White Clay Creek
| White Clay Creek Tributary to Christina River | |
|---|---|
White Clay Creek running through Newark, Delaware | |
| Location | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Pennsylvania, Delaware |
| Counties | Chester, New Castle |
| City | Newark, DE |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Source | West Branch White Clay Creek |
| • location | Penn Township, Chester County, Pennsylvania |
| • coordinates | 39°48′57″N 75°52′09″W / 39.81583°N 75.86917°W |
| 2nd source | Middle Branch White Clay Creek |
| • location | Londonderry Township, Chester County, Pennsylvania |
| • coordinates | 39°51′40″N 75°52′20″W / 39.86111°N 75.87222°W |
| Source confluence | |
| • location | London Britain, Chester County, Pennsylvania |
| • coordinates | 39°45′59″N 75°47′41″W / 39.76639°N 75.79472°W |
| • elevation | 259 ft (79 m) |
| Mouth | Christina River |
• location | New Castle County, Delaware |
• coordinates | 39°41′51″N 75°37′19″W / 39.69750°N 75.62194°W |
• elevation | 0 ft (0 m) |
| Length | 18.5 mi (29.8 km) |
| Basin size | 107 sq mi (280 km2) |
| Basin features | |
| Progression | Christina River → Delaware River → Delaware Bay → Atlantic Ocean |
| Tributaries | |
| • left | East Branch White Clay Creek, Bogy Run, Middle Run, Pike Creek, Mill Creek, Red Clay Creek |
| Type | Scenic, Recreational |
| Designated | October 24, 2000 |
White Clay Creek is an 18.5-mile-long (29.8 km) tributary of the Christina River in southern Pennsylvania and northern Delaware in the United States. It is renowned for its scenic character and is largely federally protected.
The 107-square-mile (280 km2) White Clay Creek watershed is home to nearly 100,000 people and includes parts of Chester County, Pennsylvania and New Castle County, Delaware. The Pennsylvania portion still retains a rural character while the Delaware portion is more suburbanized. Sediment eroded from the rolling hills of Chester County is carried into the White Clay, probably accounting for the creek's name.
The majority of the stream is in the Piedmont region which is characterized by rolling hills, plateaus, and stream valleys. The southern portion of the stream, near Newark is in the Atlantic Coastal Plain, a relatively flat area that is dotted with large tidal wetlands. The White Clay Creek empties into the Christina River at Churchman's Marsh.