Lehigh River
Encyclopedia
The Lehigh River, a tributary
of the Delaware River
, is a 109 miles (175.4 km) river located in eastern Pennsylvania
, in the United States
. Part of the Lehigh, along with a number of its tributaries, is designated a Pennsylvania Scenic River
by the state's Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. "Lehigh" is an Anglicization of the Lenape
name for the river, Lechewuekink, meaning "where there are forks".
. Its upper course is characterized by numerous whitewater rapids and supports a broad range of recreational pursuits including whitewater rafting, kayaking and canoeing. Its lower course forms the heart of the Lehigh Valley
, an historically important anthracite coal
and steel
-producing region of Pennsylvania.
The river rises in the Pocono Mountains
of northeastern Pennsylvania, in several ponds in southwestern Wayne County
, approximately 15 miles (24.1 km) southeast of Scranton
. It flows initially southwest, through southern Lackawanna County
, through Francis E. Walter Reservoir. Near White Haven
and Middleburg
it turns south, following a zigzag whitewater
course through Lehigh Gorge State Park
to Jim Thorpe
, then southeast, past Lehighton
. Southeast of Lehighton, it passes through Blue Mountain
in a narrow opening called the Lehigh Gap
.
From the Lehigh Gap, the river flows southeast to Allentown
, where it is joined by Little Lehigh Creek
, then northeast past Bethlehem
, where it joins the Delaware River in Easton
, along Pennsylvania's border with New Jersey
.
The PA Gazeteer of Streams shows that the Lehigh River begins as the outflow of Pocono Peak Lake. Flowing south from the south end of the lake (a natural but dammed body of water) it turns west after a mile and receives water from many lakes and ponds as it flows past the borough of Gouldsboro.
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 Delaware River
Delaware River
The Delaware River is a major river on the Atlantic coast of the United States.A Dutch expedition led by Henry Hudson in 1609 first mapped the river. The river was christened the South River in the New Netherland colony that followed, in contrast to the North River, as the Hudson River was then...
, is a 109 miles (175.4 km) river located in eastern 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...
. Part of the Lehigh, along with a number of its tributaries, is designated a Pennsylvania Scenic River
Pennsylvania Scenic Rivers
Pennsylvania Scenic Rivers are rivers that are designated "scenic" according to the criteria of the Pennsylvania Scenic Rivers Act . The scenic rivers are managed by a variety of State agencies and local conservancies...
by the state's Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. "Lehigh" is an Anglicization of the Lenape
Lenape
The Lenape are an Algonquian group of Native Americans of the Northeastern Woodlands. They are also called Delaware Indians. As a result of the American Revolutionary War and later Indian removals from the eastern United States, today the main groups live in Canada, where they are enrolled in the...
name for the river, Lechewuekink, meaning "where there are forks".
Course
The river flows in a highly winding course through valleys between ridges of the Appalachian MountainsAppalachian Mountains
The Appalachian Mountains #Whether the stressed vowel is or ,#Whether the "ch" is pronounced as a fricative or an affricate , and#Whether the final vowel is the monophthong or the diphthong .), often called the Appalachians, are a system of mountains in eastern North America. The Appalachians...
. Its upper course is characterized by numerous whitewater rapids and supports a broad range of recreational pursuits including whitewater rafting, kayaking and canoeing. Its lower course forms the heart of the Lehigh Valley
Lehigh Valley
The Lehigh Valley, known officially by the United States Census Bureau as the Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ metropolitan area and referred to locally as The Valley and A-B-E, is a metropolitan region consisting of Lehigh, Northampton, Berks, and Carbon counties in eastern Pennsylvania and...
, an historically important anthracite coal
Coal
Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock usually occurring in rock strata in layers or veins called coal beds or coal seams. The harder forms, such as anthracite coal, can be regarded as metamorphic rock because of later exposure to elevated temperature and pressure...
and steel
Steel
Steel is an alloy that consists mostly of iron and has a carbon content between 0.2% and 2.1% by weight, depending on the grade. Carbon is the most common alloying material for iron, but various other alloying elements are used, such as manganese, chromium, vanadium, and tungsten...
-producing region of Pennsylvania.
The river rises in the Pocono Mountains
The Poconos
The Pocono Mountains is a region located in northeastern Pennsylvania, United States. The Poconos, located chiefly in Monroe and Pike counties , are an upland of the larger Allegheny Plateau...
of northeastern Pennsylvania, in several ponds in southwestern Wayne County
Wayne County, Pennsylvania
As of the census of 2000, there were 47,722 people, 18,350 households, and 12,936 families residing in the county. The population density was 65 people per square mile . There were 30,593 housing units at an average density of 42 per square mile...
, approximately 15 miles (24.1 km) southeast of Scranton
Scranton, Pennsylvania
Scranton is a city in the northeastern part of Pennsylvania, United States. It is the county seat of Lackawanna County and the largest principal city in the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre metropolitan area. Scranton had a population of 76,089 in 2010, according to the U.S...
. It flows initially southwest, through southern Lackawanna County
Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania
As of the census of 2000, there were 213,295 people, 86,218 households, and 55,783 families residing in the county. The population density was 465 people per square mile . There were 95,362 housing units at an average density of 208 per square mile...
, through Francis E. Walter Reservoir. Near White Haven
White Haven, Pennsylvania
White Haven is a borough in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, United States. White Haven was created in 1824 by industrialist Josiah White. It is located along the Lehigh River which connects White Haven to Jim Thorpe, Pennsylvania. The population was 1,182 at the 2000 census...
and Middleburg
Middleburg, Pennsylvania
Middleburg is a borough in Snyder County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 1,382 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Snyder County.-History:...
it turns south, following a zigzag 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...
course through Lehigh Gorge State Park
Lehigh Gorge State Park
Lehigh Gorge State Park is a Pennsylvania state park in Luzerne and Carbon Counties, Pennsylvania in the United States. The park encompasses the Lehigh Gorge, which stretches along the Lehigh River from a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers flood control dam in Luzerne County to Jim Thorpe in Carbon County...
to Jim Thorpe
Jim Thorpe, Pennsylvania
Jim Thorpe is a borough in Carbon County, Pennsylvania, USA. The population was 4,804 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Carbon County. The town has been called the "Switzerland of America" due to the picturesque scenery, mountainous location, and architecture; as well as the "Gateway to...
, then southeast, past Lehighton
Lehighton, Pennsylvania
Lehighton is a borough in Carbon County, Pennsylvania, north by west of Philadelphia. In the past, it developed early industries because of water power from the Lehigh River. With the location of a repair facility here and its regional operations, the Lehigh Valley Railroad became for years a...
. Southeast of Lehighton, it passes through Blue Mountain
Blue Mountain (Pennsylvania)
Blue Mountain is a ridge that forms the eastern edge of the Appalachian mountain range in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. It cuts across the eastern half of the state from New Jersey to Maryland, providing a distinct boundary between a number of Pennsylvania's geographical and cultural regions...
in a narrow opening called the Lehigh Gap
Lehigh Gap, Pennsylvania
The Lehigh Gap, located in Lower Towamensing Township, Carbon County, Pennsylvania, is a water gap formed by the Lehigh River where it cuts through Blue Mountain in the state of Pennsylvania in the United States. The gap allows easy travel between Carbon County to the north and Lehigh and...
.
From the Lehigh Gap, the river flows southeast to Allentown
Allentown, Pennsylvania
Allentown is a city located in Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. It is Pennsylvania's third most populous city, after Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, and the 215th largest city in the United States. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 118,032 and is currently...
, where it is joined by Little Lehigh Creek
Little Lehigh Creek
The Little Lehigh Creek is approximately long, in eastern Pennsylvania, in the United States. It is also sometimes referred to as the Little Lehigh River. It is called the Little Lehigh because it is the largest tributary of the Lehigh River....
, then northeast past Bethlehem
Bethlehem, Pennsylvania
Bethlehem is a city in Lehigh and Northampton Counties in the Lehigh Valley region of eastern Pennsylvania, in the United States. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 74,982, making it the seventh largest city in Pennsylvania, after Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Allentown, Erie,...
, where it joins the Delaware River in Easton
Easton, Pennsylvania
Easton is a city in Northampton County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 26,800 as of the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Northampton County....
, along Pennsylvania's border with New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
.
The PA Gazeteer of Streams shows that the Lehigh River begins as the outflow of Pocono Peak Lake. Flowing south from the south end of the lake (a natural but dammed body of water) it turns west after a mile and receives water from many lakes and ponds as it flows past the borough of Gouldsboro.
External links
- U.S. Geological Survey: PA stream gauging stations
- Water Flow at Francis E Walter Reservoir outlet
- Lehigh River Watershed Conservation Management Plan
- Lehigh River and Canal at Jim Thorpe
- Lehigh River Whitewater Rafting
- Lehigh River Fly Fishing Adventures
- Lehigh River Sojourn
- Lehigh River Watershed Association
- Lehigh River Water Trail
- Lehigh River Whitewater
- Lehigh River Whitewater Rafting
- Lehigh River Scenic River Corridor