C.4
River Reach Survey Reports and Recommendations
The
Lackawanna River Corridor Association’s staff and volunteers conducted River
Reach Surveys to assess physical condition, natural habitat and environmental
impacts along the Lackawanna River between 1999 and 2001.
For purposes of this survey, the river reaches were selected in three to
five mile lengths from strategic points and bridge crossings.
Each reach contains several common physical condition typologies, which
provide a general characterization of the reach, such as abandoned mine land and
acid mine drainage impacts, abandoned mine land-suburban borough land use, urban
corridor, and abandoned mine land-successional riparian corridor.
The
river reach segments in this report are as follows:
R1
Confluence with the Susquehanna River in Duryea, Luzerne County, to Main
Street bridge in Old Forge, Lackawanna County
R2
Main Street bridge in Old Forge to Davis Street/Union Street bridge in Taylor/Minooka
(Scranton)
R3
Davis Street bridge in Taylor to Lackawanna Avenue bridge in Scranton
R4
Lackawanna Avenue bridge in Scranton to the Interstate 81 bridge in
Scranton/Dickson City/Throop
R5
Interstate 81 bridge in Scranton to Mellow Park in Peckville
R6
Mellow Park
in Peckville to Gilmartin Street in Archbald
R7
Gilmartin Street in Archbald to Meredith Street in Childs (Carbondale
Township)
R8
Meredith Street in Childs to PA Rte. 171 bridge in Simpson (Fell
Township)
R9
Rte. 171 bridge in Simpson to PA Rte. 247 bridge in Forest City/Browndale
(Clinton Township), Susquehanna/Wayne Counties
R10
Rte. 247 bridge in Forest City to Stillwater Dam
R11
East Branch of Lackawanna River: Stillwater
Dam to Mud and Dunns Pond
R12
West Branch of Lackawanna River: Stillwater
Dam to Lake Romobe
Summary
reports and recommendations follow for Reaches R1 through R8. This plan contains a brief assessment report and summary
recommendations for Reaches R9 through R12.
More detailed and specific recommendations for these reaches are
contained in the Upper Lackawanna River Conservation Plan, prepared by the
Trails Conservation Corporation (TCC).
R1
Confluence to Main Street, Old Forge (RM 0.0 to 3.0)
At
its confluence with the North Branch of the Susquehanna River at Coxton, in
Duryea Borough and the City of Pittston, Luzerne County, the Lackawanna is a
fourth order stream. In recent
years annual mean discharging has averaged 470 ft3/s.
The Lackawanna descends for 60 miles through a 352 mi2 watershed
from an elevation of 2000 feet, at Dunns Pond, to 520 feet at the confluence at
Coxton. The river drops an average
of 24 feet per mile.
Land
use at the confluence was originally agricultural, then topsoil, gravel and coal
mining. Abandoned, flooded and
partially flooded topsoil pits predominate the topography of the confluence’s
flood plain today. The former
Lehigh Valley, now Reading and Northern rail yard, is located one-quarter of a
mile upstream from the confluence. The
Coxton Rail yard bridges the Lackawanna at this point.
The north branch Susquehanna Canal also crossed the Lackawanna on an
aqueduct near the rail bridge. The
lower Lackawanna was also dammed at the Luzerne-Lackawanna county line.
A feeder canal from the dam provided water for the Wyoming Valley
division of the Susquehanna Canal.
Campbells
Ledge forms a large escarpment to the west of the confluence where the
Susquehanna cuts a water gap in the west mountain and enters the Lackawanna
Wyoming Valley syncline. Campbells
Ledge, the confluence point and a nearby neolithic archeological site are
included in the LRCA’s List of Special Places and Natural Areas inventory of
the Lackawanna watershed.
Coxton
Road bridge crosses the Lackawanna from Main Street near the Pittston City
Duryea Borough line at a point three-quarters of a mile upstream of the
confluence. The east bank of the river is a steep fill slope holding an active
railroad grade. The west bank is
extensive flood plain with flooded topsoil pits and successional riparian
forest.
The
Lower Lackawanna Valley Sanitary Authority’s sewage treatment plant and its
discharge are located in the vacinity of Coxton Road on the west bank.
The Duryea acid mine drainage (AMD) outfall flows into the river on the
east bank at Coxton Road bridge. This
30-mgd AMD outfall flows for 800 feet through a channel from a roof fall now
flooded in a beaver dam.
From
Coxton Road north to Stephenson Street the west bank features the remnant of a
graded levee covered with invasive knotweed and successional riparian forest. The interior floodplain contains the flooded topsoil and
gravel pits known as the Duryea Swamps. The
upland areas on the west mountain (see Campbell’s Ledge and Red Spring Run
reports) contain abandoned anthracite strippings and an active sand and gravel
quarry
From
Coxton Road to the central developed area of Duryea Borough on the east bank,
the river channel is bifurcated with several islands and riffle structures.
The east bank holds remnants of the canal prism.
The developed area of Duryea, its Main Street commercial district and
residential zones, is protected with a large earth berm flood control levee.
The Borough clears out the vegetation along the levee mechanically and
does follow up with applications of herbicide to prevent reparian tree
establishment. The levee protection
extends upstream of the Stephenson Street bridge to a point near the
Luzerne-Lackawanna county boundary on the east bank. On the west bank the major land use is the Popple Brothers
Colliery, a several hundred-acre coal processing area once known as the Babylon
Colliery.
Three-tenths
of a mile upstream of the Luzerne/Lackawanna county line, the Union Street
bridge in Old Forge links Main Street with the Connells Patch neighborhood. The river channel makes a transition from having been dredged
and channelized around the Duryea flood walls, to the Class III and IV white
water drops across the rock ledges of the Moosic Anticline, a subterranean
geological feature which crests in the riverbed at Old Forge. The anticline rock formation forms a natural dam which
separates portions of the flooded abandoned underground mine void network,
forming the Northern Anthracite Mine Pool.
There is another acid mine drainage discharge point at this location (41
o21’ 33N, 75 o 45’05W).
The Old Forge Borehole discharges over 100 million gallons of acid mine
drainage into the river a day, through a concrete covered trough, which flows
out into the river beneath the western abutment of the Union Street bridge.
The Old Forge Borehole is one of the largest acid mine drains in the
anthracite coal region.
The
rock ledges of the Moosic Anticline are evident upstream through the Main Street
bridge and into the reach along Lonesome Road.
Between Union Street and Main Street, the adjacent land uses are
primarily residential, with one 30-acre abandoned mine site on the west bank
adjacent to the Main Street bridge.
R1
Recommendations:
-
This plan recommends development of a confluence resource management area
to involve: the Pennsylvania Fish
and Boat Commission in wildlife habitat management, the Bureau of Abandoned Mine
Reclamation and US Army Corps of Engineers in a large mine drainage treatment
program, and the Lackawanna Heritage Valley Authority, local municipalities and
Luzerne County agencies in a greenway and recreational trail program throughout
the confluence area. Therefore,
this plan recommends that a major resource management, reclamation and
recreation development plan is needed. Private
residential, commercial, institutional and industrial development is also
recommended for the perimeter of the confluence area.
-
As a first step towards a confluence area plan, this plan recommends a
consensus building project to be funded through the River Conservation Program.
-
Major transportation improvements will also be needed in this area.
Access to Keyser Avenue in the north and I-81 and Rte. 11 in the east and
south would need significant improvements.
-
The abandoned rail corridor from Coxton through Connells Patch and the
active Reading & Northern line to Taylor along the river, are important
greenway links described in the trails section of this plan.
These corridors are recommended for trail project implementation through
this plan.
-
This plan recommends consideration of a large comprehensive acid mine
drainage treatment and mitigation project, to the treat the Old Forge Borehole,
Duryea Outfall and Butler Mine Tunnel discharges.
The US Army Corps of Engineers, Bureau of Abandoned Mine Reclamation and
the Lackawanna Watershed 2000 program are the potential partners on this
project. The Popple Brothers
Colliery, the Duryea Swamps and the Lower Lackawanna Sewage Treatment plant are
potential project resources.
-
The City of Pittston, the Borough of Duryea and the Luzerne County Rails
With Trails program are potential cooperative partners with the Lackawanna
Heritage Valley Authority and the LRCA for the development of trail and greenway
facilities along this reach of river corridor.
Implementation projects to develop this partnership and acquire and
develop greenway and trail sites are recommended.
R2
Main Street, Old Forge to Davis Street, Taylor/Minooka (RM 3.25 to 6.75)
This
three and a half-mile reach begins at the Main Street bridge in Old Forge.
The riverbed features rock ledges associated with the Moosic Anticline
(see R1 narrative). The riverbanks
are steeply pitching drops of 20-30 feet from the road grade to the water line.
The river is bridged in quick succession by the Main Street steel truss,
the former DL&W (now Reading & Northern) steel railroad truss bridge and
the Bridge Street steel girders. The
USGS, Old Forge River Gage Station is located on the west bank of the river just
upstream of the rail truss.
Lonesome
Road parallels the river’s east bank for one-half mile from Main Street in Old
Forge to Main Street in Moosic, near the confluence of Mill Creek.
Land use along this reach includes a derelict four-story apartment
building, several abandoned gas stations, a burned-out diner, a large auto
junkyard and several used car lots. The
west bank contains the Lehigh Electric Superfund site, a former electric
transformer recycling facility, now cleaned up, but sealed and monitored under
an EPA-managed closure program.
The
river course turns northeast at the Mill Creek confluence.
This site also features the recently decommissioned Moosic Sewage
Treatment Plant, of the Lackawanna River Basin Sewer Authority.
Just upstream, on the east bank, Spring Brook flows in the Lackawanna.
The east bank through the residential area of Moosic features a flood
control levee, from the Spring Brook confluence upstream to the Moosic Road
bridge. Along the west bank, land use upstream of the Lehigh Electric
site includes: the Reading &
Northern rail corridor, Mariotti Lumber, Panel Prints, near the Moosic Road
bridge, and a number of used car lots.
Along
Moosic Road bridge, the river turns northwest around the Panel Prints plant.
The Reading & Northern rail corridor is the main feature on the west
bank through the balance of Old Forge. The
Canadian Pacific rail line is located along the east bank in Moosic, through
this sub-reach.
The
river features natural riffle structures and long pools throughout the R2 reach. Steep embankments of 20-25 feet drop from the rail grades
down to the watercourse. The
embankments are covered with riparian forest of river birch and red maple, with
invasive knotweed dominating the understory.
The Old Forge upland area features Llewlyn sandstone ledges and
escarpments, with dry site, oak-mesic forest communities.
A multitude of abandoned mine entries are located along these
escarpments. The LRCA lists these
escarpments and this sub-reach of the Lackawanna on its List of Special Places
and Natural Areas in the Lackawanna watershed.
This area extends through Old Forge and Moosic from the vacinity of Panel
Prints upstream to the Davis Street bridge.
The
Northeast Extension of the Pennsylvania Turnpike crosses the river in this
sub-reach, just upstream of the Old Forge-Taylor boundary.
Adjacent land uses on the east bank in Moosic are the Turnpike gradient,
abandoned mine land in upland areas and the Canadian Pacific rail corridor along
the riparian edge. On the west
bank, the Borough of Taylor owns a river corridor access parcel adjacent to the
Turnpike, between Main Street and the Reading & Northern rail grade.
From
the Turnpike bridge upstream to Davis Street, the Llewlyn sandstone ledges
continue to form escarpments from the developed residential corridor along Main
Street, with 30-40 foot drops down to the rail grade on the west bank.
The riffle and pool structure in the river remains consistent within the
balance of the downstream reach.
The
Canadian Pacific rail grade crosses the Lackawanna on a steel truss bridge.
On the east bank there is a rail interchange, known as Minooka Junction,
where the Canadian Pacific rail transects the Lackawanna County Rail
Authority’s (LCRA) Scranton to Carbondale main line. The
LCRA rail corridor continues upstream through the balance of R2 on the east
bank. On the west bank, the gravel
bar upstream of the Canadian Pacific truss has been known to feature several
rare plants listed on the Pennsylvania Natural Diversity Inventory (PNDI).
This area, known as the Moosic Bend, is also listed on the Lackawanna
County Natural Areas Inventory and the LRCA’s List of Special Places and
Natural Areas.
R2
Recommendations:
1.
The Borough of Old Forge is interested in demolishing the vacant
multi-story apartment structure at Lonesome Road and promoting redevelopment of
this site. LRCA suggests that this
site could be associated with a Heritage Landing or Trailhead as referenced in
the Heritage Trail Alternatives section of this plan.
This could include the former DL&W station site across the river.
This project area is recommended as an implementation site for River
Conservation program participation.
2.
The Lonesome Road area could support a high quality commercial, multi
family, mixed-use development. This plan recommends that the Borough of Old Forge and
private developers consider a redevelopment of this area.
3.
A Lonesome Road redevelopment could provide a link to a Moosic flood
levee greenway recreation trail, to extend to Moosic Road as an alternative, or
loop trail in conjunction with a Lackawanna River Heritage Trail route along the
Reading & Northern corridor on the west bank.
This property is recommended for a feasibility study pending the interest
of Moosic Borough.
4.
This plan suggests that the Lackawanna River Heritage Trail alternative
route along the Reading & Northern corridor be developed, with an additional
acquisition and management program for the Old Forge escarpments.
An acquisition and conservation management plan could be developed for
the escarpment area as an individual project action in partnership with the
Borough of Old Forge and property owners, or through the initiative of the LRCA
and/or Lackawanna Valley Conservancy and individual property owners.
A River Conservation project for the Old Forge Escarpments is a
recommended action.
5.
The development of greenway and trail links across the Lackawanna from
the Old Forge Escarpments to upland areas of Moosic, may be possible along
abandoned rail corridors adjacent to the PA Turnpike, US Rte. 11, Interstate 81
and PA Rte. 502. The purpose of
these greenways are to link the river corridor to the Glen Maura/Montage area
and to a Spring Brook greenway trail through PAWC and Theta Company lands, in
the Spring Brook watershed. The
development of this trail utilizing the abandoned Wilkes Barre & Eastern
rail corridor would also link the Lackawanna corridor to Lackawanna State Forest
and State Game lands in the upper Lehigh watershed and other resource areas in
the Poconos. The development of a
Moosic/Springbrook/Thornhurst/Pocono greenway is recommended for further
consideration, as a feasibility study or for open space conservation
acquisition.
6.
The Borough of Taylor has an interest in developing river corridor and
greenway access using its property adjacent to the PA Turnpike and through
development of easements, acquisitions and improvements to other parcels in the
river corridor in the Borough of Taylor. This
plan recommends development of river access and greenway projects in Taylor for
further implementation through this conservation plan.
R3 Davis Street, Taylor/Minooka to Lackawanna Avenue, Scranton (RM
7.0 to
10.0)
In
this three-mile reach of the Lackawanna, the river transitions from the mixed
use reaches of the smaller suburban boroughs of Moosic, Taylor, Old Forge, and
Duryea, which have a variety of residential neighborhood, commercial and
abandoned mine land uses, to the intensely urban reaches of the City of
Scranton. From the Davis Street
bridge, at RM 7.0, upstream to the Elm Street bridge in Scranton, at RM 9.45,
the west bank of the river is consistent in its land use with the abandoned
Central Railroad of New Jersey (CNJ) running along a terrace between 10-20 feet
above the watercourse. A variety of
abandoned mine land parcels in various states of succession are above the CNJ
corridor, to the main line and rail yards of the St. Lawrence & Hudson
division of the Canadian Pacific Railway.
The
east bank of the river holds the Lackawanna County Rail Authority’s (LCRA)
Scranton to Carbondale main line, on a grade about 20 feet above the
watercourse. Steep wooded slopes containing some abandoned strip mine pits
rise to upland residential neighborhoods in South Scranton and Minooka.
At RM 8.0 on the east bank, the flood plain and terrace holds the 22
million-gallon per day capacity Scranton/Dunmore Sewer Authority Treatment
Plant, which occupies approximately 20 acres.
Just upstream of the STP is the 70+ acre industrial site now known as
Valley Storage, a warehousing operation. The
facility, built in 1942-43, was the first project of the Scranton-Lackawanna
Industrial Building Company (SLIBCO), which was built with financing through the
War Production Board, and used by aircraft manufactures, which made B24 and B29
wing assemblies. From 1880 to 1901,
this site was the location of the South Works of the Scranton Iron and Steel
Company. These steel mills were
purchased by Bethlehem Steel and were disassembled and moved to Lackawanna, New
York, near Buffalo in 1901-03.
The
natural course of the Lackawanna River was altered by the steel works
construction in the 1880’s. The
river’s course and banks are severely influenced by the steel, coal and rail
uses, which occurred historically within this reach.
The river bank along the Valley Storage site is occupied by a large
retaining wall constructed from 2’X6’X8’ blocks of conglomerate sandstone
and steel mill slag. The retaining
wall is penetrated by several stone and brick arched culverts which convey
overflows from CSO chambers, located approximately 200-600 feet inland of the
river bank. These are just a few of
the nearly 70 CSO’s on the Scranton/Dunmore sewer system.
The
land use on the west bank, above the CNJ corridor, is the abandoned Baker
Colliery mine site. A large culm
bank and underground mine fire at the Baker was extinguished in the 1970’s.
A cavernous pit over 150 feet in depth, approximately 300-400 feet wide
and nearly one-half mile in length is located in the upland part of the Baker
site, near the Canadian Pacific rail line.
From
RM 9.25, at the confluence of Stafford Meadow Brook to RM 10.0 at the
Broadway/Hickory Street bridge, the east bank of the Lackawanna is altered by
the South Scranton Flood Control Project. An
earthen rip rapped levee runs from the Stafford Meadow Brook confluence, which
is itself in a concrete “U” channel, upstream to the Elm Street bridge.
A concrete floodwall runs from Elm Street up to the Roaring Brook
confluence. Roaring Brook is cased
in a concrete “U” channel from Cedar Avenue to its confluence.
An earthen and rip rapped levee runs upstream to the Hickory Street
bridge.
The
flood plain in this neighborhood, hosts commercial uses, neighborhood
strip-shopping centers and warehouses. The
historic, mixed-use neighborhood was destroyed during the Hurricane Diane floods
of August, 1955. The flood control
structures and commercial reuses of the flood plain are the result of that flood
of record for the Lackawanna watershed.
The
west bank flood plain in this sub-reach features the William Schmidt Recreation
Complex. The upland areas are
residential and commercial neighborhoods of West Scranton.
Upstream from Broadway Street and the Schmidt Complex, the CNJ rail
corridor, now developed as the CNJ section of the Lackawanna River Heritage
Trail, runs on a gradient from 15-30 feet above the watercourse.
The CNJ corridor contains some riparian canopy trees with knotweed
dominating the understory. The river’s gradient drops from Lackawanna Avenue to
Hickory Street. The short riffle,
followed by long pool structures, common above and below this sub-reach, is
interrupted by several strong riffle drops, ledge and boulder drops and
intrusions.
LRCA
calls the sub-reach between Hickory Street in R3, upstream to Linden Street in
R4, the Scranton Canyon. The river
makes a deep incisive cut in the upland topographic grades in this area. The road and rail bridges cross the Canyon about 100 feet
above the elevation of the watercourse. The
grade separations are often reinforced with a variety of stone masonry and
concrete retaining walls, the oldest dating back to the 1840’s.
The
LCRA Scranton to Carbondale line follows the east bank terrace of the river from
Roaring Brook upstream through the balance of R3 and into R4. The flood plain on the east bank at Cliff Street and RM 10.7
holds the Cliff Street yards of PG Energy, a gas utility.
This site hosted a coal gasification plant from 1854 to 1954.
The soil, subsoil, river bank and riverbed are impacted with coal tar
residuals throughout this site and downstream in the riverbed.
The utility has registered the site under the Pennsylvania Act 2,
Industrial Site Contamination Program. Part
of the site has been capped with asphalt to divert direct groundwater paths to
the river. LRCA has collected river
sediment samples adjacent to the site, which yielded heavy concentrations of
polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and a variety of benzene compounds with known
carcinogenic properties (LRCA/NOAA project, 1996).
The
upland areas on the east bank contain the former Delaware, Lackawanna and
Western railroad yards and shops, which has been redeveloped to host the
Steamtown National Historic Site and the Lackawanna Trolley Museum.
Adjacent to this site is the Central Scranton business district.
Between the Streamtown rail bridge at RM 10.7 and the Lackawanna Avenue
bridge, the CNJ rail grade has been filled by the property owners with
potentially compromised soils from rail yard excavations.
R3
Recommendations:
1.
This plan recommends development of the Scranton to Taylor reach of the
CNJ section of the Lackawanna River Heritage Trail, with a trail head near Depot
Street. An upgrade of Depot Street,
the public grade crossing of the Canadian Pacific trackage and improvements to
the Depot Street/Main Street intersection would enhance public safety and
aesthetics in this area.
2.
This plan recommends that Lackawanna Valley Conservancy (LVC) work with
property owners to develop or acquire easements or fee interest in properties
along this reach.
3.
This plan recommends development of a trail link to South Washington
Avenue in Scranton from the CNJ, using the existing rail bridge at the Valley
Storage site. This could provide a
loop trail using the Elm Street bridge.
4.
This plan recommends development of an educational/interpretive program
for the South Works site and its slag dump, now owned by LVC, along the CNJ on
the Taylor side of the river. Presently,
there is a cut stone title block from the steel company office building covered
in overgrown shrubbery at the Washington Avenue entrance to the Valley Storage
site. The educational/interpretive
program could also address the war production and SLIBCO history at the site.
5.
This plan recommends developing a river access point along the CNJ across
from the Stafford Meadow Brook confluence.
6.
A major cleanup of urban debris is needed along South Washington Avenue,
off the entrance driveway to Valley Storage.
7.
Acquisition of the Danny’s Garage site could provide an enhanced
trailhead at Elm Street, an interpretive site for a reuse development of the
Baker Colliery site and a maintenance station for the trail.
8.
A pedestrian loop trail on the flood works along the east bank between
Elm Street and Hickory Street could compliment the CNJ trail and the
recreational uses at Schmidt Field. A
footbridge over the Roaring Brook confluence would an element in this
implementation project.
9.
Canoe-a-thon and recreational paddle uses of the river would be enhanced
with an improved canoe access and landing beach at Schmidt Field.
This plan recommends an improved canoe access site at this location.
10.
Installation of a new pedestrian bridge at Cliff Street would offer
opportunities for historical
interpretation of the original 1794 log bridge between Slocum Hollow and Hyde
park, the railroad development of 1850 and the gas works of 1854.
This pedestrian bridge would also serve as a greenway link from the CNJ
trail to Streamtown.
11.
Engineering, acquisition and construction funding for the Bridge 60 to
Lackawanna Ave. reach of the CNJ trail is recommended for implementation with
River Conservation Program funding and other sources of funding.
Trailhead links to Lackawanna Avenue and the river would help in
integrating this segment of CNJ trail and river corridor into the Downtown
Scranton River Greenway.
R4
Lackawanna Avenue, Scranton to Interstate 81, Scranton/Dickson
City/Throop (RM 10.25 to 15.0)
This
five-mile reach of the river corridor and uplands is the most consistently
urbanized reach in the entire watershed. Yet
surprisingly, the river is almost entirely buffered by a riparian canopy.
River birch, red maple, willow and tree-of–heaven, form the canopy, and
knotweed dominates the understory. The
riparian corridor is mostly confined to the immediate riverbanks but expands
wherever the flood plain remains unbuilt.
Starting
on the west bank at Lackawanna Avenue, the Central Rail Road of New Jersey
Freight Station dominates the built environment, with its Victorian-Gothic brick
and slate roofline and stair tower. The
adjacent Lackawanna Avenue bridge, constructed in 1921 of formed, reinforced
concrete, gracefully arches across the Lackawanna and its flanking rail grades,
with a classic pinaché, absent from its modern and post-modern upstream
neighbors. Linden Street saunters
over the river with the mundane vernacular of a 1960’s era interstate bridge,
while the new Mulberry Street/Expressway span throws itself across with the
sharp angularity of a late cubist sculpture.
The
riverbank through the upper end of R3 and into R4 almost to Linden Street, is
girded on both sides with stone and concrete retaining walls.
These structures make access with the watercourse extremely difficult.
At Linden Street the flood plain and terrace opens up on both sides of
the river. Steep banks dropping
from the terrace 15 feet to the watercourse are common.
On
the east bank the Lackawanna County Rail Authority’s (LCRA) Carbondale line
occupies the initial terrace. Upstream
of Lackawanna Avenue, the Diamond/Greenridge branches of the DL&W lie
immediately below the Mifflin Avenue grade to intersect with the Carbondale line
near Gordon Place.
On
the west bank, newly developed commercial and educational sites interface with
the river from Linden Street through the Expressway along 7th Avenue
to Olive Street. The Redners
Supermarket site abuts the river on a terrace with a new concrete block
retaining wall, 25 feet high. The
flood plain features an access roadway along an abandoned rail corridor, linking
Love Road to the CNJ rail grade at Lackawanna Avenue bridge and CNJ station.
This roadway also serves as an access road to Scranton Sewer Authority
CSO structures.
Upstream
of Linden Street, the access roadway passes under the Expressway bridge and
becomes Love Road to Olive Street. The
interior flood plain now features the new Scranton High School athletic fields
between the river, Olive Street and 7th Avenue.
The new high school itself rises proudly on the upland slopes between
Memorial Stadium and the Scranton Expressway.
North
of Olive Street a variety of industrial uses dominate the west bank flood plain.
This area was historically known to feature the Native American
settlement known as Capouse Meadows. The
Farmers Market is located off Middle Street and Albright Avenue.
On
the east bank, from the confluence of Pine Brook below Olive Street, through the
Sandy Banks neighborhood, the LCRA rail corridor and vacant land are common
flood plain and terrace uses. The
Diamond branch, 1885 iron rail truss bridge crosses the river at the Farmers
Market. At this writing, the City
of Scranton and the US Army Corps of Engineers (USACOE) are beginning
acquisition of property in preparation for construction of a flood control
system on the west bank from the Expressway bridge at RM 11.0 to Wood Street at
RM 12.5. Another levee is scheduled
in the next few years on the east bank, from Meadow Brook confluence near
Albright Avenue, to the Lackawanna County Rail Authority bridge near Amelia
Avenue.
The
west bank adjacent land uses between Albright Avenue and Wood Street are
primarily residential, as are the east bank along Nay Aug Avenue.
The upland area along North Main Avenue, off the west bank, is a
predominant mix of commercial with residential, while the interior flood plain
on the east bank from Albright Avenue to Green Ridge Street and East Market
Street is a mix of commercial, light manufacturing and residential.
From
Greenridge Street to East Market Street, the river’s west bank, its railgrade
terrace and upslopes to the Main Avenue corridor are heavily impacted by the
dumping of building demolition waste, urban and municipal waste, white goods and
auto parts. Rudy’s Auto Parts
junkyard occupies approximately four acres adjacent to the East Market Street
bridge, along the remnants of the NYO&W rail corridor.
Upstream
of East Market Street into the Plot neighborhood, the Lackawanna Valley
Conservancy (LVC) owns a four-acre reach of NYO&W rail property.
This site has been cleaned of urban waste and restored as a community
trail and river corridor greenway. The
east bank holds the Scranton Wiping Cloth warehouse and vacant industrial land
along the proposed upstream tie-in of Greenridge Street (east bank) levee.
The
USACOE proposes a third levee around the Plot neighborhood on the west bank,
from the LVC’s rail grade parcel at Depot Street, to an upstream tie-in along
Leggetts Creek near Welles Street. Presently,
this sub-reach of river contains a predominantly residential land use along the
west bank. The Plot neighborhood
occupies the flood plain, surrounded on three sides by the Lackawanna River.
The
east bank through this sub-reach, from the LCRA rail truss at Amelia Avenue
through Sanderson Avenue and along the rear of Boulevard Avenue to Parker Street
is a very steep 1 to 1 slope rising from the river’s edge to the back yards of
residential and commercial buildings. There
are some sections of this slope with extensive debris dumps and fill slopes.
A noteworthy feature on the east bank below the intersection of Boulevard
Avenue and Olyphant Avenue, is the portal entry of the Underwood Tunnel,
constructed by the Pennsylvania Coal Company in 1909.
This three-mile long rock tunnel runs on a east-northeast alignment to
Dunmore, near the I-81/PA Rte. 347 interchange, where it turns to the northeast,
terminating in the Underwood Colliery workings in Throop.
This tunnel was built to drain the mines along its route.
Subsequent to abandonment, the mine drainage continues through the mine
pool and discharges at the Old Forge Borehole.
The Underwood Tunnel does not carry any regular flows to the Lackawanna.
From
Parker Street north to the I-81 bridges, the LCRA’s Carbondale line runs along
the west bank of the river and over the Leggetts Creek confluence at RM 14.5. The east bank hosts the remnants of the Marvine Colliery of
the Hudson Coal Company, a 400 plus acre abandoned mine site with extensive culm
banks along the river bank and flood plain, which rise for one-half mile upland
towards Marywood University. The
I-81 drainage channel, a 2.5 mile culvert and rip rap drainage basin system,
flows into the Lackawanna on the east bank, between the Lackawanna County
Recycling Center and I-81.
R4
Recommendations:
1.
This plan recommends a major debris removal and community cleanup along
the banks of the Lackawanna in Scranton. The
USACOE project will address several sub-reaches, the Lackawanna River Heritage
Trail (LRHT) will address another several reaches, however other reaches will
need program attention; particularly the Boulevard Avenue sub-reach, from
Sanderson Avenue to Parker Street. The
LRHT program will need assistance within the Greenridge Street to East Market
Street sub-reach, with building debris, auto parts and junkyard soil removal.
Therefore this plan recommends a variety of cleanup projects in Scranton
be developed with River Conservation program implementation grant support.
2.
As recommended in the Trails Alternative Report, a Scranton greenway area
is proposed from Cliff Street through Lackawanna Avenue, the Mulberry
Street/Expressway area to Olive Street, on both sides of the river.
This would include the Gas Works, the Verrastro site, the CNJ station
site, the LCRA’ Carbondale line, Diamond and Strawberry Hill lines, the
Redners site, the new Scranton High School campus and adjacent recreation
facilities to Olive Street. An
appropriate historic, cultural, retail and public access/commercial reuse for
the Sprague and Henwood site on Olive Street is suggested.
3.
River access improvements for water access and water contact are
recommended throughout this sub-reach. A canoe/paddle sport put-in and take out beach (constructed
point bar) is a requirement, with interface to the school district site and the
CNJ site. Foot bridges to access
east bank activity locations and uplinks to the street grade at Mifflin and
Spruce Streets are suggested.
4.
This plan recommends the installation of a low-flow weir, with fish and
canoe passage structures, be installed near Linden Street, to create a
navigation pool of sufficient depth for rowing and paddling use and excursion
boat use from Linden Street to Albright Avenue.
A low-head structure of four feet at Linden Street could provide a pool
for navigation one-mile upstream the Farmers Market.
The USACOE had identified low-flow navigation weirs as a possibility in
this area during the Lackawanna River Greenway Study in 1993.
This plan recommends a reexamination of this topic to advance the
recreational and commercial redevelopment potential for this important river
reach.
5.
This plan recommends that an upgrade of the USACOE levee project is
needed to integrate managed recreational trail and public access use along the
entire levee alignment in Scranton. This
will require a reexamination of the fee and easement acquisition pattern along
the levee to fund the acquisition of remaining residual fee interest of adjacent
property owners. An integrated
physical, structural and public use management plan is necessary as well as
physical facilities, trail heads, parking access, signage, landscaping, public
informational materials, and a promotional, public involvement and volunteer
utilization program. These needs
may be meet through the intermunicipal agreements for the Lackawanna River
Heritage Trail Commission. This
plan recommends a River Conservation implementation program to develop a levee
trail system and integrate it into the LRHT program.
6.
This plan recommends acquisition of a portion of the former New York,
Ontario and Western railway from the upstream termination of the Weston Field
levee at Diamond Avenue, through to the TEA 21 funded LRHT acquisition of NYO&W
parcels north of Greenridge Street. The
property is a strategic trail link and will insure safe access and passage for
trail users under Greenridge Street and East Market Street, to avoid pedestrian
crossings of these busy streets.
7.
This plan recommends canoe/paddle sport and fishing access, put-in and
take-out points along the R4 reach at Mulberry-Linden Street, Olive Street,
Albright Avenue, Diamond Avenue, Nay Aug Avenue, East Market Street, Amelia
Avenue, Sanderson Avenue and Parker Street.
The development of these points should include acquisition of fee or
easement integration with levee projects, parking, signage and provisions for
public safety, river access and physical management.
R5
Interstate 81, Scranton to Mellow Park, Blakely (RM 15.25 to 19.25)
This
four-mile reach of river in the lower mid-valley has recovered from the adverse
impacts of the anthracite industry urban development to a point where it now
supports a native wild trout population. The
river features a constant series of riffles and pools interrupted at two
locations by channel dredging conducted in the 1950’s following Hurricane
Dianne in August 1955.
From
the I-81 bridge to Boulevard Avenue bridge in Throop the adjacent land use is
the Throop Plant of the Lackawanna River Basin Sewer Authority, an eleven
million-gallon per day capacity plant. A
residential neighborhood abuts the plant along Boulevard Avenue.
On
the west bank, the Lackawanna County Rail Authority’s (LCRA) Carbondale line
follows the first terrace above the flood plain upstream of I-81 for one-quarter
mile, to a point where the Dickson City local flood protection levee begins near
the Elm Street Park off Boulevard Avenue. This
levee continues for one mile upstream to Polonia Park, providing protection to
the extensive residential neighborhood on the lower Dickson City flood plain
along Boulevard Avenue.
On
the east bank in Throop, the Lackawanna Valley Conservancy owns a 2-acre parcel
of flood plain and upslope to the Oleckna Street residential neighborhood. The river makes a bend above the Boulevard Avenue bridge with
the cut bank on the Throop side along the conservancy parcel.
Upstream in Throop there is a small local flood protection levee along
the Belmont Street/Sanderson Avenue neighborhood adjacent to the Sulfur Creek
Confluence. Above this point lies
the 200 +/- acres of the lead contaminated Marjol Battery site.
Upstream of Marjol, the east bank topography rises in elevation several
hundred feet into the Eddy Creek Colliery property.
A narrow flood plain of a few dozen feet gives way to a one-in-one
gradient. The flood plain and
uplands have remnants of original habitat in a few patches; rhododendron and
oak, with some mountain laurel are growing along ledges of Llewlyn Sandstone
outcrops. This area transitions
into a large debris slope of strip mine overburden out cast from the ridgeline.
This debris slope covers a 20-acre area approximately one-half mile in length.
It is composed of 2 to 4 foot slabs of Llewlyn sandstone and shale of
varying thickness up to 2 feet. This
material is rich in carboniferous age fossils.
The
east bank elevations descend in a shallower gradient to the north of this point
into Valley Junction at RM 16.7. This
point is adjacent to the Lackawanna County Services building at the intersection
of Eagle Lane and Enterprise Street in Dickson City.
It is marked on the east bank by the Throop-Olyphant border, near an
abandoned rail grade and bridge abutment. On
the west bank the wooden remnants of a railroad trestle are known locally as the
Trestle Hole Fishing Area. Historically,
Valley Junction was the western terminus of the inclined plane operations of the
Delaware and Hudson Gravity railroad. From
Valley Junction south, the D&H used steam locomotives to haul coal and
freight to and from its mines in the Providence section of North Scranton.
From Valley Junction north to Carbondale and over the Moosic Mountain to
Honesdale and the D&H Canal, the Gravity Railroad used a system of
stationary hoisting engines and inclined planes. This system operated through Valley Junction from 1856 until
1899.
North
of Valley Junction, the river is bordered by the abandoned mine land parcels of
the Olyphant and Eddy Creek Collieries. These
parcels cover four hundred acres of flood plain and uplands on both sides of the
river. Economic redevelopment
projects are underway at the Olyphant Colliery site, off Main Street in Dickson
City. Several sections of the west
bank have recently been re-graded for the reconstruction of several thousand
feet of LRBSA Sewer interceptor pipeline. The
river makes several 90-degree turns around Olyphant.
The
downtown commercial district of Olyphant Borough lies on the flood plain,
exposed to the river’s course on the south and northwest.
This district and adjacent residential neighborhoods have been subject to
repeated flooding since the 1850’s; the most recent being the ice-flood of
January 1996. Demolition of river
bank homes and structures is now underway in preparation for a flood control
levee project.
The
three Mid Valley Boroughs of Dickson City, Olyphant and Blakely have a common
boundary point at the Lackawanna Avenue bridge.
Blakely corners, off the west bank, features an anchor from the aircraft
carrier USS Wasp in commemoration of Captain Johnston Blakely, commander of the
first USS Wasp, a sloop which saw action in the War of 1812.
Upstream
of the Lackawanna Avenue bridge through RM 18.0, the PA Department of
Transportation installed numerous channel deflectors and boulders to restore
natural sinuosity to the river’s course and to enhance aquatic habitat.
This project was installed in 1996 as mitigation for the loss of habitat
resulting from stream culvertization under the Governor Robert Casey Highway.
It has been very effective in restoring fish habitat through a sub-reach
that had previously been dredged and channelized.
The
west bank, through RM 18.0, features remnants of the NYO&W rail grade on a
terrace along the floodplain. Passing
into the Peckville section of Blakely, the Lackawanna Outfall AMD channel
confluences with the river at RM 18.0. The
Olyphant Flats neighborhood lies along the east bank floodplain into Condella
Park. In Peckville, the Mott Haven
neighborhood lies along the floodplain through the confluence of Wild Cat and
Tinklepaugh Creeks and along Riverside Drive into Mellow Park, which extends
upstream to PA Rte. 247 at Keystone Avenue.
The
east bank across from Mellow Park features rock and coal outcrops in several
ledges with remnant rhododendron and mountain laurel groves.
The Lackawanna Heritage Crossing, a 150 foot pedestrian bridge, crosses
the Lackawanna at the upper end of Condella Park and the lower end of Mellow
Park. This bridge is the first link in the 40-mile Lackawanna River Heritage
Trail, built in 1992 through a partnership of the LRCA, Lackawanna Heritage
Authority, the boroughs of Olyphant and Blakely and several hundred local
families and businesses, who contributed funds to purchase planks on the bridge.
This site once featured trestles carrying the D&H Gravity Railroad.
Upstream
of the bridge and the rock outcrops, Sterry Creek enters the river near the
Jessup/Olyphant border. The river
drops through several rock ledges, sluces and riffles in the Mellow Park
sub-reach and flows through a riffle and pool structure downstream. This
sub-reach of stream is classified as a Class A wild trout fishery by the
Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission. Water
quality for aquatic habitat is good to excellent, having improved significantly
since the 1973 start-up of the LRBSA system.
Bacterial and floatable contamination from discharging CSO’s are an
occasional water quality concern. The smaller AMD’s in this and upstream
sub-reaches have only a minimal effect on aquatic habitat quality.
R5
Recommendations
1.
This plan recommends that the Olyphant flood levee project and any future
flood control projects in Dickson City, Throop or Blakely, be designed and
constructed to accommodate trail use, protect river access, habitat and water
quality. The maintenance and
restoration of a forested riparian buffer through this reach is a vital
necessity.
2.
This plan recommends development of easements, acquisition or conveyances
of rights-of-way for trails and riparian greenway corridors along the river and
Eddy Creek in the Olyphant/Eddy Creek Colliery area.
This proposal can be integrated with economic redevelopment, abandoned
mine land reclamation and public infrastructure work, at this and related sites.
3.
Several trail and greenway alternatives are recommended in the Lackawanna
River Heritage Trail Alternatives section (Appendix A) of this plan for this
site. Please refer to that section
for additional recommendations.
4.
The preservation and reuse for pedestrian trail linkages of the surplus
1906 truss bridge on the Lackawanna County rail line, near the South Valley
Avenue crossing and Queen City Station, is recommended.
5.
The LRCA, LHVA and Dickson City are encouraged to cooperate on a signage
program to integrate the Boulevard Levee into the LRHT system as soon as
possible.
6.
The development of a historical interpretive program with signage and a
Kiosk Exhibit is recommended at the Valley Junction/Trestle Hole site.
7.
The preservation and re-use of the Olyphant Colliery/Eddy Creek Colliery
rail trestle is recommended.
8.
The development of a west bank trail along the NYO&W and Erie
Railroad grades, from Blakely corners to Peckville and Mellow Park, is
recommended.
9.
The development of a mitigation and habitat enhancement for the
Lackawanna AMD Outfall and its channels is recommended.
10.
The development of a bicycle route along the river through Mellow Park to
provide LHRT continuity is recommended. The
costs for fencing, signage and other improvements to help develop a separate
bike route through Mellow Park are recommended to be funded as an early
implementation project through the River Conservation program.
11.
The development of LHRT routing along the Olyphant Levee is recommended
as a priority action pending completion of levee construction.
Development of a bypass alternate or screening alternate is recommended
where the interface between the levee and residential homes is a concern.
12.
Development and installation of historical and interpretive signage at
the Heritage Crossing site in Mellow Park is recommended to focus on the gravity
railroad, mine reclamation, trout and aquatic habitat and river conservation.
13.
An upgraded river access point at Wild Cat Creek confluence is
recommended for Canoe-A-Thon and for regular public access for canoeing and
paddle sport take out and put-ins. This would require parking, creation of graveled pathways,
informational signage, installation of vegetation and screening to address
neighbor privacy issues. The
Borough of Blakely would need to approve and partner with LRCA and others to
accomplish this recommendation. The
St. Nichols Church parcel adjacent to the Lackawanna Outfall near the Haband
Company facility is an alternate site, which offers another physically
appropriate paddle sport access point.
R6
Mellow Park, Blakely to Gilmartin Street, Archbald (RM 19.5 to 22.7)
This
three-mile reach contains some outstanding wild trout habitat, challenging Class
III whitewater ledges and drops, and the Blakely to Archbald reach of the
Lackawanna River Heritage Trail, along parts of the former New York, Ontario and
Western (NYO&W) Railway.
The
reach begins at Mellow Park. There
is a residential subdivision and a plumbing warehouse along the west banks in
Peckville between Mellow Park and the PA Rte. 247 bridge.
The Jessup side is similarly occupied with residential uses along the
floodplain. Residential use
continues to the area upstream of Deckers Bridge at River Mile 20.
The
west bank carries the LHRT on the O&W rail grade which runs along a 5-10
foot high retaining wall for one-quarter mile above and below Deckers Bridge.
The
Gravity Slope acid mine drainage outfall is located on the west bank floodplain
near the Archbald/Jessup/ Blakely border point near RM 20.5.
The Rose pile, a 100-foot high culm dump covers 30 acres of the river
flood plain at the confluence of Grassy Island Creek.
This confluence was restored using a geomorphologic design in 2001 by the
Lackawanna County Conservation District to address a channel failure and erosion
of coal waste into the Lackawanna from the Rose pile as a result of the January
1996 floods.
From
the Rose pile to the Winton Street bridge, the predominant adjacent east bank
land use is the Lackawanna County Rail Authority’s Carbondale rail line and
the river terrace with the 400-plus acres of the Pompey Colliery abandoned mine
land site in the uplands.
The
LHRT along the O&W rail grade forms a greenway corridor along the west bank
to Winton Street. North of Winton
Street, the Brojack culm bank is located at the site of the former Waddell
breaker. This 100-acre abandoned mine land culm pile sits directly on the flood
plain of the Lackawanna River and is in immediate contact with the watercourse
during high flow events. The
O&W rail grade continues through this area on a terrace about 30-40 feet
above the floodplain. There is an
extensive grove of rhododendron along this sub-reach of river and rail corridor.
Industrial and residential uses continue on the upland area of this
sub-reach to Monroe Street.
From
Monroe Street to Gilmarten Street, the neighborhood commercial district of
Archbald is located along Main Street immediately adjacent to the river.
Along
the east bank from Winton Street for three blocks to the dead-end of River
Street, the Winton neighborhood of Jessup provides a small residential use along
the floodplain. From this point
upstream into Archbald, the east bank is a steep upland slope rising 20-30 feet
to a terrace, which carries the LHRT alignment along the LCRA Carbondale line.
Once into Archbald, the LHRT alignment descends onto the floodplain to
the trailhead at the Laurel Street cul-de-sac.
The
electric generation plant and industrial site operated by PG Energy, a gas
utility is located upland of this sub-reach.
This 50 plus, mega watt plant and related industrial sites occupies a
400-plus acre abandoned mine land which once hosted the Gravity Slope and White
Oak Collieries of the Hudson Coal Company.
Several buildings, including the Shifting Shanty of the Gravity Slope are
located near the river and the Laurel Street cul-de-sac.
The Borough has recently acquired these structures with an interest in a
historical district restoration.
Along
Laurel Street on the east bank, the predominant land use is wooded riparian
corridor along the river with three homes at one location adjacent to the
stream. The boroughs of Archbald, LRCA and LHVA have developed
numerous improvements to the river corridor through the David Maslair Park.
This includes a section of the LHRT as far as Monroe Street.
From
Monroe Street to Gilmartin Street, the O&W rail corridor follows the
riverbank with a 12-20 foot retaining wall as grade separation.
Residential use predominates the adjacent area.
The Archbald Borough Building is located at the confluence of White Oak
Run and the river along Church Street near the St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic
Church. The Gilmartin Street bridge nearby is presently closed pending
demolition and replacement.
R6
Recommendations
1.
This plan recommends mine reclamation work at the Pompey site and the
Brojack site. LRCA also recommends
the removal of the Rose pile and the Waddel pile and the restoration of
floodplain habitat on those sites.
2.
A multi-objective combined sewer overflow and acid mine drainage
remediation project is recommended at the Gravity Slope outfall.
3.
An environmental restoration of the Winton Rocks habitat along the LRHT
is recommended.
4.
A stabilization and interpretive project is suggested for the abandoned
Erie Rail grade and its bridge abutments at Winton.
5.
Enhancements to the riparian landscape and access pathways are suggested
for Winton and the Sarah Braty Park area.
6.
A mitigation or treatment project for the Dana Tunnel outfall is
recommended to reduce aluminum sulfide pollution.
7.
Improved pedestrian access to Dougher Island is recommended.
8.
Support for interpretive and historic district development at Gravity
Slope is recommended.
9.
Continued acquisition of former NYO&W rail grades for the development
of LHRT is a priority recommendation.
R7 Gilmartin Street, Archbald
to Meredith Street, Carbondale Township (RM
22.7 to 27.0)
This
approximate four and one-half mile reach holds a transition from natural stream
channel to levees and floodwalls at Mayfield. There is a larger amount of
undeveloped open space and abandoned mine lands in the Archbald/Jermyn sub-reach
and a small but intense series of urban use at Jermyn/Mayfield.
The
river maintains good aquatic habitat conditions and a vibrant reproducing Wild
Trout Fishery. A mix of riffle and
pool structures is interrupted by concrete flood control works at Mayfield and
the rock ledges of the Moosic anticline and the remains of the Powder Mill Dam
at Jermyn.
From
the Gilmartin Street bridge upstream for one half mile, Main Street follows the
river west bank to a point near the USGS Archbald River Gauging Station.
Residential properties lie to the western side of Main Street.
Several have old stone retaining walls in their backyards rising up the
hillside. These circa 1845 era
walls are remnants of D&H Gravity railroad inclined planes.
The
east bank holds the former NYO&W rail corridor along the terrace for three
miles to just past Delaware Street in Jermyn.
Two reaches of east bank floodplain hold the LRBSA Archbald Treatment
Plant at RM 23.0 and the remnants of the Powder Mill Dam and Moosic anticline
outcrop at RM 23.4. The Powder Mill
Dam site on the east bank is owned by the Lackawanna Valley Conservancy, which
manages the twelve acres for habitat conservation and public access for passive
recreation. This site features the
confluence of Aylesworth Creek. West
bank floodplain contains several small residential subdivisions including the
Woodlands, which was built on the former Powder Mill site itself. The main residential and commercial district of Jermyn lies
along the west bank of the river along Washington Avenue (Main Street).
This residential/commercial use continues into the Borough of Mayfield.
On
the east bank in Jermyn the river corridor holds the LCRA Carbondale line on its
terrace, the upland land use at the former Raymond Colliery site is the Rapid
Pallet Company. On the west bank,
the Rush Brook Creek confluence with the river is adjacent to the Rushbrook
Street PA Rte. 107 extension road which crosses the river at RM 24.25.
The
east bank from RM 24.3 upstream through Mayfield to RM 25.9 has been altered
with flood protection levees. One
sub-reach for one-quarter mile above and below Poplar Street bridge in Mayfield
features a concrete “U” channel open box culvert with a concrete drop
structure or weir. Both sides of the river are altered in this sub-reach.
Above
this point, the river floodplain is in a wooded undeveloped use through to the
Lackawanna Heritage Center campus at the Mayfield/Carbondale township border, RM
26.7, with the exception of a reach of NYO&W property at the Cemetery Street
bridge. At this location, the
property owner is conducting an unsightly but apparently legal dumping and
filling operation adjacent to the FEMA designated floodplain.
R7
Recommendations
1.
This plan recommends acquisition of the balance of NYO&W undeveloped
parcels in Archbald, Jermyn, Mayfield and Carbondale Township for development of
the LRHT.
2.
This plan recommends construction of a pedestrian river crossing bridge
at River Street in Jermyn on the NYO&W and at Rush Brook; original abutments
are in place at these sites.
3.
This plan recommends additional acquisition of river corridor lands where
and when they are identified or become available.
4.
This plan recommends a partnership with Jermyn Borough and others to
develop a park, river access, historical and cultural interpretive program and
habitat restoration at the confluence of Calendar Gap Creek in Jermyn.
5.
This plan recommends a LHRT linkage to the pathways along the Mayfield
flood control levees and a linkage to the Lakeland elementary center.
6.
This plan recommends no action other than interpretive signage and
monitoring for the Jermyn Tunnel AMD discharge.
7.
This plan recommends public involvement with property owners; individuals
and community groups to clean up debris and litter and protect river related
resources in this and other river reaches.
8.
This plan recommends environmental audits to update river conservation
and protection capacities of local municipal ordinances.
R8 Meredith Street,
Carbondale Twp. to PA Rte. 171, Fell Twp. (RM 26.9 to 30.7)
This
four mile reach of the Lackawanna transitions from more sparsely developed uses
downstream, through the intensely developed urban corridor of the City of
Carbondale, and then abruptly to undeveloped abandoned mine lands and forest
lands north of PA Rte. 171. The
river gradient drops gradually but steadily through riffles and pools through
the entire reach. Several
sub-reaches bear evidence of historical river channelization work associated
with railroad and coal mining. Water
and habitat quality support a Class A wild trout fishery.
Numerous CSO points and obsolete municipal sewers cause endemic point
sources of pollution and should caution water contact.
From
Meredith Street to Pike Street in Carbondale, the land use is vacant or
commercial. The Bauman scrap yard,
covered in successional woods with knotweed, lies along the NYO&W rail
grade, as does the former Mermelsteins store, now a strip mall along Bus. Rte.
6. Tuzzies Trucking yard at Pike
Street is a cause for concern with contaminated soils in evidence from
automobile and truck fluids and lubricants.
Mixed
residential and commercial use predominates as Bus. Rte. 6 parallels the river,
becoming Brooklyn Street along the flood plain in south Carbondale.
The Carbondale High School, elementary center, recreation fields and
commercial shopping uses occupy the flood plain where Fall Brook joins the
river. This was the location of the
Carbondale mine fire, a multi-year, multi million dollar project to extinguish
an underground fire which necessitated removal of nearly 400 homes and
businesses and the excavation of a 600 foot by one-half mile by 300 foot deep
trench, needed to extinguish burning coal measures.
The
east bank of the river from Meredith Street to Pike Street is predominately an
abandoned mine land site, with advanced successional growth.
The PPL electric utility occupies a facility on a 40-acre parcel at
Meredith Street. The river flows
along this reach at the base of a 10 foot by 50 foot high slope of mine wastes,
covered by vegetation in advanced succession.
The mine waste pile drops abruptly near the Off Track Betting property at
Pike Street. Residential and small
commercial uses are evident along the east bank of the river from the Pike
Street bridge to the Lackawanna County Rail Authority’s (LCRA) rail grade
crossing. The LCRA grade is the
predominant use upstream on the east bank to its crossing of the river near
Brooklyn Street.
From
this point for the next mile upstream to RM 29.2, at the confluence of Racket
Brook, the Lackawanna River flows through the heart of the downtown Carbondale
commercial district. The river’s
course is bracketed by stone and concrete walls, some over 100 years old. Four city streets cross over the river on concrete bridges;
two of these bridges are new (7th and 8th Avenues), and
the old concrete arch bridge at Salem Avenue is scheduled for replacement in
2001-02; the other at 6th Avenue has weight restrictions.
The
historic Carbondale City Hall and Pioneer Square are located off the east bank
of the river at 6th Avenue and North Main Street.
Carbondale City Hall is the oldest continuously used government building
in Lackawanna County. The original
part of the structure at the rear, dates back to the 1850’s, when this area
was still part of Luzerne County.
The
Racket Brook confluence on the east bank marks the location where the first
D&H gravity railroad inclined plane was initiated into operation in 1829. Coal was first mined by founders of the D&H, the Wurtz
brothers, in 1822. Remnants of the
D&H steam era roundhouse occupy the west bank of the Lackawanna across from
Racket Brook. The Carbondale Rail
Yards Industrial Park occupies the west bank and flood plain of the river for
the next mile up to the PA Rte. 171 bridge.
A walking path follows the wooded river bank, providing a buffer between
the Industrial Park access road and businesses, and the river.
The NYO&W rail corridor crossed down town Carbondale and the
Lackawanna River on a large, mile long elevated trestle, similar to elevated
subway line in New York City or Chicago. The
O&W station was located astride this bridge, between Dundaff Street and the
river, near where the post office is now located.
The
structure terminated on a terrace above the east bank along the Maplewood
Cemetery. The O&W rail grade
and a parallel D&H rail grade run for a quarter-mile upstream. The D&H grade crosses the river on a 1909 steel truss
into a private parcel (Thorton’s scrap yard) in the former rail yard
industrial area. The O&W
continues along the east bank to intersect with the Rte. 171, near the Holt
Lumber Yard and the Gentex works in Simpson.
Main
Street in Simpson (Rte. 171) parallels the east bank of the Lackawanna for
three-quarters of a mile from the Gentex works to the Rte. 171 bridge.
There are several residential and commercial properties which border the
river and a 1000-foot sub-reach where Rte. 171 lies directly along the river
bank.
The
Delaware and Hudson Company had channelized the Lackawanna from Simpson through
Carbondale to facilitate their coal and railroad operations during the 1820’s
to the 1950’s. The area of the
Morse Street bridge at RM 30.5, between Main Street, Simpson and the Doyle &
Roth industrial site, downstream of the Rte. 171 bridge and the Wilson Creek
confluence, had been altered by D&H with reinforced concrete flood walls
constructed in 1910. These walls
helped to reinforce previous work done by the D&H to eliminate the naturally
braided channel and broad flood plain of the Lackawanna to create the Carbondale
Rail Yards and locomotive shop complex, at the beginning of the 20th
century. This river area had once
given Carbondale it original name, “Ragged Island.”
R8
Recommendations:
1.
This plan recommends completion of the Lackawanna River Heritage Trail as
described in the Trails Alternative Report, including several links to the
D&H and O&W trails.
2.
This plan supports restoration of the stone floodwalls and installation
of river access points through the City of Carbondale.
3.
This plan recommends development of a Heritage Landing at the Racket
Brook confluence and the D&H round house site.
This site could become a Carbondale River Commons.
4.
This plan recommends development of a greenway and recreational easement
with PPL and other property owners between Meredith and Pike Streets along the
east bank.
5.
This plan recommends the development of conservation easements for
greenway and recreational purposes along all sub-reaches of the Lackawanna,
including the Thorton property at the former Carbondale rail yards.
6.
A river access and educational site at the Schoolside branch of PennStar
Bank could improve river access and presentation of in-stream river and
watershed education. This plan
recommends improvements and easements at this site.
R9
through R12: The Upper Lackawanna
River
The
upper Lackawanna River is included in the Upper Lackawanna River Conservation
Plan prepared by the Trials Conservation Corporation (TCC), with the
participation of the LRCA. Detailed
information and recommendations for the upper Lackawanna are included in that
planning document, which is incorporated into this document by reference.
Tributaries to the river between PA Rte. 171 in Simpson and Stillwater
Dam, and the East and West Branches and their tributaries, are included in the
ascension chart in this document. A
synopsis of physical conditions, narratives and plan recommendations for R9
through R12 follows below. See the
Upper Lackawanna document for further detail.
R9
PA Rte. 171, Simpson to PA Rte. 247, Forest City (RM 30.7 to 35.8)
Once
above Rte. 171, the prevalent land use on the east bank is forestry and on the
west bank a mix of abandoned mine lands, forest and residential.
The river falls in a steep gradient from Forest City to Simpson, with
numerous riffles, ledge drops and a unique twin waterfall at No. 10 Hole, near
River Street in Simpson.
The
abandoned D&H and O&W rail grades parallel the river through this reach.
The 1500-acre Panther Bluff tract between the river and the Moosic
Mountain ridgeline is being preserved through conservation easements.
The D&H is owned (with a 6500 foot exception) by the Rail Trail
Council of Northeast Pennsylvania (RTC NEPA).
The RTC holds easements on the O&W through this reach and R10 as
well.
The
Northwest Coal abandoned mine land and culm dump at RM 33.0 is problematic with
AMD surface flows and erosion of culm during high flow periods.
Illegal dumping of household and automotive wastes have been problems,
along with vandalism, in this reach. The
exquisite Panther Bluff gorge, a rhododendron and hemlock-lined ravine cutting
through Pocono and Llewlyn strata, is located at RM 31.75, on the Panther Bluff
Preserve tract.
R9
Recommendations:
1.
Panther Bluff ravine and the preserved tract as well as the No. 10 Hole
twin waterfalls are included on the LRCA’s List of Special Places and Natural
Areas. These sites are recommended
for stewardship management activities and educational programs.
2.
The Northwest Dump culm pile is recommended for removal and site
reclamation. This plan recommends a
conservation subdivision development as an appropriate reuse of the site.
3.
This plan recommends acquisition of the balance of the 6500-foot gap in
the D&H right-of-way.
4.
This plan recommends development of interpretive programs for the
abandoned mine land sites and the Grey Slope Colliery area.
R10
PA Rte. 247, Forest City to Stillwater Dam, Uniondale (RM 35.8 to 39.5)
Forest
City and Browndale are notable urban and suburban mixed land uses in the upland
areas of this reach. The Yucca
Flats (Hillside Colliery) site is a large abandoned mine land site between the
D&H and river, at the edge of Forest City.
The
Forest City Pennsylvania American Water Company (PAWC) Filtration Plant and a
small intake dam are located at RM 36.0, just downstream of the Brace Brook
confluence. The balance of adjacent
land use to Stillwater Dam is vacant, abandoned mine land sites and forestry.
The O&W and D&H rail corridors continue to the Rte. 171 bridge at
RM 38.0. The D&H follows along
the west bank and shoreline of old Stillwater and Stillwater Dam.
Old
Stillwater Dam is a water supply reservoir owned and operated by PAWC.
The original dam was reduced in 1960 as part of the construction of
Stillwater Dam (RM 39.5) by the US Army Corps of Engineers, to provide flood
control protection to the Lackawanna Valley.
Stillwater
Cliffs is a large scenic escarpment at RM 38.0 forming a water gap at a point
where the Lackawanna syncline ridge doubles back on itself, forming the Moosic
and West Mountain ranges. Stillwater
Cliffs is an escarpment of Pocono c