Lycoming Creek

41°13′44″N 77°2′26″W﻿ / ﻿41.22889°N 77.04056°W﻿ / 41.22889; -77.04056

This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.
Find sources: "Lycoming Creek" – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (August 2007) (Learn how and when to remove this message)

|

River in Pennsylvania, United States

Lycoming Creek

Lycoming Creek at Trout Run in Lycoming County, Pennsylvania

Location
Country| Pennsylvania, United States
Physical characteristics
Source|
• location| near McNett Township, Lycoming County
• elevation| 2,161 feet (659 m)
Mouth|

• location

| West Branch Susquehanna River, at Williamsport
Length| 37.5 miles (60.4 km)
Basin size| 272 square miles (700 km2)

Lycoming Creek is a 37.5-mile-long (60.4 km)[1] tributary of the West Branch Susquehanna River located in Tioga and Lycoming counties in Pennsylvania in the United States.

## Geography

[edit]

As the crow flies, Lycoming County is about 130 miles (209 km) northwest of Philadelphia and 165 miles (266 km) east-northeast of Pittsburgh. Lycoming Creek has its river source in Tioga County and is 25 miles (40 km) in length from the Tioga County / Lycoming County line to its confluence with the West Branch Susquehanna River at Williamsport. Smaller streams feeding Lycoming Creek include Pleasant Stream, Grays Run, Roaring Branch, Hoagland Run, and Trout Run.

Map of the West Branch Susquehanna River (dark blue) and major streams in Lycoming County, Pennsylvania. Lycoming Creek (yellow) is the third major creek entering the river in the county, between the Larrys Creek (orange) and Loyalsock Creek (green) watersheds.

## Watershed

[edit]

Approximately 81.5% of the Lycoming Creek watershed is in Lycoming County, with 16.5% in Tioga County, and 1.5% in Sullivan County. The watershed has a total population of 19,978 (as of 2000) and a total area of 272 square miles (700 km2). Of that area, 222 square miles (570 km2) are forested, 45 square miles (120 km2) are given to agricultural uses, only 3 square miles (7.8 km2) are developed, and the remaining 1 square mile (2.6 km2) is classified as barren.

### Recreation

[edit]

Lycoming Creek is a popular site for trout fishing and is usually heavily stocked with fish in the spring, especially in its upper reaches in Lycoming County. Much of the creek runs through heavily wooded areas, including the Tiadaghton State Forest near Grays Run. North of Trout Run, Pennsylvania Route 14 runs parallel to the creek. From Trout Run south to Williamsport, U.S. Route 15 (and old route 15) run parallel to the creek. Historic Bowman Field, home to the minor league baseball Williamsport Crosscutters, is located along the creek near its mouth in the western Newberry section of Williamsport.

## History

[edit]

Lycoming Creek, which begins in McNett Township, served as a highway of sorts during the colonial era of Pennsylvania's history. The local Lenape (Delaware) people called it Legani-hanne, meaning "sandy stream" - the name was later rendered by Europeans as Lycaumick and then Lycoming.[2] The stream was used by early explorers and the Native Americans in the area as a means of travel. They were able to float their canoes down the creek and into the West Branch Susquehanna River. This mode of transportation was considerably faster than walking the path.

Conrad Weiser guided Moravian missionaries along the creek and path to reach Onondaga, the capital of the Iroquois Confederacy in 1737. Raiding parties of Indian warriors used the creek and path in 1770 when conducting attacks on the West Branch Susquehanna Valley strongholds of Fort Muncy and Fort Freeland. Fort Freeland was also attacked and captured by Loyalists in July 1779. Colonel Thomas Hartley led the 6th Pennsylvania Regiment up the Sheshequin Path during the American Revolution. Hartley's expedition in 1778 preceded the Sullivan Expedition of 1779. Both Hartley and Sullivan were instrumental in claiming the frontier of Pennsylvania and New York for the forces of the Continental Army. As Hartley and his men passed through Lewis Township the Sheshequin path was widened. The widening of the path helped to open this area to settlement in the years following the Revolution. [3]

In 1839, the Williamsport and Elmira Railroad was built along the creek from Williamsport to Ralston, and was extended to the source of the creek and beyond to Elmira, New York, in 1854. The railroad was reorganized in 1860 as the Elmira and Williamsport Railroad, and came under the control of the Northern Central Railway in 1863, and later the Pennsylvania Railroad. U.S. Route 15 and Pennsylvania Route 14 were later built up the length of the creek. In 1972, flooding caused by Hurricane Agnes washed out several rail bridges and resulted in the abandonment of the railroad north of Hepburnville; the remainder was abandoned in 1986.

Lycoming Creek in Williamsport, PA near its mouth. Note flood control levees on either side.

There was severe flooding on Lycoming Creek on January 19 and 20, 1996, when a combination of heavy snow on the ground, heavy rains and subsequent melting, and ice dams led to flooding two feet higher than that seen in 1972 with Hurricane Agnes. Six people died as a result of flooding on Lycoming Creek in the greater Williamsport area, and there was millions of dollars of damage to property.[4]

## See also

[edit]

* List of rivers of Pennsylvania

## External links

[edit]

### General reference

[edit]

1. ^ U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline data. The National Map Archived 2012-03-29 at the Wayback Machine, accessed August 8, 2011
2. ^ John F. Piper (2011). Lycoming College, 1812–2012: On the Frontiers of American Education. Lexington Books. p. 317\. ISBN 9781611483710.
3. ^ Meginness, John Franklin (1892). http://www.usgennet.org/usa/pa/county/lycoming/history/Chapter-34.html. History of Lycoming County, Pennsylvania: including its aboriginal history; the colonial and revolutionary periods; early settlement and subsequent growth; organization and civil administration; the legal and medical professions; internal improvement; past and present history of Williamsport; manufacturing and lumber interests; religious, educational, and social development; geology and agriculture; military record; sketches of boroughs, townships, and villages; portraits and biographies of pioneers and representative citizens, etc. etc (1st ed.). Chicago, IL: Brown, Runk & Co. ISBN 0-7884-0428-8. Retrieved 2007-04-14. "(Note: ISBN refers to Heritage Books July 1996 reprint. URL is to a scan of the 1892 version with some OCR typos)." `{{cite book}}`: `|chapter-url=` missing title (help); ISBN / Date incompatibility (help)
4. ^ "Statewide Floods in Pennsylvania, January 1996". United States Geological Survey. April 10, 1996. Retrieved 24 November 2008.

* Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection 2001 Pennsylvania Gazetteer of Streams[permanent dead link‍]
* Lycoming County Watersheds Map
* Official Lycoming County Map showing all townships, villages, boroughs, cities, county roads, rivers, creeks, and some streams

### Lycoming Creek

[edit]

* Pennsylvania Game and Fish Commission description of Lycoming Creek
* Chesapeake Bay Program page on Lycoming Creek Watershed
* USGS Real Time Water Data for Lycoming Creek:
* Gauge near the creek's mouth at Williamsport
* Gauge upstream near Trout Run
* Lycoming County Stream Gauge Data for Lycoming Creek:
* Gauge at Hepburnville
* Gauge at Bodines
* Gauge at Ralston
* Gauge at Deer Crossing[permanent dead link‍]
* Gauge at Roaring Branch
* Information on the 1996 floods from the USGS

* v
* t
* e

Susquehanna River system

Lower Susquehanna River|

| |

* Chesapeake Bay (mouth)
* Deer Cr.
* Octoraro Cr.
* West Br.
* East Br.
* Conowingo Cr.
* Broad Cr.
* Muddy Cr.
* Pequea Cr.
* Conestoga R.
* Little Conestoga Cr.
* Mill Cr.
* Cocalico Cr.
* (Hammer Cr.)
* (Middle Cr.)
* Muddy Cr.
* Chiques Cr.
* Little Chiques Cr.
* Codorus Cr.
* South Br.
* (East Br.)
* Conewago Cr. (W)
* Little Conewago Cr.
* Bermudian Cr.
* (South Br.)
* Conoy Cr.
* Conewago Cr. (E)
* Swatara Cr.
* Manada Cr.
* Quittapahilla Cr.
* Little Swatara Cr.
* Lower Little Swatara Cr.
* Spring Cr.
* Paxton Cr.
* Yellow Breeches Cr.
* Mountain Cr.
* Conodoguinet Cr.
* Middle Spring Cr.
* Muddy Run
* Clark Cr.
* Shermans Cr.
* Juniata R.
* Powell Cr.
* Wiconisco Cr.
* Mahantango Cr.
* Pine Cr.
* Mahantango Cr (Snyder County).
* (North Br.)
* (West Br.)
* Mahanoy Cr.
* Schwaben Cr.
* Little Mahanoy Cr.
* Shenandoah Cr.
* Penns Cr.
* Middle Cr.
* Pine Cr.
* (Elk Cr.)
* Sinking Cr.
* Shamokin Cr.
* Little Shamokin Cr.
* West Br. Susquehanna R.

|

Juniata River|

| |

* Susquehanna R. (mouth)
* Buffalo Cr.
* Cocolamus Cr.
* Tuscarora Cr.
* East Licking Cr.
* Lost Cr.
* Jacks Cr.
* Kishacoquillas Cr.
* Honey Cr.
* Aughwick Cr.
* Blacklog Cr.
* Little Aughwick Cr.
* Sideling Hill Cr.
* Raystown Br. Juniata R.
* Great Trough Cr.
* Yellow Cr.
* Brush Cr.
* Dunning Cr.
* (Bobs Cr.)
* Standing Stone Cr.
* Shaver Cr.
* Frankstown Br. Juniata R.
* Beaverdam Br.
* Clover Cr.
* Piney Cr.
* Little Juniata R.
* Spruce Cr.
* Bald Eagle Cr.

|

West Branch Susquehanna River|

| |

* Susquehanna R. (mouth)
* Chillisquaque Cr.
* West Branch Chillisquaque Cr.
* Buffalo Cr.
* Muddy Run
* Drury Run
* White Deer Cr.
* White Deer Hole Cr.
* Black Hole Cr.
* Muncy Cr.
* Little Muncy Cr.
* Loyalsock Cr.
* Elk Cr.
* Little Loyalsock Cr.
* Lycoming Cr.
* Larrys Cr.
* Antes Cr.
* Pine Cr.
* Little Pine Cr.
* (Texas Cr.)
* (Blockhouse Cr.)
* Slate Run
* Babb Cr.
* Marsh Cr.
* West Branch Pine Cr.
* Bald Eagle Cr.
* Fishing Cr.
* (Little Fishing Cr.)
* Beech Cr.
* Marsh Cr.
* Spring Cr.
* Wallace Run
* Tangascootack Cr.
* Young Womans Cr.
* Kettle Cr.
* Cross Fork
* Lick Run
* Sinnemahoning Cr.
* First Fork
* Bennett Branch
* Driftwood Branch
* Birch Island Run
* Mosquito Cr.
* Moshannon Cr.
* Black Moshannon Cr.
* Trout Run
* Clearfield Cr.
* Little Clearfield Cr.
* Beaverdam Run
* Anderson Cr.
* Chest Cr.

|

Middle Susquehanna River|

| |

* West Branch Susquehanna R.
* Mahoning Cr.
* Roaring Cr.
* South Branch Roaring Cr.
* (Mugser Run)
* Catawissa Cr.
* Fishing Cr.
* Hemlock Cr.
* Little Fishing Cr.
* Huntington Cr.
* West Branch Fishing Cr.
* (East Branch Fishing Cr.)
* Kinney Run
* Nescopeck Cr.
* Black Cr.
* Little Nescopeck Cr.
* Big Wapwallopen Cr.
* Little Wapwallopen Cr.
* Harveys Cr.
* Solomon Cr.
* Lackawanna R.
* Spring Brook
* Roaring Brook
* Bowman Cr.
* Tunkhannock Cr.
* Martins Cr.
* Nine Partners Cr.
* Mehoopany Cr.
* Meshoppen Cr.
* White Cr.
* Tuscarora Cr.
* Sugar Run Cr.
* Wyalusing Cr.
* Wysox Cr.
* Towanda Cr.
* South Br.
* Schrader Cr.
* Sugar Cr.
* Chemung R.

|

Chemung River|

| |

* Susquehanna R. (mouth)
* Baldwin Cr.
* Bentley Cr.
* Seeley Cr.
* South Cr.
* Newtown Cr.
* Cohocton R.
* Meads Cr.
* Mud Cr.
* Campbell Cr.
* Fivemile Cr.
* Tioga R.
* Canisteo R.
* (Tuscarora Cr.)
* (Bennetts Cr.)
* (Canacadea Cr.)
* Cowanesque R.
* (Troups Cr.)
* Crooked Cr.
* Mill Cr.

|

Upper Susquehanna River|

| |

* Chemung R.
* Cayuta Cr.
* Wappasening Cr.
* Pipe Cr.
* Owego Cr.
* Catatonk Cr.
* Apalachin Cr.
* Nanticoke Cr.
* Choconut Cr.
* Chenango R.
* Tioughnioga R.
* (Otselic R.)
* Canasawacta Cr.
* Genegantslet Cr.
* Sangerfield R.
* Snake Cr.
* Salt Lick Cr.
* Starrucca Cr.
* Kelsey Brook
* Unadilla R.
* Butternut Cr.
* Wharton Cr.
* Ouleout Cr.
* Otego Cr.
* Charlotte Cr.
* Schenevus Cr.
* Cherry Valley Cr.
* Burditt Brook
* Black Brook
* Chase Cr.
* Oaks Cr.
* Fly Cr.
* Phinney Cr.
* Lidell Cr.
* Canadarago Lake (source)
* Red Cr.
* Otsego Lake (New York) (source)

|

* Maryland
* Pennsylvania
* New York
* Counties
* Municipalities
* Crossings
* Dams

* Streams shown as: Tributaries
* subtributaries
* (subsubtributaries)

*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template