Paunnacussing Creek Explained

Paunnacussing Creek
Name Other:Milton Creek
Pushpin Map:USA Pennsylvania
Pushpin Map Size:250
Pushpin Map Caption:Paunnacussing Creek
Pushpin Map Alt:pushpin map showing location of Paunnacussing Creek
Subdivision Type1:Country
Subdivision Name1:United States
Subdivision Type2:State
Subdivision Name2:Pennsylvania
Subdivision Type3:County
Subdivision Name3:Bucks
Subdivision Type4:Township
Subdivision Name4:Buckingham
Solebury
Length:5.39miles
Source1 Elevation:390feet
Mouth Elevation:72feet
Progression:Paunnacussing Creek → Delaware RiverDelaware Bay
River System:Delaware River
Basin Size:7.87sqmi
Basin Landmarks:Lumberville
Bridges:Indian Spring Road
Wellsford Lane
Street Road
Carversville Road
Fleecy Dale Road
Old Carversville Road
Pennsylvania Route 32 (River Road)
Pennsylvania Canal (Delaware Division) aqueduct.
Custom Label:Slope
Custom Data:59ft/mi

Paunnacussing Creek is a tributary of the Delaware River contained wholly within Bucks County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. It rises from a pond north of Mechanicsville in Buckingham Township and drains into the Delaware at Bull Island just upstream of Lumberville in Solebury Township.

History

The original inhabitants of the area of Paunnacussing Creek were the Lenape people. Later, it became a part of the Province of Pennsylvania in 1681.The first mention of the stream was on Cutler's resurvey in 1703. At one time there were several mills along the creek as evidenced by dams along the waterway, which were damaged or destroyed during the great flood of 3 August 1885, which caused severe damage in the village of Carversville, washed out local roads, and destroyed the aqueduct carrying the Delaware Canal over the creek. The cost of replacing the aqueduct was $10,000.[1]

Statistics

The Geographic Name Information System I.D. is 1183392,[2] U.S. Department of the Interior Geological Survey I.D. is 03093. The creek's watershed is 7.87sqmi, and it meets its confluence with the Delaware river's 155.60 river mile at an elevation of 72feet.[3]

Course

Paunnacussing Creek rises from a pond north of Mechanicsville at an elevation of 390feet and starts out northwest oriented, then northeast, turns northwest, and back to northeast. At Carversville, it picks up two unnamed tributaries, one from the right bank, then one from the left. Then is northeast oriented until it passes under the Delaware Canal aqueduct and meets with the Delaware River just upstream of Lumberville across from Bull's Island at an elevation of 72feet, resulting in an average slope of 59ft/mi.

Geology

Paunnacussing Creek lies in the Stockton Formation of bedrock consisting of arkosic sandstone, buff to light-gray, and red to purple-red sandstone, shale, siltstone, and mudstone laid down during the Triassic.

Municipalities

Crossings and Bridges

Crossing NBI Number Length Lanes Spans Material/Design Built Reconstructed LatitudeLongitude
Indian Spring Road---------
Wellsford Lane---------
Street Road---------
Carversville Road710313m (43feet)22arch-deck masonry-201140°23'11.1"N75°3'45.7"W
Fleecy Dale Road711121m (69feet)22arch-deck masonry--40°23'15.6"N75°3'46"W
Old Carversville Road754516m (52feet)11steel stringer/multi-beam or girder1931198640°23'34.8"N75°3'26.2"W
Pennsylvania Route 32 (River Road)4133814m (46feet)21prestressed concrete box beam or girders-multiple2001-40°24'27.8"N75°2'31.92"W
Pennsylvania Canal (Delaware Division) aqueduct---------

See also

Notes and References

  1. MacReynolds, George, Place Names in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, Doylestown, Bucks County Historical Society, Doylestown, PA, 1942, P289.
  2. Web site: GNIS Feature Search . geonames.usgs.gov . U.S. Geological Survey, U.S. Department of the Interior . 8 October 2017.
  3. http://www.lycoming.edu/cwi/pdfs/paGazetterOfStreams.pdf, page 76