Northkill Creek
Encyclopedia
Northkill Creek is a stream primarily located in Berks County, Pennsylvania
. It feeds into Tulpehocken Creek
and covers part of the Schuylkill River
and Delaware River
watersheds. Northkill Creek and its tributaries are high quality trout streams.
near Shartlesville. The creek flows nearly 11 miles (17.7 km) roughly south to its confluence with Tulpehocken Creek just south of Bernville
. Tributaries include Little Northkill, Mollhead and Wolf Creeks. The confluence with Little Northkill Creek is at Bernville. Northkill Creek's watershed
covers approximately 42 square miles (108.8 km²) in Jefferson
, Penn
, Tulpehocken
, Upper Bern
and Upper Tulpehocken
Townships and Bernville and Strausstown
Boroughs in Berks County and South Manheim
and Wayne
Townships in Schuylkill County
. The Little Northkill sub-watershed drains 52.5% of this area and provides approximately 60% of the total flow.
The bedrock is primarily sandstone interbedded with shale, slate, quartzite, chert and limestone fragments. Blue Mountain is underlain by sandstone, with quartz-rich rock. More moderate slopes are underlain by shale. This bedrock does not provide significant ability to neutralize acidic pollution. The shale component limits the bedrock's water-bearing properties and hence draught resistance.
as an Exceptional Value stream. The remainder (from I-78 to the Tulpehocken) is designated Cold Water Fishery. The Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission
designates Northkill Creek and its tributaries as wild trout streams. As such Northkill Creek and its tributaries are important nurseries and refuges for wild trout. The creek is stocked with both brown
and brook
trout. The watershed has historically hosted American eel
, but dams have contributed to a decline in that population. Other significant populations include cutlips minnow
, common shiner
, blacknose dace
, creek chub, and white sucker
. Stream quality is stressed by acid rain
(primarily from Ohio power plants), agricultural discharge (nitrates and phosphates), and non-agricultural development (siltation, road salt, animal waste, sewage).
and early European settlers. Anabaptists and Lutherans settled the Northkill watershed in the early 18th century. In 1736, several Amish
families purchased land along Northkill Creek. The Northkill Amish Settlement
was the first organized Amish congregation in the U.S.
The Hochstetler
s, Yoder
s, Hetzlers and Millers
were joined by Zugs, Jotters, Glick
s, Kauffmans
, and Bishop Jacob Hartzler, and eventually included more than 150 residents. They constructed stone houses, planted apple orchards, and harvested hay, wheat, and rye. This community would later disband and move elsewhere. In 1754, Fort Northkill was built about two miles (3 km) east of Strausstown, near the Northkill Creek and about one mile (1.6 km) south of the base of the Blue Mountain.
Berks County, Pennsylvania
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 373,638 people, 141,570 households, and 98,532 families residing in the county. The population density was 435 people per square mile . There were 150,222 housing units at an average density of 175 per square mile...
. It feeds into Tulpehocken Creek
Tulpehocken Creek (Pennsylvania)
Tulpehocken Creek is a tributary of the Schuylkill River in southeastern Pennsylvania in the United States.An important transportation route in the early United States, the creek drains a limestone hill country area of Berks County south of the Appalachian Mountains and is considered one of the...
and covers part of the Schuylkill River
Schuylkill River
The Schuylkill River is a river in Pennsylvania. It is a designated Pennsylvania Scenic River.The river is about long. Its watershed of about lies entirely within the state of Pennsylvania. The source of its eastern branch is in the Appalachian Mountains at Tuscarora Springs, near Tamaqua in...
and Delaware River
Delaware River
The Delaware River is a major river on the Atlantic coast of the United States.A Dutch expedition led by Henry Hudson in 1609 first mapped the river. The river was christened the South River in the New Netherland colony that followed, in contrast to the North River, as the Hudson River was then...
watersheds. Northkill Creek and its tributaries are high quality trout streams.
Geography
Northkill Creek begins in the Northkill Gap on Blue MountainBlue Mountain (Pennsylvania)
Blue Mountain is a ridge that forms the eastern edge of the Appalachian mountain range in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. It cuts across the eastern half of the state from New Jersey to Maryland, providing a distinct boundary between a number of Pennsylvania's geographical and cultural regions...
near Shartlesville. The creek flows nearly 11 miles (17.7 km) roughly south to its confluence with Tulpehocken Creek just south of Bernville
Bernville, Pennsylvania
Bernville is a borough in Berks County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population in year 2000 was 865 according to the U.S. census. Bernville is surrounded by Penn Township to the north, east, and south and by Jefferson Township to the west.-History:...
. Tributaries include Little Northkill, Mollhead and Wolf Creeks. The confluence with Little Northkill Creek is at Bernville. Northkill Creek's watershed
Drainage basin
A drainage basin is an extent or an area of land where surface water from rain and melting snow or ice converges to a single point, usually the exit of the basin, where the waters join another waterbody, such as a river, lake, reservoir, estuary, wetland, sea, or ocean...
covers approximately 42 square miles (108.8 km²) in Jefferson
Jefferson Township, Berks County, Pennsylvania
Jefferson Township is a township in Berks County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 1,604 at the 2000 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the township has a total area of , of which, of it is land and of it is water.Adjacent townships and boroughs*Upper...
, Penn
Penn Township, Berks County, Pennsylvania
Penn Township is a township in Berks County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 1,993 at the 2000 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the township has a total area of 19.1 square miles , of which, 18.6 square miles of it is land and...
, Tulpehocken
Tulpehocken Township, Pennsylvania
Tulpehocken Township is a township in Berks County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 3,290 at the 2000 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the township has a total area of 23.3 square miles , all of it land.Adjacent townships*Bethel Township, Berks...
, Upper Bern
Upper Bern Township, Pennsylvania
Upper Bern Township is a township in Berks County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 1,479 at the 2000 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the township has a total area of 18.2 square miles , all of it land...
and Upper Tulpehocken
Upper Tulpehocken Township, Pennsylvania
Upper Tulpehocken Township is a township in Berks County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 1,495 at the 2000 census.-Geography:...
Townships and Bernville and Strausstown
Strausstown, Pennsylvania
Strausstown is a borough in Berks County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 339 at the 2000 census.-Geography and history:Strausstown is located at ....
Boroughs in Berks County and South Manheim
South Manheim Township, Pennsylvania
South Manheim Township is a township in Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 2,191 at the 2000 census.-Geography:...
and Wayne
Wayne Township, Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania
Wayne Township is a township in Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 4,721 at the 2000 census. The township includes the village of Reedsville which contains a medium size state police barracks. Children from this township attend schools in the Blue Mountain School...
Townships in Schuylkill County
Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania
-Notable people:*Boxing heavyweight great Muhammad Ali had his training camp in Deer Lake.*Charles Justin Bailey, commanding general of the 81st Division in World War I, was born in Tamaqua on June 21, 1859....
. The Little Northkill sub-watershed drains 52.5% of this area and provides approximately 60% of the total flow.
The bedrock is primarily sandstone interbedded with shale, slate, quartzite, chert and limestone fragments. Blue Mountain is underlain by sandstone, with quartz-rich rock. More moderate slopes are underlain by shale. This bedrock does not provide significant ability to neutralize acidic pollution. The shale component limits the bedrock's water-bearing properties and hence draught resistance.
Land use
In the Northkill watershed, 61% of land is classified as agricultural and 37% as forested. Loss of farmland to non-agricultural use is estimated at 2000 acres (8.1 km²) annually.Stream quality
That portion of Northkill Creek from its source to the I-78 bridge is designated by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental ProtectionPennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection
The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection was established on July 1, 1995, is the agency in the U.S. State of Pennsylvania responsible for protecting and preserving the land, air, water, and energy resources through enforcement of the State's environmental laws...
as an Exceptional Value stream. The remainder (from I-78 to the Tulpehocken) is designated Cold Water Fishery. The Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission
Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission
The Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission is the state agency responsible for the regulation of all fishing and boating in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania...
designates Northkill Creek and its tributaries as wild trout streams. As such Northkill Creek and its tributaries are important nurseries and refuges for wild trout. The creek is stocked with both brown
Brown trout
The brown trout and the sea trout are fish of the same species....
and brook
Brook trout
The brook trout, Salvelinus fontinalis, is a species of fish in the salmon family of order Salmoniformes. In many parts of its range, it is known as the speckled trout or squaretail. A potamodromous population in Lake Superior are known as coaster trout or, simply, as coasters...
trout. The watershed has historically hosted American eel
American eel
The American eel, Anguilla rostrata, is a catadromous fish found on the eastern coast of North America. It has a snake-like body with a small sharp pointed head. It is brown on top and a tan-yellow color on the bottom. It has sharp pointed teeth but no pelvic fins...
, but dams have contributed to a decline in that population. Other significant populations include cutlips minnow
Cutlips minnow
The Cutlips Minnow is an olive-green medium-sized minnow with a distinguishing lower jaw. Isolated from all other minnows by its three-lobed lower jaw with the middle lobe sticking out like a tongue. The range of this species is from the St. Lawrence and Lake Ontario south into Virginia...
, common shiner
Common Shiner
The Common Shiner is a fish found in North America. They average in length between 2½ to 4 inches.-Description:The Common Shiner is silvery colored and has an "olive back with a dark dorsal stripe."...
, blacknose dace
Dace
A dace is any of a number of species of small fish. The unmodified name is usually a reference to the Common Dace . This, like most fishes called "daces", belongs to the family Cyprinidae, mostly in subfamily Leuciscinae....
, creek chub, and white sucker
White Sucker
The White Sucker is a bottom-feeding freshwater fish inhabiting North America from Labrador in the north to Georgia and New Mexico in the south. It is a long, round-bodied fish with a dark green, grey, copper, brown, or black back and sides and a light underbelly. When fullgrown, it is between 12...
. Stream quality is stressed by acid rain
Acid rain
Acid rain is a rain or any other form of precipitation that is unusually acidic, meaning that it possesses elevated levels of hydrogen ions . It can have harmful effects on plants, aquatic animals, and infrastructure. Acid rain is caused by emissions of carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide and nitrogen...
(primarily from Ohio power plants), agricultural discharge (nitrates and phosphates), and non-agricultural development (siltation, road salt, animal waste, sewage).
History
The water and associated flora and fauna of Northkill Creek supported the LenapeLenape
The Lenape are an Algonquian group of Native Americans of the Northeastern Woodlands. They are also called Delaware Indians. As a result of the American Revolutionary War and later Indian removals from the eastern United States, today the main groups live in Canada, where they are enrolled in the...
and early European settlers. Anabaptists and Lutherans settled the Northkill watershed in the early 18th century. In 1736, several Amish
Amish
The Amish , sometimes referred to as Amish Mennonites, are a group of Christian church fellowships that form a subgroup of the Mennonite churches...
families purchased land along Northkill Creek. The Northkill Amish Settlement
Northkill Amish Settlement
The Northkill Amish Settlement was established in 1740 in Berks County, Pennsylvania. As the first identifiable Amish community in the new world, it was the foundation of Amish settlement in the Americas.-Settlement:...
was the first organized Amish congregation in the U.S.
The Hochstetler
Hochstetler
Hochstetler is a surname originating in Switzerland.The current Swiss spelling of the name in Hostettler. Among non-Swiss there are a variety of spellings. Hochstetler, Hochstettler, Hostetler and Hochstedler are among the most common...
s, Yoder
Yoder
Yoder is a surname originating in the Canton of Berne in Switzerland. The surname is a shortened version of St. Theodorus, the first Roman Catholic bishop of Octodurum in present day Martigny, Switzerland. Theodorus—also known as St. Theodore of Grammont, St. Theodule, and St...
s, Hetzlers and Millers
Miller (name)
Miller is a surname of English and Scottish origin, principally derived from the occupational name for a miller. The standard modern vocabulary word represents the northern Middle English term, an agent derivative of mille ‘mill’, reinforced by Old Norse mylnari...
were joined by Zugs, Jotters, Glick
Glick
The surname Glick is a Yiddish or Ashkenazic variation of the German word Glück. The name is also commonly found among Swiss and Palatine Anabaptist immigrants to the U.S...
s, Kauffmans
Kaufmann
Kaufmann is a surname with many variants such as Kauffmann, Kaufman, and Kauffman. In German, the name means merchant. It is the cognate of the English Chapman . "Kaufmann" may refer to:- Kaufmann :* Aloys P. Kaufmann , Mayor of St...
, and Bishop Jacob Hartzler, and eventually included more than 150 residents. They constructed stone houses, planted apple orchards, and harvested hay, wheat, and rye. This community would later disband and move elsewhere. In 1754, Fort Northkill was built about two miles (3 km) east of Strausstown, near the Northkill Creek and about one mile (1.6 km) south of the base of the Blue Mountain.
External links
- Northkill Creek Water Sampling data