Hammersley Fork

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Hammersley Fork
Physical characteristics
MouthKettle Creek in Leidy Township, Clinton County, Pennsylvania
Basin features
ProgressionHammersley Fork --> Kettle Creek --> West Branch Susquehanna River --> Susquehanna River --> Chesapeake Bay

Hammersley Fork (also known as Hammersley Fork Creek[1]) is one of the main tributaries of Kettle Creek in Potter County and Clinton County, Pennsylvania, in the United States.[2][3] It is 10.1 miles (16.3 km) long and flows through Eulalia Township, Potter County and Leidy Township, Clinton County.[2] The Pottsville Formation is one rock formation in the watershed. The Hammersley Fork watershed has an area of 32.55 square miles and there are few roads in it. In July 2003, the water temperature at several locations on the stream ranged from 68 °F (20 °C) to 73 °F (23 °C).

The first settlers in the Hammersley Fork watershed arrived in 1827. Within several decades, there was a settlement at the mouth of the stream. The Hammersley Wild Area is also in the stream's watershed.

Course

Hammersley Fork begins in central Eulalia Township, Potter County, near the Sinnemahoning Creek watershed. It flows southeast to Elk Lick Knob, where it receives the tributary Black Mark Hollow. The stream then turns south and flows into a valley, passing Bunnell Ridge. The valley gets deeper and the stream receives several small tributaries. It turns southwest shortly downstream of the mouth of Elkhorn Run.[4] In the southern reaches of the township, the stream receives the tributary Bell Branch and turns south-southeast, exiting Eulalia Township.[4][5]

Upon leaving Eulalia Township, Potter County, Hammersley Fork enters Leidy Township, Clinton County and continues south, passing by Susquehannock State Forest. The stream continues south for some distance and crosses Pennsylvania Route 144. Immediately after crossing Pennsylvania Route 144, the stream reaches its confluence with Kettle Creek.[6]

Hammersley Fork joins Kettle Creek 17 miles (27 km) upstream of its confluence with the West Branch Susquehanna River.[1]

Tributaries

Hammersley Fork has a tributary called Nelson Branch. This stream has its own tributary, which is called Bell Branch.[7]

Hydrology

The concentration of alkalinity in Hammersley Fork ranges from 11 to 15 milligrams per liter. Particles in the stream include coarse sand and fine gravel. The stream experiences relatively high water temperatures.[3]

The sediment load in Hammersley Fork is 0.27 pounds (0.12 kg) per acre per year. The nitrogen load is 1.55 pounds (0.70 kg) per acre per year, while the phosphorus load is less than half a pound per acre per year.[8]

Between the mouth of Dry Hollow and the mouth of Bunnell Run, the waters of Hammersley Fork are a Rosgen type F and a Rosgen type C stream. The upper part of the stretch of the stream between Dry Hollow and Nelson Branch is a Rosgen type C stream. The middle part of the stretch is a Rosgen type B stream and the lower part is a Rosgen type F to D stream.[7]

In July 2003, the water temperature of Hammersley Fork between Dry Hollow and Bunnell Run 68 °F (20 °C) to 72 °F (22 °C). Between Dry Hollow and Nelson Branch, the temperature ranged from 70 °F (21 °C) to 73 °F (23 °C).[7]

Geography and geology

The Pottsville Formation is the main rock formation in the watershed of Hammersley Fork.[8] The highlands northwest of the Hammersley Fork watershed range from 2,000 feet (610 m) to 2,200 feet (670 m) and the highest elevation in the watershed is 2,365 feet (721 m) above sea level.[9][10] The elevation range in the watershed is 1,374 feet (419 m).[10] At its mouth, the stream is 16.5 metres (54 ft) wide.[3] The average basin slope is 16.24 degrees.[10] There are numerous gravel bars in the lower reaches of the stream. This width is maintained because deposition in the area is often removed. There is also a headcut in the lower reaches of the stream. At the headcut, it splits three ways for 21 metres (69 ft).[3] A spot on Hammersley Fork near its mouth is the only location in the Kettle Creek watershed that has been channelized.[11]

Hammersley Fork flows over bedrock or large cobbles for much of the stretch between Dry Hollow and Nelson Branch. From the mouth of Nelson Branch to 2 miles (3.2 km) downstream, the stream mostly flows in the central part of its valley.[7]

The tributary Nelson Branch has a patch of erosion that is 8 metres (26 ft) high and 18 metres (59 ft) long.[7] There is a floodplain at the mouth of Hammersley Fork.[12]

Two bridges cross Hammersley Fork near its mouth. One carries Pennsylvania Route 144 and the other carries Hammersley Avenue.[3]

Watershed

The watershed of Hammersley Fork has an area of 32.55 square miles, making it the second-largest sub-watershed of Kettle Creek after Cross Fork.[10] There are 57.42 miles (92.41 km) of streams in the watershed.[10]

0.2 miles (0.32 km) upstream of the mouth, there are a number of camps and residences on the left bank of Hammersley Fork.[3]

There are a number of dirt roads and gravel roads on the edge of the upper reaches of the watershed of Hammersley Fork.[7] There are no state routes and almost no township roads in the watershed.[8] However, much of the upper part of the watershed can only be accessed on foot.[7] There are five road crossings of the stream and its tributaries.[8] There is some agricultural land along the stream.[12]

History

Hammersley Fork is named after J. P. Hammersley.[13]

Jacob "Old Jake" Hammersley and Archie Stewart settled at the mouth of Hammersley Fork in 1827, with Hammersley settling on the east bank of the stream and Stewart settling on the west bank. They were the first settlers to come that far upstream in the Kettle Creek watershed. Additionally, the two constructed a gristmill on the west bank of the stream. There were no roads in the watershed by 1833. Later in the 1800s, Nathan Tuttle operated a gang mill on the stream. A settlement, also called Hammersley Fork, was created on the stream by 1852. In 1902, John Gartsee started a village called Hammersley in the middle reaches of Hammersley Fork. Its intended purpose was as a supply point for logging camps in the area. By 1902 to 1910, there was a network of railroads in the watershed.[1]

Logging was a large industry in the watershed of Hammersley Fork in the early 1900s, but there have been almost no industrial activities in the area since then.[7] An old railroad grade is located on Hammersley Fork.[14] Fish have been stocked in the stream since the 1930s or 1940s.[11]

The Cherry Springs Civilian Conservation Corps camp was built near the headwaters of Hammersley Fork in 1933.[1]

Biology

Great Blue Herons have been observed at the headwaters of Hammersley Fork, despite the fact that they are more commonly found in large river valleys.[15] Native trout have historically entered the stream. Little Yellow Stoneflies also inhabit it.[16] Brown trout first appeared in the stream in the 1920s after being stocked in Cross Fork and in the 1940s the brown trout populations significantly increased.[17]

The Forest H. Dutlinger State Forest Natural Area is located on Hammersley Fork.[18] Most of the stream flows through this natural area.[7] It is a 1521-acre area that includes a 158-acre area of old-growth hemlock trees.[18] The Hammersley Wild Area is also located in the watershed. The stream's watershed is a PNDI Biological Diversity Area. The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection also classifies the watershed as an exceptional-value area.[12]

From the mouth of Hammersley Fork to 0.75 miles (1.21 km) upstream of the mouth, the canopy cover ranges from 0 to 50 percent.[3] Much of the creek, however, has a significant riparian buffer.[7]

The canopy coverage of the section of Hammersley Fork between Dry Hollow and Bunnell Run is 62% on average. However, the lower part of this section has 86% canopy coverage. The upper part of the stretch of the stream between Nelson Branch and Dry Hollow has a canopy coverage of 93%. The middle part of this section has a coverage of 58% and the lowest part has a canopy coverage of 89%. The tree coverage at the confluence of Nelson Branch with Hammersley Fork is 70%. The canopy coverage up to 2 miles (3.2 km) downstream of the confluence averages 40%. Tree species in this stretch include hemlock, red maple, river birch, sycamore, and willow.[7]

Recreation

The Hammersley Trail, which is part of the Susquehannock Trail System, passes by the mouth of Hammersley Fork.[15]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d Pennsylvania State University (Spring 2001), Kettle Creek Culture (PDF), retrieved May 2, 2014
  2. ^ a b Google Maps, 2014, retrieved April 21, 2014
  3. ^ a b c d e f g Trout Unlimited, Kettle Creek Watershed Association (2002), Upper Kettle Creek Fish Habitat and Conservation Plan Clinton and Potter Counties, Pennsylvania (PDF), retrieved April 27, 2014
  4. ^ a b USGS (1986), eulalia2.jpg, retrieved April 21, 2014
  5. ^ USGS (1986), wharton.jpg, retrieved April 21, 2014
  6. ^ USGS (1986), clinton.jpg, retrieved April 21, 2014
  7. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k UPPER KETTLE CREEK FISH HABITAT CONSERVATION PLAN TRIBUTARIES ADDENDUM (PDF), March 2005, retrieved April 29, 2014
  8. ^ a b c d Pennsylvania State University (Spring 2001), The Quality of Our Waters (PDF), retrieved May 2, 2014
  9. ^ Geological Survey Professional Paper, Volumes 288–293
  10. ^ a b c d e Pennsylvania State University (Spring 2001), The Physical Landscape (PDF), retrieved May 2, 2014
  11. ^ a b Pennsylvania State University (Spring 2001), Wildlife & Fisheries (PDF), retrieved May 2, 2014
  12. ^ a b c Pennsylvania State University (Spring 2001), Landuse & Landcover (PDF), retrieved May 2, 2014
  13. ^ Mike Sajna (1990), Buck Fever: The Deer Hunting Tradition in Pennsylvania
  14. ^ Chuck Dillon (1995), Short hikes in God's country
  15. ^ a b Road-Less Wild Area in Pennsylvania (PDF), May 2002, retrieved April 21, 2014
  16. ^ Henry Ramsay (January 1, 2011), Matching Major Eastern Hatches: New Patterns for Selective Trout
  17. ^ Ralph Levi Watts, G. W. Harvey, Gordon Leon Trembley (1942), Brook Trout in Kettle Creek and Tributaries{{citation}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  18. ^ a b Paula Ford (February 1, 1995), Birder's Guide to Pennsylvania

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