Sciota Brook Explained

Sciota Brook
Name Other:Scotch Run
Source1 Location:unnamed pond in Wilmot Township, Pennsylvania
Mouth Coordinates:41.5236°N -76.2286°W
Length:2miles
Source1 Elevation:1322feet
Mouth Elevation:1119feet
Basin Size:3.23sqmi
Tributaries Right:one unnamed tributary

Sciota Brook (also known as Scotch Run) is a tributary of North Branch Mehoopany Creek in Bradford County, Sullivan County, and Wyoming County, in Pennsylvania, in the United States. It is approximately 2miles long and flows through Wilmot Township in Bradford County, Colley Township in Sullivan County, and North Branch Township in Wyoming County. The watershed of the stream has an area of 3.23sqmi. The stream itself is a moderate-gradient stream in an area consisting primarily of agricultural land and woodlots.

Course

Sciota Brook begins in an unnamed pond in Wilmot Township, Bradford County. It flows south-southeast for several tenths of a mile in a valley between Round Top and Tyler Mountain, entering Colley Township, Sullivan County. The stream then receives an unnamed tributary from the right and continues flowing south and south-southeast. It eventually reaches the end of the valley and crosses Pennsylvania Route 87 before turning east. A few tenths of a mile further downstream, it crosses into North Branch Township, Wyoming County and just over the border, reaches its confluence with North Branch Mehoopany Creek.

Sciota Brook joins North Branch Mehoopany Creek 6.44miles upstream of its mouth.

Hydrology

Sciota Brook is not designated as an impaired waterbody. In an August 2001 study, it was noted to have a low stream flow.

In its lower reaches, the pH of Sciota Brook was measured in the August 2001 study to be 7.2, while the alkalinity was 42mg/L. The water hardness was 60mg/L and the specific conductance was 84 umhos. When the ambient air temperature was 25C, the stream's water temperature was 17.8C.

Geography and geology

The elevation near the mouth of Sciota Brook is 1119feet above sea level. The elevation of the stream's source is 1322feet above sea level.

In its lower 2.2km (01.4miles), Sciota Brook is a moderate-gradient stream, falling at a rate of 37.1m/km. The primary hills in the stream's vicinity are Tyler Mountain and Round Top. Despite its length of only 2miles, it flows through three counties.

Watershed and biology

The watershed of Sciota Brook has an area of 3.23sqmi. The stream is entirely within the United States Geological Survey quadrangle of Jenningsville. It joins North Branch Mehoopany Creek near Lovelton.

The land use in the watershed of Sciota Brook is mainly agricultural land and woodlots. In its lower 2.2km (01.4miles), a total of 39 percent of the stream's length is within 100m (300feet) of a road, while 100 percent is within 300m (1,000feet) of one. In 2000, the population density of the stream's watershed was 4/km2.

Sciota Brook is classified as a Coldwater Fishery.

History

Sciota Brook was entered into the Geographic Names Information System on August 2, 1979. Its identifier in the Geographic Names Information System is 1187147. The stream is also known as Scotch Run. This variant name appears on some county highway maps published by the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation.

In 2012, Chesapeake Appalachia was issued a permit to build, operate, and maintain two 16inches water pipelines and temporary mat bridges impacting one or more unnamed tributaries of Sciota Brook.

See also