Quittapahilla Creek
Encyclopedia
Quittapahilla Creek is a 16.8 miles (27 km) tributary
of Swatara Creek
in south-central Pennsylvania
in the United States
. The original Algonquian
name for this waterway is Cuewe-Pehelle, which in English translates to "a stream that flows from the ground among the pines."
Quittapahilla Creek rises in eastern Lebanon County
, flows west-southwest through Lebanon
and Annville, and joins Swatara Creek northwest of Palmyra
.
From the late 18th century to the mid 19th century, the creek was used as part of the route of the Union Canal
, which connected the headwaters of the creek with Tulpehocken Creek
, a tributary of the Schuylkill River
.
By the late 20th century the creek had become polluted from steel mill
waste. The decline of industry in the region, as well as federal, state, and local efforts, have led to an improvement in the quality of the water. The stream is stocked annually with trout
and it has become a popular destination for recreation fly fishing
.
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 Swatara Creek
Swatara Creek
Swatara Creek is a tributary of the Susquehanna River in east central Pennsylvania in the United States. "Swatara" is an Indian word meaning "Where we feed on eels."...
in south-central 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...
. The original Algonquian
Algonquian languages
The Algonquian languages also Algonkian) are a subfamily of Native American languages which includes most of the languages in the Algic language family. The name of the Algonquian language family is distinguished from the orthographically similar Algonquin dialect of the Ojibwe language, which is a...
name for this waterway is Cuewe-Pehelle, which in English translates to "a stream that flows from the ground among the pines."
Quittapahilla Creek rises in eastern Lebanon County
Lebanon County, Pennsylvania
As of the census of 2000, there were 120,327 people and 32,771 families residing in the county. The population density was 332 people per square mile . There were 49,320 housing units at an average density of 136 per square mile...
, flows west-southwest through Lebanon
Lebanon, Pennsylvania
Lebanon, formerly known as Steitztown, is a city in and the county seat of Lebanon County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 25,477 at the 2010 census, a 4.2% increase from the 2000 count of 24,461...
and Annville, and joins Swatara Creek northwest of Palmyra
Palmyra, Pennsylvania
Palmyra is a borough in Lebanon County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is part of the Lebanon, PA Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 7,096 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Palmyra is located at ....
.
From the late 18th century to the mid 19th century, the creek was used as part of the route of the Union Canal
Union Canal (Pennsylvania)
The Union Canal was a towpath canal that existed in southeastern Pennsylvania in the United States during the 19th century. First proposed in 1690 to connect Philadelphia with the Susquehanna River, it ran approximately 75 mi from Middletown on the Susquehanna below Harrisburg to Reading on...
, which connected the headwaters of the creek with Tulpehocken Creek
Tulpehocken Creek (Pennsylvania)
Tulpehocken Creek is a tributary of the Schuylkill River in southeastern Pennsylvania in the United States.An important transportation route in the early United States, the creek drains a limestone hill country area of Berks County south of the Appalachian Mountains and is considered one of the...
, a tributary of the Schuylkill River
Schuylkill River
The Schuylkill River is a river in Pennsylvania. It is a designated Pennsylvania Scenic River.The river is about long. Its watershed of about lies entirely within the state of Pennsylvania. The source of its eastern branch is in the Appalachian Mountains at Tuscarora Springs, near Tamaqua in...
.
By the late 20th century the creek had become polluted from steel mill
Steel mill
A steel mill or steelworks is an industrial plant for the manufacture of steel.Steel is an alloy of iron and carbon. It is produced in a two-stage process. First, iron ore is reduced or smelted with coke and limestone in a blast furnace, producing molten iron which is either cast into pig iron or...
waste. The decline of industry in the region, as well as federal, state, and local efforts, have led to an improvement in the quality of the water. The stream is stocked annually with 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...
and it has become a popular destination for recreation fly fishing
Fly fishing
Fly fishing is an angling method in which an artificial 'fly' is used to catch fish. The fly is cast using a fly rod, reel, and specialized weighted line. Casting a nearly weightless fly or 'lure' requires casting techniques significantly different from other forms of casting...
.
External links
- Quittapahilla Watershed Organization
- Quittapahilla Watershed Grant
- Fly fishing on the Quittie
- Lebanon Valley College - Dedication announcement of the Cuewe-Pehelle statue on the LVC campus.