However, a portion is considered to be impaired by organic enrichment and/or low levels of dissolved oxygen and its pH ranges from moderately acidic to slightly alkaline.

Du Pont de Nemours and Company and was one of the largest powder mills in the United States at the time.

The creek turns west-southwest for approximately a mile, passing Arbutus Peak to the south and crossing Pennsylvania Route 437.

After a few miles, the creek turns south for a short distance and receives Balliet Run, its last named tributary, from the left.

[1] Big Wapwallopen Creek joins the Susquehanna River 166.64 miles (268.18 km) upriver of its mouth.

[5] The concentration of dissolved oxygen in Big Wapwallopen Creek near its mouth in 1975 and 1976 ranged from 9.4 to 13.0 milligrams per liter (0.0094 to 0.0130 oz/cu ft).

[5] In the mid 1970s, the concentration of nitrogen in the form of nitrates in Big Wapwallopen Creek near its mouth ranged from 0.60 to 1.96 milligrams per liter (3.5×10−7 to 1.13×10−6 oz/cu in).

[5] In 1975 and 1976, the calcium concentration in Big Wapwallopen Creek near its mouth ranged from 5.60 to 9.60 milligrams per liter (0.00559 to 0.00959 oz/cu ft).

The concentration of water hardness in the creek between December 1975 and August 1976 ranged from 12 to 42 milligrams per liter (0.012 to 0.042 oz/cu ft).

The peak annual discharge of the creek at the confluence of Balliet Run has a 10 percent chance of reaching 1900 cubic feet per second.

[8] The mean elevation of the creek's watershed upstream of State Route 3012/Hobbie Road is 1,330 feet (410 m) above sea level.

[12] Big Wapwallopen Creek has a long stretch of rapids formed from numerous small ledges and boulders.

The gorge was likely created several million years ago by the precursor to Big Wapwallopen Creek.

[8] The channel of Big Wapwallopen Creek is sinuous and flows through rock formations consisting of sandstone and shale.

[8][12] In the Wapwallopen Gorge, it cuts through a rib of gray siltstone belonging to the Trimmers Rock Formation.

This rock formation dates to 380 million years ago (the late Devonian) and covers the northern three quarters of the gorge.

The southern quarter of the gorge has bedrock consisting of the Irish Valley Member of the Catskill Formation.

[9] The Carbondale coal formation occurs near Big Wapwallopen Creek and also appears as far away as the Wyoming Valley.

[15] The annual rate of precipitation in the watershed of Big Wapwallopen Creek ranges from 35 to 45 inches (89 to 114 cm).

[7] The creek is in the Lower North Branch Susquehanna drainage basin and its watershed is in the south-central part of Luzerne County.

[3] A tract of land known as American Legion Post 781 is in the vicinity of Big Wapwallopen Creek in Wright Township.

[19] The watershed of the creek is 2 miles (3.2 km) away from the planned Bell Bend Nuclear Power Plant.

However, early in 1859, a freshet and an explosion destroyed the mill and caused Silver's and Parrish's company went bankrupt.

[25] The artist Thomas Addison Richards created a graphite-on-wove-paper drawing of Big Wapwallopen Creek in 1852.

[22] In March 1936, Big Wapwallopen Creek flooded in Rice Township to a depth of 18 inches (46 cm) over Nuangola Road.

During these flooding events, discharge of Big Wapwallopen Creek at the Hobbie Road Bridge was 3140 and 5410 cubic feet per second, respectively.

[28] Two prestressed box beam or girders bridges with three spans were built across Big Wapwallopen Creek in 1965 and repaired in 1982.

[11] The Wapwallopen Gorge is listed as a Locally Significant site on the Luzerne County Natural Areas Inventory.

[14] There are riparian forests along Big Wapwallopen Creek in the American Legion Post 781 land tract.

[19] It is possible to canoe on 10.3 miles (16.6 km) of Big Wapwallopen Creek during snowmelt or within two days of heavy rain.