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Darby Creek (historically known as Church Creek or the Derby River) is a tributary of the Delaware River in Chester County, Delaware County, and Philadelphia County, in Pennsylvania, in the United States. It is approximately long. The watershed of the creek has an area of . It has twelve named direct tributaries, including Cobbs Creek, Little Darby Creek, Ithan Creek, and Muckinipattis Creek. The creek has a low level of water quality for most of its length. A reach of it is considered to be impaired by habitat modification, siltation, and flow variability stemming from urban runoff and storm sewers. The creek is slightly alkaline. Darby Creek flows through a narrow valley in its upper reaches and a tidal flat in its lower reaches. The creek is in the Piedmont Uplands and Atlantic Coastal Plain physiographic provinces. Major rock formations in the watershed include the Wissahickon Formation. Three small dams historically existed on the creek, but were removed in 2012. The watershed of the creek is largely developed, with roughly half a million people inhabiting it. Most of the watershed is in Delaware County, but some parts are in Chester County, Philadelphia County, and Montgomery County. The watershed is part of the Lower Delaware drainage basin. Historically, the Lenni Lenape people inhabited the area in the vicinity of Darby Creek. By the 17th century, the Dutch and Swedish had arrived in the area, followed some years later by the English. Numerous mills of various types were eventually build along the creek and several railroads traversed the watershed. In modern times, grants by various organizations have been awarded to improve the creek and its watershed. The Darby Creek Valley Association operates within the watershed. Part of the creek's length is designated as a Coldwater Fishery and a Migratory Fishery, part is a Trout Stocked Fishery and a Migratory Fishery. Various species of fish, including redbreast sunfish, eels, and trout, inhabit it. Several areas in the vicinity of the creek are listed on the Delaware County Natural Areas Inventory. These include the Darby Creek Mouth Mudflat, the John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge, and the Ithan-Darby Creek Wetlands. A reach of the creek is navigable by canoe. ==Course== Darby Creek begins in a small valley near US Route 30 in Treddyffrin Township, Chester County. It flows south-southeast for more than a mile before entering Easttown Township and turning east-northeast for several tenths of a mile. The creek then turns southeast for a few miles, passing through Newtown Township, Delaware County and entering Radnor Township, where it receives its first two named tributaries, Thomas Run and Little Darby Creek, from the right and left, respectively. The creek then turns south-southeast for several tenths of a mile before turning southeast for several more miles. In this reach, it receives the tributary Miles Run from the left and the tributary Camp Run from the right. The creek eventually turns east briefly before receiving the tributary Ithan Creek from the left and turning south-southeast for several miles along the border between Marple Township and Haverford Township. In this reach, the creek flows alongside Interstate 476 and crosses it once. As it continues downstream alongside the highway, it crosses Pennsylvania Route 3 and receives the tributary Longford Run from the left. Near Pilgrim Gardens, it turns southeast again and begins to flow along the border between Upper Darby Township and Springfield Township, crossing US Route 1 and receiving the tributaries Colleen Brook and Lewis Run from the left and right, respectively. Further downstream, the creek's valley becomes much steeper and narrower and it makes several meanders as it passes by Clifton Heights and Landsowne before flowing along the border between Aldan and Yeadon. The creek then flows south-southeast for a few miles, leaving its valley and passing Darby, Collingdale, Sharon Hill, and Colwyn as it crosses US Route 13. It then receives the tributary Cobbs Creek from the left.〔 The creek turns south and enters the John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge 4.5 miles upstream from its mouth. At this point it passes through the largest freshwater marsh in Pennsylvania before becoming entirely tidal. It turns west-southwest for a few miles, passing by Philadelphia, Folcroft, Norwood, Tinicum Township, and Ridley Township and receives the tributary Muckinipattis Creek from the right. Darby Creek winds through a large lagoon 30 ft deep in places that was dredged in the 1960s. The creek then receives Stony Creek, its last named tributary, from the right and turns south for a few tenths of a mile before reaching its confluence with the Delaware River.〔 Darby Creek joins the Delaware River upriver of its mouth. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Darby Creek (Pennsylvania)」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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