Conewago Creek (west)
Encyclopedia
Conewago Creek is an 80.2 miles (129.1 km) tributary
of the Susquehanna River
in Adams
and York
counties in Pennsylvania
in the United States
, with its watershed also draining a small portion of Carroll County, Maryland
. The source is at an elevation of 1440 feet (438.9 m), east of Caledonia State Park
, in Franklin Township
in Adams County. The mouth is the confluence
with the Susquehanna River at York Haven
in York County at an elevation of 259 feet (78.9 m).
, meaning "at the rapids", although the rapids are not on Conewago Creek. Instead, the rapids are the Conewago Falls beyond the creek's mouth in the Susquehanna River, which also give their name to the other Conewago Creek
, whose mouth is on the east bank of the Susquehanna River in Dauphin
and Lancaster
counties, only 1.6 miles (2.6 km) north of the mouth of this Conewago Creek.
in Adams County, and the mouth is at the Susquehanna River
at York Haven
in York County.
drainage basin
via the Susquehanna River
. 5.22 square miles (13.5 km²) of the watershed are in Maryland, and the rest is located in Pennsylvania. 50.22% of Adams County is drained by Conewago Creek and its tributaries, while 26.96% of York County is in the creek's watershed.
ing and kayak
ing on Conewago Creek are possible when the water is high enough (in spring and after hard rain), with 69 miles (111 km) of Class A to Class 1 whitewater
located upstream of the mouth.
Fishing: A small section of Conewago Creek in western Adams County has been designated as approved trout
waters by the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission. This means the waters will be stocked with trout and may be fished during trout season. Further downstream in Adams County there is a small "catch and release" section of the creek.
Tributary
A tributary or affluent is a stream or river that flows into a main stem river or a lake. A tributary does not flow directly into a sea or ocean...
of the Susquehanna River
Susquehanna River
The Susquehanna River is a river located in the northeastern United States. At long, it is the longest river on the American east coast that drains into the Atlantic Ocean, and with its watershed it is the 16th largest river in the United States, and the longest river in the continental United...
in Adams
Adams County, Pennsylvania
Adams County is a county in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. As of the 2010 census, the population was 101,407. It was created on January 22, 1800, from part of York County and named in honor of the second President of the United States, John Adams...
and York
York County, Pennsylvania
York County is a county in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. As of 2010, the population was 434,972. It is in the Susquehanna Valley, a large fertile agricultural region in South Central Pennsylvania....
counties in Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, with its watershed also draining a small portion of Carroll County, Maryland
Carroll County, Maryland
Carroll County is a county located in the U.S. state of Maryland. In 2010, its population was 167,134. It was named for Charles Carroll of Carrollton , signer of the American Declaration of Independence. Its county seat is Westminster....
. The source is at an elevation of 1440 feet (438.9 m), east of Caledonia State Park
Caledonia State Park
Caledonia State Park is a Pennsylvania state park in Greene Township, Franklin County and Franklin Township, Adams County in Pennsylvania in the United States. The park is named for an iron furnace, Caledonia Furnace, that was owned by Thaddeus Stevens beginning in 1837. Today the park is known...
, in Franklin Township
Franklin Township, Adams County, Pennsylvania
Franklin Township is a township in Adams County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 4,590 at the 2000 census.-History:The township is the location of the Carbaugh Run Rhyolite Quarry Site, where Native Americans mined rhyolite for stone tools...
in Adams County. The mouth is the confluence
Confluence
Confluence, in geography, describes the meeting of two or more bodies of water.Confluence may also refer to:* Confluence , a property of term rewriting systems...
with the Susquehanna River at York Haven
York Haven, Pennsylvania
York Haven is a borough in York County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 709 at the 2010 census. The borough is the home of the Brunner Island coal-fired electrical generation plant, located on the Susquehanna River on Wago Road and operated by PPL.-Geography:York Haven is located at...
in York County at an elevation of 259 feet (78.9 m).
Name
The name of the creek comes from the LenapeLenape language
The Delaware languages, also known as the Lenape languages, are Munsee and Unami, two closely related languages of the Eastern Algonquian subgroup of the Algonquian language family...
, meaning "at the rapids", although the rapids are not on Conewago Creek. Instead, the rapids are the Conewago Falls beyond the creek's mouth in the Susquehanna River, which also give their name to the other Conewago Creek
Conewago Creek (east)
Conewago Creek is a tributary of the Susquehanna River in Lebanon, Dauphin, and Lancaster counties in Pennsylvania in the United States. The source is at an elevation of at Mount Gretna Heights in Lebanon County...
, whose mouth is on the east bank of the Susquehanna River in Dauphin
Dauphin County, Pennsylvania
Dauphin County is a county in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and is one of the three counties comprising the Harrisburg–Carlisle Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of 2010 census, the population was 268,100. The county includes the city of Harrisburg, which has served as the state capital...
and Lancaster
Lancaster County, Pennsylvania
Lancaster County, known as the Garden Spot of America or Pennsylvania Dutch Country, is a county located in the southeastern part of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, in the United States. As of 2010 the population was 519,445. Lancaster County forms the Lancaster Metropolitan Statistical Area, the...
counties, only 1.6 miles (2.6 km) north of the mouth of this Conewago Creek.
Course
Conewago Creek flows east 39 miles (62.8 km), then northeast 41 miles (66 km) to its mouth. The source is in Franklin TownshipFranklin Township, Adams County, Pennsylvania
Franklin Township is a township in Adams County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 4,590 at the 2000 census.-History:The township is the location of the Carbaugh Run Rhyolite Quarry Site, where Native Americans mined rhyolite for stone tools...
in Adams County, and the mouth is at the Susquehanna River
Susquehanna River
The Susquehanna River is a river located in the northeastern United States. At long, it is the longest river on the American east coast that drains into the Atlantic Ocean, and with its watershed it is the 16th largest river in the United States, and the longest river in the continental United...
at York Haven
York Haven, Pennsylvania
York Haven is a borough in York County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 709 at the 2010 census. The borough is the home of the Brunner Island coal-fired electrical generation plant, located on the Susquehanna River on Wago Road and operated by PPL.-Geography:York Haven is located at...
in York County.
Watershed
The Conewago Creek watershed has a total area of 515 square miles (1,333.8 km²) and is part of the larger Chesapeake BayChesapeake Bay
The Chesapeake Bay is the largest estuary in the United States. It lies off the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by Maryland and Virginia. The Chesapeake Bay's drainage basin covers in the District of Columbia and parts of six states: New York, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, and West...
drainage basin
Drainage basin
A drainage basin is an extent or an area of land where surface water from rain and melting snow or ice converges to a single point, usually the exit of the basin, where the waters join another waterbody, such as a river, lake, reservoir, estuary, wetland, sea, or ocean...
via the Susquehanna River
Susquehanna River
The Susquehanna River is a river located in the northeastern United States. At long, it is the longest river on the American east coast that drains into the Atlantic Ocean, and with its watershed it is the 16th largest river in the United States, and the longest river in the continental United...
. 5.22 square miles (13.5 km²) of the watershed are in Maryland, and the rest is located in Pennsylvania. 50.22% of Adams County is drained by Conewago Creek and its tributaries, while 26.96% of York County is in the creek's watershed.
Tributaries
- Opossum Creek
- South Branch Conewago Creek
- Bermudian CreekBermudian CreekBermudian Creek is a tributary of Conewago Creek in Adams and York counties in Pennsylvania in the United States.Bermudian Creek joins Conewago Creek north of Pickett Hill and just south of Detters Mill.-References:...
- Little Conewago Creek (west)Little Conewago Creek (west)Little Conewago Creek is a tributary of Conewago Creek in York County, Pennsylvania in the United States.Little Conewago Creek joins the Conewago Creek between the boroughs of York Haven and Manchester.-References:...
Recreation
Canoeing: Edward Gertler writes that Conewago Creek is "a dull creek.. if you have seen one mile of Conewago, you have seen it all". CanoeCanoe
A canoe or Canadian canoe is a small narrow boat, typically human-powered, though it may also be powered by sails or small electric or gas motors. Canoes are usually pointed at both bow and stern and are normally open on top, but can be decked over A canoe (North American English) or Canadian...
ing and kayak
Kayak
A kayak is a small, relatively narrow, human-powered boat primarily designed to be manually propelled by means of a double blade paddle.The traditional kayak has a covered deck and one or more cockpits, each seating one paddler...
ing on Conewago Creek are possible when the water is high enough (in spring and after hard rain), with 69 miles (111 km) of Class A to Class 1 whitewater
Whitewater
Whitewater is formed in a rapid, when a river's gradient increases enough to disturb its laminar flow and create turbulence, i.e. form a bubbly, or aerated and unstable current; the frothy water appears white...
located upstream of the mouth.
Fishing: A small section of Conewago Creek in western Adams County has been designated as approved trout
Trout
Trout is the name for a number of species of freshwater and saltwater fish belonging to the Salmoninae subfamily of the family Salmonidae. Salmon belong to the same family as trout. Most salmon species spend almost all their lives in salt water...
waters by the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission. This means the waters will be stocked with trout and may be fished during trout season. Further downstream in Adams County there is a small "catch and release" section of the creek.
Bridges and dams
There are many crossings and dams, some of which are named:- Ganoga Bridge
- East Berlin Dam
- Browns Dam
- Dicks Dam
- Detters MillDetters Mill, PennsylvaniaDetters Mill was a small 19th century community in Dover Township, York County, Pennsylvania, about south of Wellsville, and southwest of Harrisburg....
Dam - Sharrer Mill Dam
- Khun Fording bridge - removed
- Harlacher Bridge
- Sheeps Bridge
- Iron Bridge near BiglervilleBiglerville, PennsylvaniaBiglerville is a borough in Adams County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 1,200 at the 2010 census. The National Apple Museum is located on West Hanover St...