The Maiden Creek Watershed is located in
southeastern Pennsylvania in the upper Schuylkill River Basin in
northeastern Berks County and extreme western Lehigh County. Small
portions of eastern Schuylkill County are within the watershed at
the ridgeline of Blue Mountain and in State Game lands.
The headwaters, or small streams, of the
Maiden Creek are in County where it is called Ontelaunee Creek.
When the creek crosses into Berks County it is called Maiden Creek.
As the Maiden Creek flows through Berks County it is joined by many
small tributaries and perennial streams. The water of the Maiden
Creek Watershed flows into Lake Ontelaunee.
Eleven of these tributaries are named. In the
order that they enter the Maiden Creek they are: Kistler Creek, Pine
Creek, Raush Creek, Stony Run, Furnace Creek, Mill Creek, Saucony
Creek, and Moselem Creek. Peters Creek, and Willow Creek all flow
directly into Lake Ontelaunee. These eleven creeks represent sub
watersheds within the Maiden Creek watershed. Overall, the Maiden
Creek Watershed covers approximately 216-square miles and has more
than 2,100 miles of perennial streams including Maiden Creek and its
tributaries.
The DEP awards bodies of water designations in
order to classify them in the government system. There are five
“protected use” designations awarded to streams that support the
maintenance and propagation of fish species and suitable habitat for
flora and fauna. The two highest designations, High Quality (HQ) and
Exceptional Value (EV) mandate special water quality protection, as
they embody outstanding ecological resources that are required to be
maintained at existing quality.
The Maiden Creek and its tributaries have
achieved high rankings for water quality. Peters Creek and the
source waters of the Saucony Creek are classified Exceptional Value
(EV), the highest designation, reserved for the most pristine waters
in the state. The upper portion of Pine Creek and Bailey Creek are
listed as High Quality – Cold Water Fisheries (HQ-CWF). Ontelaunee
Creek and the lower section of Pine Creek are rated Cold Water
Fisheries (CWF), which support trout and native flora and fauna in a
cold-water habitat. Upper Maiden Creek and a majority of it’s
tributaries are rated Trout Stocked Fishery (TSF), supporting the
maintenance of stocked trout from February 15 to July 31. Lower
Maiden Creek and Lake Ontelaunee support the propagation of fish
species, flora and fauna that are indigenous to a Warm Waters
Fisheries.
Significant features to our watershed are the
Appalachian Trail and the Federal Highland Conservation Area.
The 2,100-mile Appalachian Trail, running from
Maine to Georgia, parallels the northern border of the watershed in
Albany, Greenwich, and Windsor townships. This is a nationally
significant recreational resource that attracts thousands of users
each year. The trail follows the crest of Blue Mountain from the
north and dips down into both the Pine and Furnace Creek sub-basins
before exiting the watershed to the west. Several side trails
provide access to Hawk Mountain Sanctuary, Blue Rocks and the
Pinnacle, three regionally important recreational features.
The 3 million acre Federal Highland
Conservation area is another nationally significant area stretching
from Connecticut through Pennsylvania providing a green buffer for
the metropolis area of Hartford, New York City and Philadelphia. The
Saucony Creek originates from the Oley Hills portion of the
Pennsylvania section of the Highlands. Saucony Creek is 17.5 miles
in length with a section of the stream has being designated as
Exceptional Value by the PA DEP. Saucony Creek is the drinking water
source for the Borough of Kutztown and a tributary to the City of
Reading's drinking water supply. Saucony Creek and Saucony Marsh
are listed as high priority sites for protection in the Berks County
Open Space & Recreation Plan, the Maiden Creek Watershed
Conservation Plan, the Kutztown/Lyons/Maxatawny draft Joint
Comprehensive Plan, the Kutztown Comprehensive, Recreation & Parks
Plan and the Berks County Comprehensive Plan. The Saucony Creek
corridor is listed in the Berks County Natural Areas Inventory as a
high priority site for protection.
501(c) (3) non profit
