TimesLeader.com

Notes from the Countryside

The shape of our watershed Notes from the Countryside With Mary Felley

With fall coming on, there is no better time to go for a Sunday drive and appreciate the beauty of our countryside. The Susquehanna County Artists’ Open House tour on Oct. 10 to 12 ( www.artiststour.com), the North Branch Art Trail Tour on Oct. 9 to 11 ( www.wyalusing.net/artsfest/trail.shtml) and other fall events provide great opportunities to get out for a drive and enjoy great views of our hills, meadows and streams.

click image to enlarge

click image to enlarge

Select images available for purchase in the
Times Leader Photo Store

While you’re enjoying the scenery, you can get an idea of the shape of our watershed just by following the roads. The Tunkhannock Creek Watershed is a 413-square mile area that lays in northwest Lackawanna County, northeast Wyoming County and southeastern Susquehanna County. A “watershed” is defined as an area whose waters all flow to a single point. In the Tunkhannock Creek watershed, all the surface waters eventually flow together and enter the Susquehanna River at the town of Tunkhannock.

Flat land is a scarce resource in these parts, but what there is of it is often found along creeks. As a result, many travel routes originally followed creeks. These old footpaths, turnpikes and rail lines have evolved into state and U.S. highways over time so that we travel along our creeks to this day. Here are a few watershed driving tours you can take:

In the Abingtons, Ackerly Creek runs along Routes 6 and 11 from Glenburn Pond out to Keystone College, where it joins the larger South Branch of the Tunkhannock Creek. The South Branch itself closely parallels State Route 438 from Montdale to La Plume and Keystone College. The South Branch takes a small diversion to pass through Lackawanna Lake at Lackawanna State Park; it is the largest tributary to that lake. Kennedy Creek, another creek that feeds the lake, comes in along State Route 524 (aka Kennedy Creek Road).

Past Keystone College and Factoryville, the South Branch parallels Route 6 from Clarks Summit west to Bardwell. Countryside Conservancy’s Little Rocky Glen is on this stretch of the creek—you can find it just one-third of a mile from Route 6 by turning onto Lithia Valley Road at the “Factoryville Sportsmen’s Club” sign. The South Branch Tunkhannock Creek Watershed Coalition, an arm of Countryside Conservancy, is a volunteer group that works to promote and protect the health of the South Branch sub-watershed.

The main stem of the Tunkhannock Creek parallels State Route 92, running down from Jackson and Gibson Townships all the way down to Tunkhannock, passing through some beautiful floodplain meadows along the way (not to mention the amazing Tunkhannock Viaduct at Nicholson). Route 92 in Susquehanna County is designated a State Scenic Byway.

Martins Creek parallels US Highway 11 from just south of New Milford all the way down to the main stem of the Tunkhannock Creek at Nicholson. This waterway nestles in a beautiful valley, with lakes and wooded bottoms, and passes under the striking Martins Creek Viaduct (aka Kingsley Bridge) near Kingsley.

Route 167, a popular route to Montrose, follows Hop Bottom Creek from a ridgeline just outside Montrose down to its confluence with Martins Creek at the town of Hop Bottom. This is a beautiful, wide stream valley with many farm fields and great vistas.

Finally, the East Branch of the Tunkhannock Creek roughly parallels Route 374, winding down around Elk Mountain and through Elkdale and Clifford before heading west. It enters the main stem at Glenwood on Route 92. The East Branch offers some of the highest-quality waters and best fishing in our watershed, as well as more great scenery.

Mary Felley is the Executive Director of the Countryside Conservancy. Contact her at 945-6995 or cconserv@epix.net