Cocalico Creek facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Cocalico Creek |
|
|---|---|
Bucher's Mill Covered Bridge spans Cocalico Creek in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania
|
|
| Country | Lebanon and Lancaster Counties, Pennsylvania, United States |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Main source | Stricklerstown, Pennsylvania 1,320 feet (400 m) |
| River mouth | Conestoga River at Talmage, Pennsylvania 278 feet (85 m) |
| Length | 27.2 miles (43.8 km) |
| Basin features | |
| Basin size | 140 square miles (360 km2) |
Cocalico Creek is a stream in Pennsylvania, United States. It flows for about 27 miles (44 kilometers). This creek is a tributary, which means it's a smaller stream that flows into a larger river. Cocalico Creek joins the Conestoga River.
The creek starts high up in Lebanon County. Its source is near a place called Stricklerstown. It then flows down to Lancaster County. The creek ends where it meets the Conestoga River at Talmage.
What's in a Name? The Meaning of Cocalico
The name "Cocalico" comes from the Lenape people. They were Native Americans who lived in this area. The Lenape word for the creek was Gookcalicunk.
This word means "Snake Sleep Place" or "snake dens." The Lenape considered a large area around the creek to be part of Gookcalicunk. This included many of the townships you see today.
Where Cocalico Creek Flows
Cocalico Creek flows south for about 10 miles (16 kilometers). Then, it turns and flows southwest for another 16 miles (26 kilometers). The area of land that drains into Cocalico Creek is called its watershed.
This watershed covers about 140 square miles (360 square kilometers). All the water from the Cocalico Creek watershed eventually flows into the Susquehanna River. From there, it travels all the way to the Chesapeake Bay.
Smaller Streams Joining Cocalico Creek
Many smaller streams flow into Cocalico Creek. These are also called tributaries. They add water to the main creek as it flows.
Here are some of the streams that join Cocalico Creek:
- Hammer Creek
- Middle Creek
- Meadow Run
- Indian Run
- Cooper Run
- Stony Run
- Little Cocalico Creek
