klingerstown, it is .

South of the community of Fountain, the daily load of manganese in the waters of Pine Creek is . At the Gap School Road bridge, the aluminum load is per day and the daily load is at the Schwenks Road bridge. At the Pennsylvania Route 25 bridge near the community of Spring Glen, the daily load is . At the end of State Route 4015, the daily load of aluminum is and at the Michaels Food Products Bridge in Klingerstown, it is .

South of the community of Fountain, the daily load of iron in the waters of Pine Creek is . At the Gap School Road bridge, the aluminum load is per day and the daily load is at the Schwenks Road bridge. At the Pennsylvania Route 25 bridge near the community of Spring Glen, the daily load is . At the end of State Route 4015, the daily load of aluminum is and at the Michaels Food Products Bridge in Klingerstown, it is .

Hydrology, pH, acidity, and discharge

South of the community of Fountain, the daily load of acidity in the waters of Pine Creek is . At the Gap School Road bridge, the aluminum load is per day and the daily load is at the Schwenks Road bridge. At the Pennsylvania Route 25 bridge near the community of Spring Glen, the daily load is . At the end of State Route 4015, the daily load of aluminum is and at the Michaels Food Products Bridge in Klingerstown, it is .

The pH of Pine Creek south of the community of Fountain ranges from 6.2 to 7.1. The creek's pH ranges from 6.5 to 7 at the Gap School Road bridge and at the Schwenks Road bridge, the pH ranges from 6.65 to 6.9. The pH ranges between 6.2 and 6.9 at the Pennsylvania Route 25 bridge near the community of Spring Glen and it ranges from 6.5 to 7 at the end of State Route 4015. At the Michaels Food Products Bridge in Klingerstown, the pH ranges between 6.3 and 6.9.

The discharge of Pine Creek south of the community of Fountain is 2364.5 gallons per minute. The creek's discharge is 8706.47 gallons per minute at the Gap School Road bridge and at the Schwenks Road bridge, the discharge is 18807.06 gallons per minute . It is 20099.86 gallons per minute at the Pennsylvania Route 25 bridge near the community of Spring Glen and is 42252.4 gallons per minute at the end of State Route 4015. At the Michaels Food Products Bridge in Klingerstown, the discharge is 48122.62 gallons per minute.

Geography and geology

The elevation near the mouth of Pine Creek is above sea level. The elevation of the creek's source is between and . The elevation of the creek decreases at a rate of per mile from its source to 18 river miles. From that point to the mouth, the rate of elevation decrease is per mile.

The watershed of Pine Creek is within the Anthracite Uplands section of the Ridge-and-Valley Appalachians physiological province.

The headwaters of Pine Creek are located in Hegins Valley. This valley is situated between Mahantango Mountain and Broad Mountain. The tributary Deep Creek is also in Hegins Valley, being separated from Pine Creek by a low ridge within the valley. Pine Creek also flows through a water gap in Mahantango Mountain near its mouth.

The main rock types in the watershed of Pine Creek are interbedded sedimentary rock and sandstone. The soils in the watershed are well-drained and permeable. The Lykens Valley coal seam, which is part of the Pottsville Formation, is found in the watershed's southeastern portion. This is the only coal seam in the watershed.

The channel of Pine Creek is tortuous