Keyser Creek (historically known as Keyser's Creek, Beaver Run or Beaver Creek) is a tributary of the Lackawanna River in Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. It is approximately long and flows through Newton Township, Ransom Township, Scranton, and Taylor. The watershed of the creek has an area of . It is designated as a Coldwater Fishery and a Migratory Fishery. The creek has two named tributaries: Lucky Run and Lindy Creek.
The watershed of Keyser Creek was historically affected by coal mining and has been channelized. It has no flow in dry conditions, although it does have some during and after storms. As of 1991, the watershed is mostly forested. The first white settlers in Lackawanna County settled near the creek in 1769. Keyser Creek is a major second-order tributary of the Lackawanna River. Since 2013, a trailhead of the Lackawanna River Heritage Trail has been situated near the creek. A number of bridges have also been built across the creek.
Course
Keyser Creek begins in a deep valley on West Mountain in Newton Township. It flows south-southeast for more than a mile, exiting Newton Township, passing through Ransom Township, and entering Scranton. The creek then turns southeast for about a mile, crossing Interstate 476. It then turns southwest for several tenths of a mile and receives Lindy Creek, its first named tributary, from the right. The creek then turns south-southwest for several tenths of a mile and receives Lucky Run, its last named tributary, from the right before turning southwest. After a few tenths of a mile, it turns south-southwest again and eventually turns southeast for a few tenths of a mile before turning south. Several tenths of a mile further downstream, it southeast and then south-southwest. After several tenths of a mile, it reaches its confluence with the Lackawanna River.
Keyser Creek joins the Lackawanna River upriver of its mouth.
Tributaries
Keyser Creek has two named tributaries: Lucky Run and Lindy Creek. Lucky Run joins Keyser Creek upstream of its mouth. Its watershed has an area of . Lindy Creek joins Keyser Creek upstream of its mouth. Its watershed has an area of .
Hydrology
Some reaches of Keyser Creek experience total flow loss and there is no regular flow in the watershed's lower reaches. There are also extensive piles of culm and silts piled up in the creek's floodplain, left over from the coal mining era. There is at least one sanitary sewer overflow in the watershed. As of 2013, there are an estimated four stormwater detention facilities in the watershed. The creek has no perennial flow, since it loses flow to mine pools during dry weather. For this reason, it is unlikely to attain its designated uses. However, it still has flow during storms. During storm flows, the creek carries large amounts of sediment containing coal waste. Additionally, there are some discharges of rusty water into the creek, in addition to a combined sewer overflow.
The peak annual discharge of Keyser Creek at its mouth has a 10 percent chance of reaching per second. It has a 2 percent chance of reaching per second and a 1 percent chance of reaching 3100 cubic feet per second. The peak annual discharge has a 0.2 percent chance of reaching per second.
The peak annual discharge of Keyser Creek upstream of Lucky Run has a 10 percent chance of reaching per second. It has a 2 percent chance of reaching per second and a 1 percent chance of reaching per second. The peak annual discharge has a 0.2 percent chance of reaching per second.
The peak annual discharge of Keyser Creek upstream of Lindy Creek has a 10 percent chance of reaching per second. It has a 2 percent chance of reaching per second and a 1 percent chance of reaching per second. The peak annual discharge has a 0.2 percent chance of reaching per second.
In the early 1900s, Keyser Creek was a clear stream until it reached the repair shops of the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad. At this point, it received some oil and refuse. At the Capouse Shaft, the creek washed an ash bank and a culm bank and was contaminated with some sulfur. More dirty waste materials drained into the creek at the Archbald Colliery and a fertilizer plant also discharged waste into it.
Geography and geology
The elevation near the mouth of Keyser Creek is above sea level. The elevation near the creek's source is between above sea level. In its upper reaches, the creek has a gradient on the order of . However, in its lower reaches, once it flows off Bald Mountain and into Keyser Valley, its gradient is only on the order of .