By Carol Hillestad for the Brodhead Watershed Association

Have you ever taken in the view from Camelback? Or the Knob in Mount Pocono? Maybe Mt. Wismer in Barrett Township, or even the top of the yellow trail at a Spruce Mountain retreat?

Yes? Then you’ve seen the entire Brodhead Creek Watershed laid out like a rich green cloak, stretched from the edge of the Pocono Plateau all the way to the Delaware Water Gap.

A watershed is the area that a creek drains — the whole area, where all the rain and melting snow stream together into one waterway: in this case, the beautiful, wild trout fishery we call the Brodhead Creek.

And it’s not just the Brodhead Creek itself. Every brook, run, and rivulet that makes its way to the Brodhead is part of the watershed — named and unnamed waters, whether they run all the time or go dry in summer. All the flood waters, too.

Wherever you live in the heart of Monroe County, the creeks you see every day are headed to the Brodhead.

Bigger creeks, like the Cherry Creek, McMichael, Marshalls Creek, Paradise, and Pocono are called “sub watersheds,” and they have their own, smaller feeder creeks — Mountain Run, Cranberry Run, Bear Swamp Run, Forest Hills Run, Wigwam Run, and Goose Pond Run, to name just a few of the dozens of named creeks in the watershed.

Where waterways cross under roads, signs let you know the names of the creeks you are crossing. So, driving Route 611 in Pocono Township, for instance, you’ll see local names like Bulgers Run, Wigwam Run, and Flagler Run.

Where do you fit it?

Do you live on a hill overlooking the Mill Creek valley in Cresco? Or maybe Kettle Creek is part of your daily drive to school, work, or shopping? Do you see signs for the Scot Run or Reeders Run?

Whether aware of it or not, you have a place in this rich, natural landscape. Getting to know the names of creeks you see every day, where their waters rise and where they go, is a big first step in feeling connected to it all yourself.

Give it a try. You may be surprised how much joy being open to the watershed that surrounds you can provide.

Find Your Own Watershed Place

Along the edge of the Pocono Plateau — everywhere you can find a glimpse toward the Water Gap — the Brodhead Watershed fills the view.

Click Here to Explore Your Watershed.

For more information on programs, initiatives and other upcoming events, visit the Brodhead Watershed Association website or Follow them on Facebook.  Click Here to sign up for regular updates from the Association.  Click Here to become a member.

How Clean Is Your Stream?

The draft 2024 report has an interactive report viewer that allows you to zoom in to your own address to see if the streams near you are impaired and why.

Click Here to check out your streams.  Click Here for a tutorial on using the viewer.

Related Articles - Watersheds:

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-- State Conservation Commission Awards $3 Million In Conservation Excellence Grants To 4 Organizations  [PaEN]

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-- Still Time To Register! Keystone Coldwater Conference Feb. 23-24 In State College  [PaEN]

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-- DEP Chesapeake Bay Update Newsletter: Request For Engineering Services; PennVEST Funding Outreach Sessions; Much More!  [PaEN]

-- Susquehanna River Basin Commission Awards $150,000+ Grants To Support 34 Local Watershed Projects  [PaEN] ​

-- The Nature Conservancy Receives $250,000 Investment In Freshwater Connectivity From Richard King Mellon Foundation  [PaEN]

-- Slippery Rock Watershed Coalition: 16th Annual Student Symposium On The Environment Draws Over 130  [PaEN]

-- PA Society Of Professional Engineers Host Feb. 22 Virtual DEP Update On MS4 Stormwater Program, NPDES Water Quality Permitting  [PaEN] 

-- Penn State Extension Hosts Feb. 28 Webinar On Green Stormwater Infrastructure [PaEN]

-- March 4 Penn State Extension Webinar On Monitoring Soil Moisture: A Climate Smart Ag Practice  [PaEN]

-- March 11 Streambank Stabilization And Stream Crossings On Farms Webinar  [PaEN]

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-- DEP Assesses $73,153 Penalty On 2 Contractors Building A Rutter's Store In Blair County For Water Quality Violations; Exactly The Kind Of Violations A Citizen Group Was Afraid Of   [PaEN]

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-- Water At Risk: The History And Mystery Of Lawns, Try A Lower Maintenance, Natural Landscaping Instead - By Carol Hillestad for the Brodhead Watershed Association  [PaEN]

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[Posted: January 29, 2024]

2/5/2024