| Hoffer Creek | |
| Source1 Location: | small pond in a valley in Chapman Township, Snyder County, Pennsylvania |
| Mouth Location: | Susquehanna River in Chapman Township, Snyder County, Pennsylvania near Dalmatia |
| Mouth Coordinates: | 40.6521°N -76.9228°W |
| Progression: | Susquehanna River → Chesapeake Bay |
| Length: | 3.1miles |
| Source1 Elevation: | 643feet |
| Mouth Elevation: | 397feet |
| Basin Size: | 2.34sqmi |
| Tributaries Left: | four unnamed tributaries |
| Tributaries Right: | four unnamed tributaries |
Hoffer Creek is a tributary of the Susquehanna River in Snyder County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. It is approximately 3.1miles long and flows through Chapman Township. The watershed of the creek has an area of 2.34sqmi. At least part of the creek is designated as an impaired waterbody due to sedimentation/siltation from grazing-related agriculture. The creek is in the ridge and valley physiographic province, and the geology consists mostly of intermedded sedimentary rock and sandstone.
The main land use in the watershed of Hoffer Creek is agricultural land. However, forested land is also common and there is some low-intensity development. The creek's drainage basin is designated as a Warmwater Fishery and a Migratory Fishery. The creek has few or no riparian buffers in agricultural areas.
Hoffer Creek begins in a small pond in a valley in Chapman Township. It flows east-southeast for a few tenths of a mile, passing through another pond and receiving an unnamed tributary from the left. The creek then turns south-southeast for several tenths of a mile, receiving two unnamed tributaries from the left, and in between them, one unnamed tributary from the right. It then turns southwest and then south, receiving another unnamed tributary from the right before eventually turning south-southeast for more than a mile. In this reach, it receives an unnamed tributary from the right and its valley eventually becomes much shallower. The creek then turns southwest for several hundred feet before turning south-southeast and receiving an unnamed tributary from the right. Several tenths of a mile further downstream, it receives a very short unnamed tributary from the left before crossing US Route 11/US Route 15 and reaching its confluence with the Susquehanna River.
Hoffer Creek joins the Susquehanna River 107.34miles upstream of its mouth.
Hoffer Creek has no named tributaries. However, it does have several unnamed tributaries. Three of these are Unt 17489, Unt 17490, and Unt 17491.
Hoffer Creek is designated as an impaired waterbody. The cause of the impairment is sedimentation/siltation and a probable of the impairment is grazing-related agriculture.
As of the early 2010s, the sediment load in Hoffer Creekincluding an adjacent unnamed tributary to the Susquehanna Riveris 864600lb per year, or 2451lb per day. This requires a 5 percent reduction to meet the creek's total maximum daily load for sediment: 2238lb per day, or 816876lb per year. Cropland is the largest contributor of sediment, accounting for 670000lb per year. Hay/pastures account for 90200lb per year, while stream banks account for 76800lb per year. Another 25600lb comes annually from transitional land, while 24400lb comes from low-intensity development. Forests contribute 7400lb of sediment per year.
The average annual rate of rainfall in the watershed of Hoffer Creek over a 19-year period was approximately 39.3inches. The average annual rate of runoff in the watershed during a 19-year period was approximately 2.9inches.
The elevation near the mouth of Hoffer Creek is 397feet above sea level. The elevation of the creek's source is 643feet above sea level. The elevations in the watershed range from less than 400feet above sea level at the lowest to more than 700feet above sea level at the highest.
Hoffer Creek is in the Ridge and Valley physiographic province.
The surface geology in the watershed of Hoffer Creekincluding an adjacent unnamed tributary to the Susquehanna Riveris dominated by interbedded sedimentary rock, which underlies 70 percent of the watershed. Sandstone occupies another 25 percent of the watershed's area. The remaining 5 percent is split between carbonate rock (4 percent) and conglomerate (1 percent). The geology of the watershed has little influence on the creek's sediment load.
The level of slope in the watershed of Hoffer Creek, combined with the lack of conservation farming practices in the upper reaches of the watershed, causes fast-moving silty runoff to form during precipitation events, degrading the creek and all its tributaries. The dominant hydrologic soil groups in the watershed include C (80 percent) and B (20 percent). Streambank erosion occurs in the creek's watershed.
The watershed of Hoffer Creek has an area of 2.34sqmi. The creek is entirely within the United States Geological Survey quadrangle of Dalmatia. Its mouth is located near Dalmatia.
The dominant land use in the watershed of Hoffer Creek is agricultural land, which accounts for 51.0 percent of the watershed's area including 521.4acres of hay/pastures and 313.8acres of cropland. Forested land occupies 42.9 percent of the creek's watershed and low-intensity development occupies 6.1 percent.
There are a total of 8.1miles of streams in the watershed of Hoffer Creek. All the streams in the watershed are in Chapman Township, in the southern part of Snyder County.
Hoffer Creek was entered into the Geographic Names Information System on August 2, 1979. Its identifier in the Geographic Names Information System is 1177159.
The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation was once issued an Encroachment permit to build and maintain an articulated grout mattress in Hoffer Creek, under a bridge carrying State Route 2002.
In June 2012, the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection invited comments on its proposed total maximum daily load for Hoffer Creek. However, no public comments were received.
The drainage basin of Hoffer Creek is designated as a Warmwater Fishery and a Migratory Fishery. The designated use for the creek is aquatic life.
In agricultural areas along Hoffer Creek, there are few or no riparian buffers. Additionally, livestock have access to the creek and conservation farming practices are not done in the watershed.