Shickshinny Creek
| Shickshinny Creek Shickohinna | |
|---|---|
Shickshinny Creek in Shickshinny | |
| Etymology | possibly a corruption of Schigi-hanna, which itself means "fine creek" |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Source | |
| • location | valley northwest of Sylvan Lake in Ross Township, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania |
| • elevation | between 1,200 and 1,220 feet (370 and 370 m) |
| Mouth | |
• location | Susquehanna River in Shickshinny, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania |
• coordinates | 41°09′05″N 76°08′48″W / 41.1514°N 76.1468°W |
• elevation | 499 ft (152 m) |
| Length | 10.1 mi (16.3 km) |
| Basin size | 35.0 sq mi (91 km2) |
| Basin features | |
| Progression | Susquehanna River → Chesapeake Bay |
| Tributaries | |
| • left | Reyburn Creek |
| • right | Culver Creek, Little Shickshinny Creek |
Shickshinny Creek (historically known as Shickohinna) is a tributary of the Susquehanna River in the Wyoming Valley in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. It is approximately 10.1 miles (16.3 km) long and flows through Ross Township, Union Township, and Shickshinny. Its watershed has an area of 35.0 square miles (91 km2) and its tributaries include Culver Creek, Reyburn Creek, and Little Shickshinny Creek. The creek is designated as a Coldwater Fishery and a Migratory Fishery. A sawmill and a gristmill were built on the creek in 1802 and 1804, respectively. Several bridges have also been constructed over it. The creek was historically polluted by culm near its mouth, but agriculture was the main industry in the watershed in the early 1900s. It was historically used as a water supply.
The surficial geology near Shickshinny Creek mainly consists of urban land, fill, alluvium, alluvial terrace, alluvial fan, Wisconsinan Ice-Contact Stratified Drift, Wisconsinan Ice-Contact Delta, Wisconsinan Bouldery Till, Wisconsinan Till, lakes, and wetlands. The lower reaches of the creek are in a water gap between Huntington Mountain and Shickshinny Mountain. A lake known as Shickshinny Lake is in the watershed and is dammed by the Shickshinny Lake Dam.