Wetzel Run
Physical characteristics
Source 
 • locationlarge ridge in Beaver Township, Snyder County, Pennsylvania
 • elevation1,883 ft (574 m)
Mouth 
 • location
Kern Run in Beaver Township, Snyder County, Pennsylvania near Beavertown
 • coordinates
40°45′36″N 77°10′24″W / 40.76011°N 77.17322°W / 40.76011; -77.17322
 • elevation
587 ft (179 m)
Length4.3 mi (6.9 km)
Basin size3.58 sq mi (9.3 km2)
Basin features
ProgressionKern Run → Middle Creek → Penns Creek → Susquehanna River → Chesapeake Bay
Tributaries 
 • righttwo unnamed tributaries

Wetzel Run is a tributary of Kern Run in Snyder County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. It is approximately 4.3 miles (6.9 km) long and flows through Beaver Township.[1] The watershed of the stream has an area of 3.58 square miles (9.3 km2). The stream is crossed by a bridge carrying US Route 522. Wild trout naturally reproduce in Wetzel Run.

Course

Wetzel Run begins on a large ridge in Beaver Township. It flows northwest for several tenths of a mile before turning north-northeast for several tenths of a mile, receiving an unnamed tributary from the right. It then turns north-northwest for a few tenths of a mile before turning northeast for several tenths of a mile, receiving another unnamed tributary from the right and reaching the bottom of the ridge. The stream then turns north for a few tenths of a mile before turning northwest. After several tenths of a mile, the stream turns west and then north-northwest, crossing US Route 522 and approaching Thomas Ridge. Here, the stream disappears from the surface and turns west for several tenths of a mile before reaching its confluence with Kern Run.[1]

Wetzel Run joins Kern Run 1.10 miles (1.77 km) upstream of its mouth.[2]

Hydrology, geography and geology

The elevation near the mouth of Wetzel Run is 587 feet (179 m) above sea level.[3] The elevation of the stream's source is 1,883 feet (574 m) above sea level.[1]

Beaverton Finishing Farm has or had a National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permit for which the receiving stream was Wetzel Run.[4]

Watershed

The watershed of Wetzel Run has an area of 3.58 square miles (9.3 km2).[2] The mouth of the stream is in the United States Geological Survey quadrangle of Beavertown. However, its source is in the quadrangle of Beaver Springs.[3] The stream's mouth is situated near Beavertown.[2]

Flooding has been known to occur on Wetzel Run near the borough of Beavertown and in Beaver Township.[5]

History

Wetzel Run was entered into the Geographic Names Information System on August 2, 1979. Its identifier in the Geographic Names Information System is 1191196.[3]

A bridge carrying US Route 522 over Wetzel Run was built in 1927. The bridge was a relatively narrow, single-span concrete bridge with a length of 24 feet (7.3 m). Eventually, the bridge deteriorated to become functionally obsolete and was replaced in 2012 for $456,000. The new bridge had two 12-foot (3.7 m) wide lanes and 8-foot (2.4 m) wide shoulders and is a precast concrete box culvert bridge. The new bridge opened for traffic on August 27, 2012 and is predicted to last at least 50 years.[6]

Biology

Wild trout naturally reproduce in Wetzel Run for 3.59 miles (5.78 km) of its length.[7]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 United States Geological Survey, The National Map Viewer, retrieved December 30, 2015
  2. 1 2 3 Pennsylvania Gazetteer of Streams (PDF), November 2, 2001, p. 150, retrieved December 30, 2015
  3. 1 2 3 Geographic Names Information System, Feature Detail Report for: Wetzel Run, retrieved December 30, 2015
  4. ↑ "I. NPDES Renewal Applications", Pennsylvania Bulletin, December 2, 2006, retrieved December 30, 2015
  5. ↑ Snyder County Hazard Mitigation Plan Appendix C - Hazard Profile (PDF), pp. 8, 10, retrieved December 30, 2015
  6. ↑ Travel Advisory, Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, August 27, 2012, retrieved December 30, 2015
  7. ↑ Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission (October 2015), Pennsylvania Wild Trout Waters (Natural Reproduction) - October 2015 (PDF), p. 78, retrieved December 30, 2015
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