Nanticoke Creek is a tributary of the Susquehanna River in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. It is approximately long and flows through Hanover Township and Nanticoke. The watershed of the creek has an area of . The creek has one named tributary, which is known as Espy Run. Nanticoke Creek impaired by pH and metals due to abandoned mine drainage. Abandoned mine drainage discharges in the creek's watershed include the Truesdale Mine Discharge and the Askam Borehole. The creek is located in the Northern Middle Anthracite Field and is in the Anthracite Valley Section of the ridge and valley physiographic province. The main rock formations in the watershed include the Mauch Chunk Formation, the Pottsville Group, and the Llewellyn Formation. The surficial geology consists of coal dumps, surface mining land, alluvium, Wisconsinan Outwash, Wisconsinan Till, urban land, and bedrock.
The watershed of Nanticoke Creek is mainly forested, but urban land and mining land are also present. The city of Nanticoke is partially in the watershed and many unincorporated communities are there as well. The creek is named after the Nanticoke tribe, but was historically known as Muddy Run before appearing on maps with its present name by 1776. Extensive mining, both underground and on the surface, has been done in the creek's watershed. Numerous passive and active treatment systems have been installed in the watershed in recent times.
Nanticoke Creek is designated as a Coldwater Fishery and a Migratory Fishery. However, it is relatively lacking in aquatic life.
Course
Nanticoke Creek begins in a valley on Penobscot Mountain in Hanover Township. It flows west for a short distance before turning north-northwest and passing through the Weller Gap. The creek then leaves behind the mountain and turns north for a few tenths of a mile before turning west-northwest, briefly passing through Nanticoke before reentering Hanover Township. It then turns north-northwest for nearly a mile, crossing Pennsylvania Route 29/US Route 11/South Cross Valley Expressway and passing by the community of Loomis Park. The creek then turns northwest for several tenths of a mile before turning west and crossing the South Cross Valley Expressway again. After this, it turns northwest again for a few tenths of a mile before receiving Espy Run, its only named tributary, from the left. It then crosses the Sans Souci Parkway and turns northwest for a few tenth of a mile, crossing the South Cross Valley Expressway once more before reaching its confluence with the Susquehanna River.
Nanticoke Creek joins the Susquehanna River upriver of its mouth.
Tributaries
In addition to having several unnamed tributaries, Nanticoke Creek has one named tributary, which is known as Espy Run. Espy Run joins Nanticoke Creek upstream of its mouth. Its watershed has an area of . An unofficially named tributary known as Leuders Creek is also in the watershed.
Hydrology
Nanticoke Creek is considered by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection to be impaired, meaning that it fails to attain water quality standards. The causes of impairment are metals and pH and the probable source is abandoned mine drainage. The creek is also impacted by abandoned mine lands in its watershed. However, a total maximum daily load is not planned. The upper reaches of the creek do not experience any major pollution.
Nanticoke Creek loses water to mines and also receives abandoned mine drainage discharges from them. The Truesdale Mine Discharge, which is also known as the Dundee Outfall, discharges into the creek. In low-flow conditions, its flow ranges from 0 to 38 cubic feet per second. A smaller abandoned mine drainage discharge with a discharge of 0.01 to 0.06 cubic feet per second also discharges into the creek. It has a substantial concentration of dissolved aluminum, but low levels of dissolved oxygen.
The discharge of Nanticoke Creek downstream of the Truesdale Mine Discharge ranges from 0.019 to 40 cubic feet per second, with a mean of 6.3 cubic feet per second. The discharge of the creek at its mouth was measured to be 3.8 cubic feet per second in June 1999 and 8.2 cubic feet per second in October 1999. Both values were significantly lower than those of the nearby Newport Creek.