| Coal Run | |
| Source1 Location: | near a valley in Lewis Township, Union County, Pennsylvania |
| Mouth Location: | North Branch Buffalo Creek in West Buffalo Township, Union County, Pennsylvania |
| Mouth Coordinates: | 40.9344°N -77.0434°W |
| Progression: | North Branch Buffalo Creek → Buffalo Creek → West Branch Susquehanna River → Susquehanna River → Chesapeake Bay |
| Length: | 3.6miles |
| Source1 Elevation: | between 740and |
| Mouth Elevation: | 538feet |
| Basin Size: | 5.33sqmi |
| Tributaries Left: | five unnamed tributaries |
Coal Run is a tributary of North Branch Buffalo Creek in Union County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. It is approximately 3.6miles long and flows through Lewis Township and West Buffalo Township. The watershed of the stream has an area of 5.33sqmi. A few streams in its watershed are designated as impaired due to nutrients and siltation. The watershed mostly consists of agricultural and forested land. Wild trout occur within the stream.
Coal Run begins near a valley in Lewis Township. It flows southeast for several tenths of a mile before entering West Buffalo Township. Immediately upon entering that township, the stream turns east-southeast for several tenths of a mile, receiving one unnamed tributary from the left. It then flows east for a few miles, receiving three more unnamed tributaries from the left. After a while, it turns east-southeast for a few tenths of a mile before turning east again and receiving another unnamed tributary from the left. The stream then flows east-northeast for several tenths of a mile until it reaches its confluence with North Branch Buffalo Creek.
Coal Run joins North Branch Buffalo Creek 0.46miles upstream of its mouth.
Coal Run has no named tributaries. However, it has a number of unnamed tributaries. The stream codes of these unnamed tributaries include 19039, 19041, and 19042.
Various tributaries to Coal Run are designated as impaired waterbodies. The cause of the impairment is nutrients and siltation, while the source is grazing-related agriculture. The total maximum daily load date is 2015. Streams in its watershed are also impacted by E. coli and thermal radiation. The stream and a number of others in Union County have been described as "not as clean as they should be".
In 2000, the load of sediment in Coal Run was 608838lb and in 2008, it was 571464lb. This equates to between 150lb/acre200lb/acre per year. However, in the future, it could be reduced by 61.76 percent to 218504lb per year. In 2000, row crops and streambank erosion were the largest contributors of sediment, contributing 289101lb230144lb, respectively. A total of 56742lb came from hay and pastures, 9808lb came from unpaved roads, 5639lb came from low-density urban land, and 17404lb came from other sources.
The nitrogen load of Coal Run in 2000 was 58691lb, while in 2008, it was 58248lb. This corresponds to between 15lb/acre20lb/acre. In the future, the annual nitrogen load could be reduced by as much as 20.57 percent to 46264lb.
In 2000, the phosphorus load of Coal Run was 2033lb, while in 2008, it was 1999lb. This equates to slightly less than 0.6lb/acre per year. However, in the future, the phosphorus load could be reduced by 43.82 percent to 1123lb per year.
The elevation near the mouth of Coal Run is 538feet above sea level. The elevation of the stream's source is between 740and above sea level.
There is no fencing or streambank stabilization in the watershed of Coal Run.
The watershed of Coal Run has an area of 5.33sqmi. The stream is entirely within the United States Geological Survey quadrangle of Mifflinburg. The watershed of the stream makes up 3 percent of the Buffalo Creek drainage basin. There are 13.4miles of streams in the watershed, including 6.1miles in agricultural land.
Agricultural land makes up 50 percent of the watershed of Coal Run and forested land makes up 40 percent. Impervious surface make up 3 percent of the watershed, though this could rise to 24 percent in the future. There are 21acres of no-till conversions in the watershed.
The agricultural land in the watershed of Coal Run includes 974acres of row crops and 969acres of hay and pastures. A total of 346acres of agricultural land are on slopes of more than 3 percent.
Coal Run was entered into the Geographic Names Information System on August 2, 1979. Its identifier in the Geographic Names Information System is 1172067.
A steel arch bridge carrying T-394 over Coal Run was built in 1984. It is 21feet long and is located 1miles north of Mifflinburg.
Wild trout naturally reproduce in Coal Run from its headwaters downstream to its mouth.
Vegetated buffer strips occur along 3.3miles of streams in the watershed of Coal Run.
The pathogen load of Coal Run is 7.058 × 1015 organisms per month, though this could be reduced to 6.686 × 1015 organisms per month in the future. The largest contributors of pathogens are urban areas and farm animals (6.526 × 1015 and 5.503 × 1014 organisms per month, respectively). Septic systems and wildlife contribute 1.054 × 1012 and 4.451 × 1011 organisms per month, respectively.