Swatara Creek
| Swatara Creek | ||
 The Waterville Bridge over the upper reaches of Swatara Creek in Swatara State Park |
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| Data | ||
| Water code | US : 1189149 | |
| location | Pennsylvania ( United States ) | |
| River system | Susquehanna River | |
| Drain over | Susquehanna River → Chesapeake Bay | |
| source | on Broad Mountain , Foster Township , Schuylkill County 40 ° 41 ′ 0 ″ N , 76 ° 21 ′ 54 ″ W |
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| Source height | 460 m | |
| muzzle | in the Susquehanna River near Middletown in Dauphin County Coordinates: 40 ° 11 ′ 7 " N , 76 ° 43 ′ 57" W 40 ° 11 ′ 7 " N , 76 ° 43 ′ 57" W |
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| Mouth height | 85 m | |
| Height difference | 375 m | |
| Bottom slope | 3.3 ‰ | |
| length | 114 km | |
| Catchment area | 1470 km² | |
| Left tributaries | Little Swatara Creek , Quittapahilla Creek | |
| Right tributaries | Manada Creek , Beaver Creek | |
| Small towns | Middletown | |
| Communities | Hummelstown , Jonestown , Pine Grove | |
The Swatara Creek (also Swatara River ) is a tributary of the Susquehanna River in Pennsylvania . It has a length of 114 kilometers and a catchment area of over 1470 km².
The river has its source in Foster Township ( Schuylkill County ) on Broad Mountain , a mountain range of the Appalachians , about 460 meters above sea level. In the upper reaches, Swatara Creek cuts through several of the parallel Appalachian mountain ranges - first Sharp Mountain and Second Mountain . After passing the village of Pine Grove , the Swatara Gap is the breakthrough through Blue Mountain . Then the Swatara Creek enters flatter terrain and takes on the Little Swatara Creek, its largest tributary. Other important tributaries are Quittapahilla Creek on the left and Manada Creek and Beaver Creek on the right. In the lower reaches of the Swatara Creek forms numerous river loops and flows past the towns of Jonestown and Hummelstown to the southwest. At Middletown in Dauphin County the river finally flows into the Susquehanna River.
From its mouth to Quittapahilla Creek, the Union Canal was built along the Swatara Creek in the early 19th century . A feeder canal from a reservoir at Pine Grove led south through the Swatara Gap and served to supply the Union Canal with water. Swatara State Park has been stretching along the north bank of the river here since 1971 .
The breakthrough valleys of Swatara Creek through Second and Blue Mountain are now used by Interstate 81 .
Individual evidence
- ↑ Swatara State Park (English)