Paradise Watershed Temperature Study 2008 - 2010
Funded by a Coldwater Heritage Grant
The Paradise Watershed is a small subwatershed
of the Brodhead Watershed located
within Monroe County. The main stream of the watershed is the Paradise Creek, a body
of water representing the characteristic steppool,
rifflepool
stream landform. The creek
originates from the confluence of two smaller tributaries. These tributaries, Yankee Run
and Tank Creek, carry groundwater and runoff draining from the Pocono Plateau in the
headwaters of the watershed into the Paradise Creek. After winding through the forested
hills and valleys for close to ten miles, the creek spills into the larger Brodhead Creek.
Flow from Devil’s Hole Creek, Swiftwater Creek, Forest Hills Run, Cranberry Creek and
Butz Run flow into the Paradise mainstem. 
The Brodhead Watershed Association, in partnership with East Stroudsburg University, received funding from the Coldwater Heritage Partnership to place HOBO temperature recording devices in streams throughout the Paradise watershed. Water temperature was recorded at 15 minute intervals and periodically downloaded to a laptop computer. Temperature changes at individual sites and variations through the watershed were analyzed in conjunction with geographic factors, water chemistry, land use patterns and fish distribution in the watershed.
The Report on the study is available here.
Researcher Scott Collenburg, under the guidance of Dr. Shixiong Hu, Associate Professor of Geography, developed a master's thesis from the data collected. His thesis provides more technical analysis of the data. If you would like to read his thesis, please email the Brodhead Watershed Association.