Schuylkill River

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Schuylkill River
The Schuylkill River, looking south toward the skyline of Philadelphia, through which the river flows.
Country	USA
State	Pennsylvania
Counties	Philadelphia, Montgomery, Chester, Berks, Schuylkill
Major cities	Philadelphia, Norristown, Pottstown, Reading
Length	130 mi (209 km)
Watershed	2,000 sq mi (5,180 km²)
Discharge at	Philadelphia
- average	4,650 cu ft/s (132 m³/s)
- maximum	40,300 cu ft/s (1,141 m³/s)
- minimum	995 cu ft/s (28 m³/s)
Discharge elsewhere
- Berne	1,120 cu ft/s (32 m³/s)
Primary source	East Branch Schuylkill River
- location	Tuscarora, Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania, USA
- coordinates	40°46′24″N 76°01′20″W / 40.77333°N 76.02222°W / 40.77333; -76.02222
- elevation	1,540 ft (469 m)
Other source	West Branch Schuylkill River
- location	Minersville, Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania, USA
- coordinates	40°42′51″N 76°18′46″W / 40.71417°N 76.31278°W / 40.71417; -76.31278
- elevation	1,140 ft (347 m)
Source confluence
- location	Schuylkill Haven, Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania, USA
- coordinates	40°38′01″N 76°10′49″W / 40.63361°N 76.18028°W / 40.63361; -76.18028
- elevation	520 ft (158 m)
Mouth	Delaware River
- location	Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
- coordinates	39°53′04″N 75°11′41″W / 39.88444°N 75.19472°W / 39.88444; -75.19472
- elevation	0 ft (0 m)
Major tributaries
- left	Little Schuylkill River, Perkiomen Creek
- right	Tulpehocken Creek, French Creek
Schuylkill River watershed

The Schuylkill River, most often pronounced /ˈskuːkəl/ ("SKOO-kull"), is a river in the U.S. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. It is a designated Pennsylvania Scenic River.

The river is about 130 miles (209 km) long. Its watershed of about 2000 square miles (5,000 km²) lies entirely within the state of Pennsylvania. The source of its eastern branch is in the Appalachian Mountains at Tuscarora Springs, near Tamaqua in Schuylkill County. The West Branch starts near Minersville and joins the eastern branch at the town of Schuylkill Haven. The Tulpehocken Creek joins it at the western edge of Reading. Wissahickon Creek joins it in northwest Philadelphia. Other major tributaries include the Little Schuylkill River, Maiden Creek, Manatawny Creek, French Creek, and Perkiomen Creek. The Schuylkill joins the Delaware River, of which it is the largest tributary, at the site of the former Philadelphia Navy Yard, now the Philadelphia Naval Business Center, just northeast of Philadelphia International Airport.

[edit] Major towns

• Pottsville
• Schuylkill Haven
• Hamburg
• Reading
• Birdsboro
• Bridgeport
• Pottstown
• Royersford
• Spring City
• Phoenixville
• Norristown
• Conshohocken
• Philadelphia

[edit] History and names

The Delaware Indians were the original settlers of the area around this river, which they called Ganshohawanee, meaning "rushing and roaring waters," or "Manaiunk".^[1] The river was later given the Dutch name Schuylkill (pronounced [sχœylkɪl]) by its European discoverer, Arendt Corssen of the Dutch West India Company. One explanation given for this name is that it translates to "hidden river" and refers to the river's confluence with the Delaware River at League Island, which was nearly hidden by dense vegetation. Another explanation is that the name properly translates to "hideout creek". Thomas Paine tried in vain to interest the citizens in funding an iron bridge over this river, before abandoning "pontifical works" on account of the French revolution.

The Strawberry Mansion Bridge over the river at dusk.

The Fairmount Water Works on the Schuylkill River were once the source of Philadelphia's water supply and are now an attraction in Fairmount Park.

The restoration of the river was funded by money left for that purpose in Benjamin Franklin's will. ^[2]

[edit] Points of interest

The Schuylkill River winds through Philadelphia. Notable structures and facilities, from left to right: 30th Street Station, the Cira Centre, the Schuylkill Expressway and Amtrak train tracks forming part of the Northeast corridor, the Spring Garden Avenue bridge, Boathouse Row and the Philadelphia Museum of Art.

• The Limerick nuclear power plant facility in Limerick
• Valley Forge National Historical Park, site of the winter encampment of the American Continental Army over the winter of 1777–1778 in the American Revolutionary War at the mouth of Valley Creek
• Boathouse Row, a landmark set of boathouse facilities on Kelly Drive in Fairmount Park which houses several local college-affiliated or independent crew teams
• Lemon Hill, a recently restored historic mansion overlooking Boathouse Row
• Fairmount Water Works, a national historic landmark in Fairmount Park
• Bartram's Garden
• The former Philadelphia Naval Yard, which remains home of the United States Navy's so-called "mothball fleet", is located near the Schuylkill's confluence with the Delaware River.

[edit] Transportation and recreation

[edit] Transportation

The Schuylkill river valley was an important thoroughfare in the eras of canals and railroads. The river itself, the Schuylkill Navigation (canal), the Philadelphia and Reading Railroad (later the Reading Railroad), and the Pennsylvania Railroad were vital shipping conduits from the mid-19th century through the mid-20th century.

Rail freight still uses many of the same valley rights-of-way that the 19th-century railroads used. Passenger and commuter rail service is more limited. Today, the old railbed rights-of-way along the river between Philadelphia and Norristown contain SEPTA's R6 Norristown Regional Rail line (former Reading Railroad right-of-way) and the Schuylkill River Trail (former Pennsylvania Railroad right-of-way).

There are efforts to extend both rail and trail farther upriver than they currently reach. The Schuylkill River Trail continues upriver from Norristown to Valley Forge, and designers plan to extend it for scores of miles farther upriver. SEPTA Regional Rail service currently does not go farther upriver than Norristown. Visions of commuter rail service farther up the Schuylkill valley ("Schuylkill Valley Metro") have yet to become reality.

Roads associated with the river include the Schuylkill Expressway, the West Shore Bypass (on the west bank), the Kelly Drive (on the east bank, so also called the East River Drive), and the Martin Luther King, Jr. Drive (on the west bank, so also called the West River Drive).

[edit] Recreation

The Schuylkill River Trail,^[3] which generally follows the river bank, is a multi-use trail for walking, jogging, bicycling, rollerblading, and other outdoor activities. The trail presently runs from Philadelphia, through Manayunk to the village of Mont Clare, the latter are the locations of the last two remaining watered stretches of the Schuylkill Canal. There is also a section of trail starting at Pottstown and running upriver toward Reading. Plans are underway to complete the trail from the Delaware River to Reading.

The Schuylkill River is very popular with watersports enthusiasts. The Dad Vail Regatta, an annual rowing competition, is held on the river near Boathouse Row, as is the annual Bayada Regatta, featuring disabled rowers from all over the continent.

[edit] See also

Philadelphia portal

• List of cities and towns along the Schuylkill River
• List of crossings of the Schuylkill River
• List of Pennsylvania rivers
• Schuylkill River Heritage Area

[edit] References

Jerry Spinelli's Maniac Magee

[edit] External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Schuylkill River

• U.S. Geological Survey: PA stream gaging stations
• Philly RiverCast
• Advanced Hydrologic Prediction Service: Schuylkill River at Philadelphia
• Schuylkill Watershed Conservation Plan
• Schuylkill River National & State Heritage Area
• Delaware River Basin Commission Schuylkill River Maps
• Channel 6 Action News report: The Search for the Source of the Schuylkill River
• History
• Ganshohawanee, meaning rushing and roaring waters, later called Schulen-kill, or as it is pronounced today, Schuylkill, “school kill.” The Schuylkill Chamber of Commerce
• Art by Thomas Birch (American, born England, 1779-1851), View of the Chain Bridge and Falls of Schuylkill, Five Miles from Philadelphia
• Art by Titian Ramsay Peale (American, 1799-1885), The Schuylkill River above Philadelphia, 1881
• Art by William Groombridge, Fairmount and Schuylkill River, 1800
• Schuylkill River views
• Mouth or other endpoint (Delaware River) is at coordinates 39°53′04″N 75°11′41″W / 39.8844°N 75.1948°W / 39.8844; -75.1948
• Source (Confluence of east and west branch at Schuylkill Haven) is at coordinates 40°38′01″N 76°10′49″W / 40.6335°N 76.1804°W / 40.6335; -76.1804