By Christina Dennis
Begins in Cooperstown, NY Otsego Lake Ends in Havre de Grace, Maryland Empties into Chesapeake Bay Approximately 444 miles long Population along river: 3.8 million 16 th largest river in United States Largest freshwater contributor of the Chesapeake Bay
Most populated county in Northeastern, PA Susquehanna River runs through entire county 12 public school districts 4 state parks Elevations ranging from about 700 feet to about 2000 feet One of the most floodprone areas in the United States
St. Patrick s Day, 1936 In Wilkes-Barre and Kingston, Susquehanna River crested at 33 feet Killed 60 people Washington construction funded levee system This particular flood shaped flood protection to what it is today. In 1946, 1955, and 1964, flooding occurred again but with substantial protection from levees.
Hurricane Agnes June 23, 1972 Over 18 inches of rain Killed 6 people Over 25,000 homes destroyed Over $1 billion in damages Susquehanna River rose 18.9 feet above flood stage Rose 4 feet over levees
Personal interest: I live along the river. Our college is located feet away from the river. More protection near schools and homes? As opposed to parks and unconstructed land Do flood zones and elevation affect where land is developed?
Laporte Benton Stillwater Millville Orangeville Almedia BloomsburgEspy Catawissa Berwick Briar Creek Nescopeck Mifflinville Ringtown Nuremberg Sweet Valley Noxen Glen Lyon New Columbus Shickshinny Mocanaqua Falls Old Forge Harveys Lake Duryea Moosic Dallas Avoca Exeter Pittston West Wyoming Dupont Hughestown Wyoming Swoyersville Luzerne Forty Fort Laflin Pringle Plains Courtdale Kingston Larksville Wilkes-Barre Plymouth Conyngham Laurel Run Nanticoke Ashley Sugar Notch Warrior Run Nuangola West Hazleton Hazleton McAdoo Freeland Woodside Drifton Jeddo Weatherly Beaver Meadows Tresckow White HavenEast Side Jim Thorpe Nesquehoning Dickson City Dunmore Scranton Taylor Bear Creek Village Penn Lake Park Throop Blakeslee Jessup Moscow Mount Cobb Tobyhanna Pocono Pines In Luzerne County: much of the land is cultivated (bright green) remainder of land is urban, agricultural, and commercial (darker green)
Dallas Avoca Plymouth Larksville Courtdale Luzerne Pringle Kingston Edwardsville Swoyersville Wilkes-Barre Forty Fort West Wyoming Plains Wyoming Exeter West Pittston Hughestown Pittston Yatesville Laflin Dupont Specifically in the Kingston/Wilkes-Barre areas (where we live): high concentration of roads more development Laurel Run Ashley
Dallas West Wyoming Exeter Red is low elevation. Blue is high elevation. Courtdale Luzerne Swoyersville Forty Fort Wyoming Significantly lower near Susquehanna River. Pringle Plains Larksville Kingston Edwardsville
Plains Kingston Edwardsville Wilkes-Barre Red is low elevation. Blue is high elevation. Ashley Laurel Run Significantly lower near Susquehanna River. Sugar Notch Bear Creek Village
Mildred Falls Blakely Clarks SummitDickson City Jessup Laporte Noxen Throop Dunmore Scranton Taylor Mount Cobb Hamlin Sonestown Sweet Valley Old Forge Harveys Lake Duryea Moosic Dallas Avoca ExeterPittston West Wyoming Dupont Wyoming Hughestown Swoyersville Luzerne Laflin Pringle Plains Courtdale Kingston Larksville Plymouth Wilkes-Barre Moscow Benton Stillwater New Columbus Shickshinny Mocanaqua Glen Lyon Nanticoke Ashley Sugar Notch Warrior Run Nuangola Laurel Run Bear Creek Village Tobyhanna Millville Penn Lake Park Pocono Pines Orangeville Almedia BloomsburgEspy Berwick Briar Creek Nescopeck Mifflinville Conyngham Freeland Woodside Drifton Jeddo White HavenEast Side Blakeslee Catawissa Nuremberg West Hazleton Hazleton Weatherly Beaver Meadows Tresckow Brodheadsville McAdoo Elysburg Ringtown Jim Thorpe Nesquehoning
Constructed summer of 1972 Army Corps of Engineers reported repairs in 1979 Levees needed to be raised No funding for repairs throughout the 80s Wyoming Valley Levee Raising Project Spring of 1997 $145 million project Sanitary and storm water pump stations 13 pumping stations Pump water up and out of valley and flood zone regions January 2003 Levees completed along entire Wyoming Valley Wyoming, Forty Fort, Kingston, Plymouth Wilkes-Barre completed later
Runs over 12 miles throughout four major reaches Forty Fort (2.7 miles) Kingston (3.5 miles) Wilkes-Barre (4.0 miles) Plymouth (1.8 miles) On both East and West sides of Susquehanna River
Runs over 12 miles throughout four major reaches Forty Fort (2.7 miles) Kingston (3.5 miles) Wilkes-Barre (4.0 miles) Plymouth (1.8 miles) On both East and West sides of Susquehanna River
Entire state of PA was found first (polygon) Luzerne County was highlighted as another layer (polygon) Susquehanna River was added (line) Levees are also assumed to run along entirety of river in Luzerne County (line) City names were added to entire state (points) Within Luzerne County Major state and local roads were added (lines) Clip tool was used to isolate roads to only Luzerne County Parcels for the entire state were added (polygon) Transparency tool was used so parcels were still visible for entire county Stratification of parcels set as percent of total for entire state
Elevations (polygons) Gathered for only Kingston and Wilkes-Barre In properties, set at a minimum/maximum to calculate statistics of elevation Organization: Layers were renamed Unused layers were deleted Difficulties: Luzerne County is not FEMA affiliated Flood zones/flood plains were unable to be acquired Much information was not available for Luzerne County but was for most other counties in Pennsylvania
Fairview Sonestown Elysburg Millville Powell Marshallton Valley View Laporte Monroe BloomsburgEspy Kulpmont Value Value Catawissa New Albany Pennsylvania Cities Susquehanna River High : 652.900024 Low : 165.100006 High : 515.400024 Low : 153.000000 Luzerne County Dushore Orangeville Mildred Benton Almedia Mount Carmel Stratification as Percent Total 5.241935% (>50% Cultivated) Tremont 5.241936% - 8.064516% (Cultivated) Stillwater Lime Ridge Centralia Ashland Gordon 8.064517% - 16.129032% (Agricultural, Urban, Commercial) 16.129033% - 20.16129% (Non-Agricultural) 20.161291% - 25% (Water) Pennsylvania Counties Wyalusing New Columbus Briar Creek Mifflinville Girardville Minersville East Berwick Berwick Nescopeck Ringtown Gilberton Frackville Shenandoah Port Carbon PottsvillePalo Alto Mount Carbon Cressona Schuylkill Haven Laceyville Nuremberg Shenandoah Heights Saint Clair Sweet Valley Shickshinny Mocanaqua Mahanoy City Noxen Glen Lyon Middleport New Philadelphia Orwigsburg Landingville Meshoppen Conyngham Tuscarora Harveys Lake Nanticoke West Hazleton McAdoo Dallas Nuangola Hazleton Hometown Ashley Drifton Jeddo Falls Exeter West Wyoming Wyoming Swoyersville CourtdaleLuzerne Forty Fort Pringle Plains Larksville Kingston Edwardsville Wilkes-Barre Plymouth Tresckow Tamaqua New Ringgold Tunkhannock Springville Sugar Notch Warrior Run Freeland Woodside Beaver Meadows Coaldale Lansford Laurel Run Weatherly Summit Hill Duryea Dalton Avoca Pittston Dupont Hughestown Laflin Hop Bottom Nicholson Factoryville Yatesville White HavenEast Side Nesquehoning Glenburn Clarks Green Clarks Summit Taylor Old Forge Bear Creek Village Penn Lake Park Jim Thorpe Moosic Lehighton Weissport Parryville New Tripoli Jermyn Dickson City Jessup Olyphant Throop Dunmore Scranton Blakely Blakeslee Bowmanstown Palmerton Slatington Walnutport Schnecksville Archbald Moscow Union Dale Carbondale Coplay Fullerton Vandling Mount Cobb Northampton Forest City Pocono Pines Kunkletown Hokendauqua Catasauqua Waymart Hamlin Tobyhanna Brodheadsville Chapman Bath Luzerne County and the Susquehanna River 0 3.5 7 14 21 28 Miles Legend Wilkes-Barre Elevation Kingston Elevation ³ Abstract The Susquehanna River runs it course through the entire state of Pennsylvania, but Luzerne County in particular will be examined for this project. The land will be observed to see if there is more protection from the river and the chance of flooding in areas of higher development. Parcels Name: Christina Dennis Date: 1 Dec 2010 Data Source: PASDA The final product.
Based on elevation and flooding potential: levee system drastically improved protection last MAJOR flood was 1972 smaller floods still occur Although protection is better: flooding still occurs and we still see damages money is still being spent on repairs Possibility: Raising the levee a few more feet may help further protect against damaging waters. Downside: A recreational addition was added to the tops of levees. More money would be spent rebuilding recreational part if we were to raise the levees a few more feet.
There is no relationship between how well land is protected depending on how developed it is. Flood zones and elevation do not affect where land is developed. Wilkes-Barre and Kingston are along the river. Both cities are in extremely low elevation. Very flood prone.
GIS project: PASDA Presentation information: 2003, By January. "River Common Project." Luzerne County : Home. 1 Feb. 2008. Web. 01 Dec. 2010. <http://www.luzernecounty.org/county/departments_agencies/flo od-protection-authority/river-common-project>. "Luzerne County, Pennsylvania." Luzerne County : Home. Web. 01 Dec. 2010. <http://www.luzernecounty.org/>. "The River Common." The River Common, Wilkes-Barre, PA Find Your Common Ground. Web. 01 Dec. 2010. <http://www.rivercommon.org/levees>. "The Susquehanna River." Kirby Key: Online Taxonomic Key to Kirby Park. Web. 01 Dec. 2010. <http://kirbypl.wilkes.edu/river.html>.