</s> ▁Pap ak ating ▁Creek ▁is ▁a ▁ ▁trib ut ary ▁of ▁the ▁Wall kill ▁River ▁located ▁in ▁Frank ford ▁and ▁W antage ▁town ships ▁in ▁Sus sex ▁County , ▁New ▁Jersey ▁in ▁the ▁United ▁States . ▁The ▁cre ek ▁r ises ▁in ▁a ▁small ▁sw amp ▁located ▁beneath ▁the ▁eastern ▁face ▁of ▁K itt atin ny ▁Mountain ▁in ▁Frank ford ▁and ▁its ▁waters ▁join ▁the ▁Wall kill ▁to ▁the ▁east ▁of ▁Sus sex ▁bor ough . ▁ ▁Pap ak ating ▁Creek ▁and ▁its ▁three ▁major ▁trib ut aries ▁d rain ▁the ▁northern ▁portion ▁of ▁New ▁Jersey ' s ▁K itt atin ny ▁Valley ▁a ▁fert ile ▁valley ▁under lain ▁by ▁sh ale ▁and ▁lim estone ▁of ▁the ▁Ord ov ician ▁Mart ins burg ▁Form ation ▁and ▁so ils ▁depos ited ▁by ▁retre ating ▁gla ci ers ▁in ▁the ▁last ▁ice ▁age . ▁The ▁region ▁which ▁the ▁Pap ak ating ▁Creek ▁and ▁its ▁trib ut aries ▁d rain ▁is ▁largely ▁rural ▁far ml and ▁and ▁for ests ▁with ▁a ▁few ▁low - dens ity ▁resident ial ▁communities . ▁The ▁New ▁Jersey ▁Department ▁of ▁Environment al ▁Prote ction ▁reports ▁that ▁ph osph orus ▁and ▁f ec al ▁col iform ▁from ▁agricult ural ▁or ▁resident ial ▁run off ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁ar sen ic ▁from ▁agricult ural ▁p estic ide ▁applications ▁or ▁regional ▁min eral ogy ▁imp air ▁the ▁cre ek . ▁Within ▁the ▁waters hed ▁are ▁lands ▁belonging ▁to ▁two ▁state ▁par ks , ▁one ▁federal ▁wild life ▁refuge , ▁and ▁pres erves ▁managed