Bowman Creek

Bowman Creek Bowmans Creek, Bowman's Creek
Bowman Creek looking downstream near its mouth
Physical characteristics
Source
• location	confluence of North Branch Bowman Creek and South Branch Bowman Creek in Ross Township, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania
• elevation	between 1,840 and 1,860 feet (561 and 567 m)
Mouth
• location	Susquehanna River in Eaton Township, Wyoming County, Pennsylvania
• coordinates	41°30′59″N 75°56′39″W / 41.5165°N 75.9442°W / 41.5165; -75.9442
• elevation	584 ft (178 m)
Length	26.4 mi (42.5 km)
Basin size	120 sq mi (310 km2)
Discharge
• average	average annual discharge, middle reaches 89.9 cu ft/s (2.55 m3/s)
Basin features
Progression	Susquehanna River → Chesapeake Bay
Tributaries
• left	North Branch Bowman Creek, Bean Run, Wolf Run, Cider Run, Baker Run, Stone Run, York Run, Hettesheimer Run, Roaring Run, Sugar Hollow Creek, Benson Hollow
• right	South Branch Bowman Creek, Beth Run, Butternut Run, Sugar Run, Broad Hollow Run, Sorber Run, Beaver Run, South Run, Leonard Creek, Marsh Creek

Bowman Creek (also known as Bowmans Creek or Bowman's Creek) is a tributary of the Susquehanna River in Luzerne County and Wyoming County, in Pennsylvania, in the United States. It is approximately 26 miles (42 km) long and flows through Ross Township and Lake Township in Luzerne County and Noxen Township, Monroe Township, and Eaton Township in Wyoming County.^[1] The watershed of the creek has an area of 120 square miles (310 km²). The creek is not designated as an impaired waterbody and its pH is close to neutral, although it has experienced some problems with acid rain. It has low concentrations of dissolved solids like calcium. The creek is relatively small in its upper reaches, but by Noxen, its width is 40 to 60 feet (12 to 18 m). It is also relatively shallow in many reaches. Rock formations in the watershed include the Catskill Formation, the Huntley Mountain Formation, Burgoon Sandstone, the Mauch Chunk Formation, the Pottsville Group, and the Pocono Formation. Soil associations in the creek's watershed include the Wellsboro-Morris-Oquaga association, the Oquaga-Lackawanna-Arnot association, the Mardin-Bath-Volusia association, and the Wyoming-Pope association.

The dominant land use in the watershed of Bowman Creek is forested land, which occupies nearly 90 percent of its area. Minor land uses in the watershed include meadows, agricultural land, and many others. Most of the development in the watershed is clustered along the highways that run through it. The creek has, on occasion, experienced major flooding. Bowman Creek was visible on maps by 1791, and there were a number of settlers in its vicinity by the early 1800s. Historically, industries in the creek's watershed included lumbering, agriculture, tanneries, gristmills, and ice harvesting. Numerous bridges have been constructed over Bowman Creek. The Bowmans Creek Watershed Association is active within the creek's watershed.

The main stem of Bowman Creek is designated as a High-Quality Coldwater Fishery and a Migratory Fishery, as are most of its tributaries. The creek is inhabited by brook trout, brown trout, and rainbow trout and reaches of it are stocked with trout. The creek is well known in the area for its significance as a trout stream. Reaches of it are also navigable by canoe. Parts of the creek are in Pennsylvania State Game Lands Number 57 and Ricketts Glen State Park.