Lucky Run (also known as Lucky Run Creek) is a tributary of Keyser Creek in Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. It is approximately 2.4 miles (3.9 km) long and flows through Ransom Township and Scranton.
Course
Lucky Run begins on Bald Mountain in Ransom Township. It flows down the mountain in a south-southeast direction for several tenths of a mile before turning southeast. After several tenths of a mile, it enters Scranton, crosses Interstate 476, and leaves Bald Mountain. It then flows southeast near the border between Scranton and Taylor before turning east and then south, reaching its confluence with Keyser Creek. Lucky Run joins Keyser Creek 2.32 miles (3.73 km) upstream of that stream's mouth.
Geography and Geology
The elevation near the mouth of Lucky Run is 778 feet (237 m) above sea level, while the elevation of its source is between 1,700 and 1,720 feet (520 m). The stream has a steep gradient — approximately 400 feet (120 m) per mile in its upper reaches on West Mountain/Bald Mountain, decreasing to about 40 feet (12 m) per mile in the relatively flat Keyser Valley. The headwaters originate in springs and wetlands on Bald Mountain. The stream flows through ten pipes with diameters ranging from 3 to 36 inches (7.6 to 91.4 cm).
Watershed
The watershed of Lucky Run has an area of 1.66 square miles (4.3 km²). A large portion of the watershed is in Ransom Township, with smaller areas in Scranton and Taylor. The watershed is in the southwestern part of the Lackawanna River watershed. Land uses include forest (particularly on West Mountain/Bald Mountain), open space, and industrial land. The stream's mouth is at Stauffer Industrial Park.
Hydrology and Environmental Conditions
Lucky Run lacks perennial flow because it loses water to underground mine pools, a consequence of extensive historical strip mining in the area. A reach of the stream was removed by strip mining in the 1940s, and a rock-lined channel was constructed for the stream in the 1970s. In 2001, the Lackawanna River Watershed Conservation Plan recommended restoring the stream channel from McDade Park downstream to its mouth. The Pennsylvania Bureau of Abandoned Mine Reclamation was near completing a project sealing 800 feet (240 m) of the streambed to prevent infiltration into a mine pool.
Ecology
Lucky Run is designated as a Coldwater Fishery. Wild trout naturally reproduce in the stream from its headwaters downstream to its mouth. The riparian area consists of forested land and grassland, with sparse areas of trees and knotweed covering the stream's bank.
Nearby Features
McDade Park, a county park established in the 1970s, is located in the watershed of Lucky Run. The Lackawanna Coal Mine Tour site is also in the stream's vicinity. A trail and greenway linking the Lackawanna River Heritage Trail to McDade Park via the stream corridors of Lucky Run and Keyser Creek was proposed in 2001.
