Millard Creek

Millard Creek is a tributary of Tunkhannock Creek in Susquehanna County, Pennsylvania. It is approximately 6.2 mi long and flows through Harford Township and Lenox Township. The watershed of the creek has an area of 5.66 sqmi. The creek is not designated as an impaired waterbody. The surficial geology in its vicinity includes Wisconsinan Till, alluvium, wetlands, lakes, bedrock, and alluvial fan. The dominant land uses in the creek's watershed include forested land and agricultural land. A number of bridges have been constructed over the creek. Its drainage basin is designated as a Coldwater Fishery and a Migratory Fishery.

Course
Millard Creek begins in a small unnamed pond to the south of a wetland in Harford Township. It flows south-southwest for a few tenths of a mile before turning south-southeast for several tenths of a mile, entering Lenox Township. Here, the creek turns south-southwest for several tenths of a mile before turning east and then southeast and then south-southwest. After several tenths of a mile, it passes through a wetland and a lake before turning south. For the next several tenths of a mile, it flows alongside Jeffers Hill before passing through a wetland and Jeffers Pond. The creek then turns southwest for a short distance before turning south-southeast. After several tenths of a mile, it passes through another wetland and turns southeast for a few tenths of a mile before receiving an unnamed tributary from the left. It then turns south for several tenths of a mile, beginning to flow alongside Pennsylvania Route 167 on one side and Hickory Ridge on the other side. The creek then turns southeast for a few tenths of a mile before turning east-southeast and crossing Pennsylvania Route 92. A short distance further downstream, it reaches its confluence with Tunkhannock Creek.

Millard Creek is approximately 6.2 mi long. It joins Tunkhannock Creek 20.95 mi upstream of its mouth.

Hydrology
Millard Creek is not designated as an impaired waterbody.

The total sediment load in Millard Creek is 2822343 lb per year. Cropland is by far the largest contributor, accounting for 2600926 lb per year. Deciduous forest an hay/pastures/grass contribute 93348 and 88255 lb per year respectively. The annual sediment load contributed by coniferous forest is 17638 lb, while 13164 lb comes from mixed forest and 9011 lb comes from high-intensity development.

The annual nitrogen load in Millard Creek is 14604 lb. A total of 10509 lb per year comes from cropland, while 1203 lb comes from groundwater and 1194 lb comes from septic systems and 941 lb comes from hay/pastures/grass. Deciduous forests contribute 452 lb per year, coniferous forests contribute 128 lb, mixed forests contribute 83 lb, and high-intensity development contributes 64 ft.

The total phosphorus load in Millard Creek is 1861 lb. Annually, 1585 lb comes from cropland, 108 lb comes from groundwater, 76 lb comes from hay/pastures/grass, and 58 lb comes from deciduous forest. A total of 12 lb per year comes from coniferous forest, mixed forest and high-intensity development contribute 9 lb each, and septic systems contribute 4 lb per year.

Point source pollution does not contribute any nitrogen, phosphorus, or sediment to Millard Creek.

Geography and geology
The elevation near the mouth of Millard Creek is 778 ft above sea level. The elevation near the creek's source is 1458 ft above sea level.

The geology in the entire watershed of Millard Creek consists of interbedded sedimentary rock of the Catksill Formation.

The surficial geology in the vicinity of Millard Creek mostly consists of a till known as Wisconsinan Till. However, patches of alluvium, wetlands, and lakes occur along some areas of the creek and the surficial geology on some nearby hills include bedrock consisting of sandstone and shale. There is also a patch of alluvial fan near the mouth of the creek.

Watershed
The watershed of Millard Creek has an area of 5.66 sqmi. The stream is entirely within the United States Geological Survey quadrangle of Lenoxville. Its mouth is located within 1 mi of Glenwood.

The main land use in the watershed of Millard Creek is forested land, which occupies nearly 2500 acre in the watershed. Agricultural land occupies slightly over 1000 acre and urban land occupies only a very small part of the creek's watershed.

The watershed of Millard Creek is relatively long in a north-south direction and relatively narrow in an east-west direction.

History
Millard Creek was entered into the Geographic Names Information System on August 2, 1979. Its identifier in the Geographic Names Information System is 1181198.

A prestressed box beam or girders bridge carrying State Route 2039 over Millard Creek in Lenox Township was built in 1951 and repaired in 2010 and is 24.0 ft long. A concrete tee beam bridge carrying Pennsylvania Route 92 over the creek in Lenox Township was built in 1959 and is 34.1 ft long.

In 2001, Millard Creek was used as the reference watershed for the total maximum daily load for South Branch Wyalusing Creek.

Biology
The drainage basin of Millard Creek is designated as a Coldwater Fishery and a Migratory Fishery. Wild trout naturally reproduce in Millard Creek from its mouth upstream for 2.67 mi. The designated use of the creek is aquatic life.