The Lackawanna River is a long river flowing into the Susquehanna River with 65 named tributaries, of which 33 are direct tributaries. The river flows through Susquehanna, Lackawanna, and Luzerne Counties in Pennsylvania. The shortest tributary is long, while the longest is long. The tributaries include 40 creeks, 14 brooks, 9 runs, and 2 rivers. By length, the five largest tributaries are Roaring Brook, Spring Brook, the East Branch Lackawanna River, Stafford Meadow Brook, and the West Branch Lackawanna River. By watershed area, the five largest tributaries are Spring Brook, Roaring Brook, the East Branch Lackawanna River, Leggetts Creek, and the West Branch Lackawanna River.

Of the 37 tributaries of the Lackawanna River that have their own Chapter 93.9 designations, most are designated as Coldwater Fisheries. However, two tributaries (Eddy Creek and part of Stafford Meadow Brook) are designated as Warmwater Fisheries instead. An additional two tributaries (Summit Lake Creek and part of Leggetts Creek) are designated as Trout-Stocked Fisheries. Parts of six are designated as High-Quality Coldwater Fisheries: the East Branch Lackawanna River, the West Branch Lackawanna River, and parts of Grassy Island Creek, Roaring Brook, Stafford Meadow Brook, and Spring Brook. One tributary, Clarks Creek, holds an Exceptional Value designation.Coldwater Fishery, Warmwater Fishery, Trout-Stocked Fishery, High-Quality Coldwater Fishery, and Exceptional Value are all official designations. The first means that a stream supports fish from the family Salmonidae and other cold-water fauna and flora. The second means that a stream supports warm-water fauna and flora. Trout-Stocked Fishery means that a stream supports the maintenance of stocked trout. High-Quality Coldwater Fishery and Exceptional Value are designations for streams that meet the Coldwater Fishery criteria and also have high water quality. Wild trout naturally reproduce in approximately 30 of the tributaries.

Many tributaries of the Lackawanna River are environmentally degraded. At least 16 tributaries experience some degree of flow loss and at least 11 of those experience total flow loss. At least five tributaries, including Red Spring Run; Meadow Brook; Eddy Creek; Callender Gap Creek; and Coal Brook, have had reaches partially or totally destroyed by mining or by post-mining development. Extensive deposits of culm and silts from mining operations occur in the watersheds of at least seven tributaries, including Saint Johns Creek, Mill Creek, Keyser Creek, Eddy Creek, Sterry Creek, Grassy Island Creek, and Coal Brook.

The watersheds of at least 16 tributaries of the Lackawanna River contain waterfalls or morphologic sites such as water gaps and escarpments. The watershed of the tributary Roaring Brook contains seven such sites, though two are in the sub-watersheds of Rock Bottom Creek and Little Roaring Brook. There are also dozens of named ponds and lakesboth natural and manmade in the watersheds of more than 15 of the tributaries. Bogs and wetland complexes occur in the watersheds of about 12 tributaries.

Tributaries of the Lackawanna River

Tributaries of the main stem Name Length Watershed area Distance from mouth Mouth elevation Source elevation Coordinates Red Spring Run Saint Johns Creek Mill Creek Spring Brook Keyser Creek Stafford Meadow Brook Roaring Brook Meadow Brook Leggetts Creek Price Creek Eddy Creek Hull Creek Wildcat Creek Sterry Creek Grassy Island Creek Laurel Run White Oak Run Aylesworth Creek Callender Gap Creek Rush Brook Powderly Creek Lees Creek Meredith Creek Fall Brook Racket Brook Coal Brook Wilson Creek Rogers Brook Clarks Creek Meredith Brook Brace Brook East Branch Lackawanna River West Branch Lackawanna River

Tributaries of Mill Creek Name Length Watershed area Distance from mouth Mouth elevation Source elevation Coordinates Lidy Creek Collins Creek

Tributaries of Spring Brook Name Length Watershed area Distance from mouth Mouth elevation Source elevation Coordinates Covey Swamp Creek Monument Creek Green Run Rattlesnake Creek Plank Bridge Creek Panther Creek

Tributaries of Keyser Creek Name Length Watershed area Distance from mouth Mouth elevation Source elevation Coordinates Lucky Run Lindy Creek

Tributaries of Roaring Brook Name Length Watershed area Distance from mouth Mouth elevation Source elevation Coordinates Little Roaring Brook Rock Bottom Creek White Oak Run Kellum Creek Van Brunt Creek Bear Brook East Branch Roaring Brook Lake Run

Tributaries of Leggetts Creek Name Length Watershed area Distance from mouth Mouth elevation Source elevation Coordinates Leach Creek Clover Hill Creek Summit Lake Creek

Other tributaries Name Tributary to Length Watershed area Distance from mouth Mouth elevation Source elevation Coordinates Trout Creek Monument Creek Six Springs Creek Rattlesnake Creek Painter Creek Panther Creek Mountain Lake Run Stafford Meadow Brook Langan Creek Van Brunt Creek Emerson Run Lake Run South Branch Leach Creek Leach Creek Pancoast Creek Price Creek West Branch Tinklepaugh Creek Wildcat Creek Indian Cave Creek White Oak Run (Lackawanna River) Fiddle Lake Creek West Branch Lackawanna River

See also List of rivers of Pennsylvania

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