Analysis of information sources in references of the Wikipedia article "Swabia Creek" in English language version.
About one and one half miles N. E. of Centreville, Lehigh County, the Little Lehigh receives the Swope Creek, which, rising in Rittenhouse Gap, Long Swamp township, flows northeast past Maple Grove, back of Lock Ridge, and enters the valley close to the furnace of that name, one half mile east of Alburtis.
This stream receives many additions from the innumerable rivulets on north flank of South Mountains, south of Millerstown, Lehigh county, before flowing into the Little Lehigh Creek as above mentioned.
The valley of the Swope Creek, a branch of the Little Lehigh, rising in Rittenhouse Gap, immediately south of the hill, is probably an overturned synclinal, showing everywhere south-east dips throughout the numerous iron mines in that district, and divided from the Siesholtzville Basin by the overturned anticlinal running south of Gardner and Red Lion Stations on the Catasauqua and Fogelsville RR, and parallel with the Long Swamp-Hereford line to the West Branch Perkiomen Creek. Here it is lost in the flats north-west of Huff's Church.
The supply is obtained from seven springs and a small run (Mountain Creek), about one and a quarter miles south of Macungie in Lower Macungie and Upper Milford townships. * * * The drainage area on the slope above the springs and creek is about one square mile in extent. It is partly cultivated land and partly covered with second growth timber. There are ten farmsteads and probably forty persons residing on this area above and a considerable distance from the springs, the nearest of which is about one-half mile. A number of dwellings, however, are very close to the small creek, which at times only is used as a source of supply. * * * About sixteen hundred feet north of Number One Spring and three hundred feet north of Number [*781] Six Spring, a small masonry dam is built across the creek from which a four inch pipe provided with a valve extends westward to a small masonry intake built over the four inch collecting main. * * * The present source of supply from numerous springs appears to be beyond suspicion, but the introduction of a surface supply from Mountain Creek which receives barnyard and household drainage is naturally suspicious and its use should be discouraged. It appears that the creek supply is used only when absolutely necessary and never immediately after or during a rain storm.
One Swabian was, in his own words, a Schwob, which was often rendered into English as 'a Swope.'
The Schwab (Swab) -- Americanized Swope -- name is one of the oldest in German history.
Swabian Creek, Lower Macungie Township; for Swabia in southern Germany where many of the early settlers were born. In Davis' atlas is called Swope Creek. Seems to be the stream called Swamp Run on a map drawn in 1759.
HQ-CWF
The Swabia Creek headwaters originate on South Mountain, near Red Lion and Maple Grove in Longswamp Township, Berks County. The creek flows north east along the eastern border of Alburtis Borough. From the Borough, the creek flows east, paralleling the Conrail line into the Borough of Macungie. Mountain Creek converges with the Swabia Creek in the Borough. The creek then flows north, northeast through Brookside Country Club and Lower Macungie Township until joining the Little Lehigh Creek.
The [Mountain Creek] headwaters start in Upper Milford Township on South Mountain Ridge. Several small tributaries combine and cascades down the forested hillside on the Water Authority property before entering the Borough at Kalmbach Park. The creek flows through Kalmbach Park crossing under Cotton Alley where it forms the western edge of the Fire Co. Number 1 lands. At this point, the creek channels, flowing under Hickory Lane, continuing north under Main Street to Macungie Memorial Park. The stream is again unconfined as it forms the northern edge of Macungie Memorial Park, and continues under Lehigh Street and the Lehigh Conrail line before joining the Swabia Creek.
Lindside (Ln) and Melvin (Mh) soils are found bordering Swabia Creek. These soil types are poorly drained, flat soils located in floodplains, making them more suited for open space, park and recreational use rather than development.
The site includes a fair to good quality Northern Appalachian Circumneutral Seeps Natural Community. The seeps have the potential to support several state plant species of special concern.
The Wildlands Conservancy was awarded a $60,000 state grant to improve the water and stream conditions of Swabia Creek, which runs along Brookside Country Club in Lower Macungie Township.
Swabia Creek contains brown trout and is a tributary of the Little Lehigh Creek, a main source of drinking water for Allentown.
In 2004, the state categorized the aquatic life in Swabia Creek as "impaired." An assessment the following year concluded that water quality, aquatic habitat, stream channel stability, stream bank stability and flood plain function need to be improved. The project will not only protect and enhance the portion of Swabia Creek at Brookside Country Club, but also downstream areas of the creek and the Little Lehigh.
The dominant tree species were mixed oaks (black, red and scarlet), sweet birch and tulip-tree. While the Tulip-tree is the most valuable species on the property, the mixed oaks provide a majority of the cover. The understory is composed predominantly of spicebush and red-panicled dogwood. A winter bird survey determined that mostly passerines and woodpeckers were either residing at or visiting the sanctuary.The article also references white ash, chestnut oak, "blackberry" (actually black raspberry), round-lobed hepatica, and spleenwort and other flora.
The drainage area [of the west branch] is approximately 2.54 sq. miles. The land within the watershed is approximately 40% forest with a mixture of low density residential, farmland and pasture. The watershed ranges in elevation from 423 feet up to 1120 ft.The SR 3001 crossing is just upstream of the confluence of east and west branches.
Swabia Creek is a fairly narrow stream with continuous flow ranging from 10 to 16.5 feet in width at the bottom of banks. The streambed has stones of 6-9 inch diameter intermixed with smaller stones and silt. Small pools and sandy areas can be observed at various points at the base of the bank. Trees and shrubs grow to the edge of the stream and fallen branches can be observed over the width of the stream. Swabia Creek is stocked with trout and is classified as a HQ-CWF, High Quality Cold Water Fishery * * *. It is also on the Fish Commission wild trout waters list.
Swabia Creek - A branch of Swabia Creek begins in Upper Milford Township west of Route 100, near Macungie Borough. Mountain Creek - The headwaters of Mountain Creek, which filters through Lower Macungie Township and Macungie Borough, starts in the western edge of Upper Milford, near Sweetwood Drive. This watershed provided drinking water for Macungie Borough residents. A large parcel of woodland is currently owned by the Borough to protect this resource. Mountain Creek spills into Swabia Creek which then connects to the Little Lehigh Creek. Mountain Creek is not specifically state designated; however, it is a tributary to Swabia Creek.
The dominant tree species were mixed oaks (black, red and scarlet), sweet birch and tulip-tree. While the Tulip-tree is the most valuable species on the property, the mixed oaks provide a majority of the cover. The understory is composed predominantly of spicebush and red-panicled dogwood. A winter bird survey determined that mostly passerines and woodpeckers were either residing at or visiting the sanctuary.The article also references white ash, chestnut oak, "blackberry" (actually black raspberry), round-lobed hepatica, and spleenwort and other flora.
