Paunnacussing Creek is a tributary of the Delaware River contained wholly within Bucks County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. It rises from a pond north of Mechanicsville in Buckingham Township and drains into the Delaware at Bull Island just upstream of Lumberville in Solebury Township.

Paunnacussing Creek
Milton Creek
pushpin map showing location of Paunnacussing Creek
pushpin map showing location of Paunnacussing Creek
Paunnacussing Creek
Native name
Location
CountryUnited States
StatePennsylvania
CountyBucks
TownshipBuckingham
Solebury
Physical characteristics
Source 
 • coordinates40°21′12″N 75°4′32″W / 40.35333°N 75.07556°W / 40.35333; -75.07556
 • elevation390 feet (120 m)
Mouth 
 • coordinates
40°24′32″N 75°2′27″W / 40.40889°N 75.04083°W / 40.40889; -75.04083
 • elevation
72 feet (22 m)
Length5.39 miles (8.67 km)
Basin size7.87 square miles (20.4 km2)
Basin features
ProgressionPaunnacussing Creek → Delaware RiverDelaware Bay
River systemDelaware River
LandmarksLumberville
BridgesIndian Spring Road
Wellsford Lane
Street Road
Carversville Road
Fleecy Dale Road
Old Carversville Road
Pennsylvania Route 32 (River Road)
Pennsylvania Canal (Delaware Division) aqueduct.
Slope59 feet per mile (11.2 m/km)

History

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The original inhabitants of the area of Paunnacussing Creek were the Lenape people. Later, it became a part of the Province of Pennsylvania in 1681. The first mention of the stream was on Cutler's resurvey in 1703. At one time there were several mills along the creek as evidenced by dams along the waterway, which were damaged or destroyed during the great flood of 3 August 1885, which caused severe damage in the village of Carversville, washed out local roads, and destroyed the aqueduct carrying the Delaware Canal over the creek. The cost of replacing the aqueduct was $10,000.[1]

Statistics

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The Geographic Name Information System I.D. is 1183392,[2] U.S. Department of the Interior Geological Survey I.D. is 03093. The creek's watershed is 7.87 square miles (20.4 km2), and it meets its confluence with the Delaware river's 155.60 river mile at an elevation of 72 feet (22 m).[3]

Course

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Paunnacussing Creek rises from a pond north of Mechanicsville at an elevation of 390 feet (120 m) and starts out northwest oriented, then northeast, turns northwest, and back to northeast. At Carversville, it picks up two unnamed tributaries, one from the right bank, then one from the left. Then is northeast oriented until it passes under the Delaware Canal aqueduct and meets with the Delaware River just upstream of Lumberville across from Bull's Island at an elevation of 72 feet (22 m), resulting in an average slope of 59 feet per mile (11.2 m/km).

Geology

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Paunnacussing Creek lies in the Stockton Formation of bedrock consisting of arkosic sandstone, buff to light-gray, and red to purple-red sandstone, shale, siltstone, and mudstone laid down during the Triassic.

Municipalities

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Crossings and Bridges

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Crossing NBI Number Length Lanes Spans Material/Design Built Reconstructed Latitude Longitude
Indian Spring Road - - - - - - - - -
Wellsford Lane - - - - - - - - -
Street Road - - - - - - - - -
Carversville Road 7103 13 metres (43 ft) 2 2 arch-deck masonry - 2011 40°23'11.1"N 75°3'45.7"W
Fleecy Dale Road 7111 21 metres (69 ft) 2 2 arch-deck masonry - - 40°23'15.6"N 75°3'46"W
Old Carversville Road 7545 16 metres (52 ft) 1 1 steel stringer/multi-beam or girder 1931 1986 40°23'34.8"N 75°3'26.2"W
Pennsylvania Route 32 (River Road) 41338 14 metres (46 ft) 2 1 prestressed concrete box beam or girders-multiple 2001 - 40°24'27.8"N 75°2'31.92"W
Pennsylvania Canal (Delaware Division) aqueduct - - - - - - - - -

See also

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References

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  1. ^ MacReynolds, George, Place Names in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, Doylestown, Bucks County Historical Society, Doylestown, PA, 1942, P289.
  2. ^ "GNIS Feature Search". geonames.usgs.gov. U.S. Geological Survey, U.S. Department of the Interior. Retrieved 8 October 2017.
  3. ^ http://www.lycoming.edu/cwi/pdfs/paGazetterOfStreams.pdf, page 76