List of dams and reservoirs of the Susquehanna River facts for kids
The Susquehanna River is a big river in the eastern United States. It flows through states like Pennsylvania and Maryland. Along its path, you'll find many dams. These dams are like giant walls built across the river. They are used for important things such as making hydroelectric power, stopping floods, helping boats move, and creating places for people to have fun. The very first dams on the Susquehanna, near Sunbury, Pennsylvania, were built to help ferries cross the river all year long.
Dams can slow down the river's flow. This causes dirt and pollution to get trapped behind them. For example, the Conowingo Dam is known for stopping a lot of silt from Pennsylvania from reaching the Chesapeake Bay. When water flows over a dam's spillway, it can add oxygen back into the water, which is good for fish. Also, birds that eat fish often gather below dams. This might be because fish that pass through the dam can be a little stunned, making them easier to catch. Making electricity from dams is a clean way to get power.
However, dams also change the river's natural environment. The water level goes up behind the dam, changing the land along the riverbanks. The deep pools of water behind dams can sometimes become unhealthy, especially in warm summer months. Dams also block fish that travel up and down the river to lay eggs, like the American shad. To help with this, many dams from York Haven Dam down to the Chesapeake Bay have special fish ladders or lifts. These help fish get past the dams.
Sometimes, when a dam is built, towns and communities along the river have to move. For example, towns like Conowingo, Bald Friar, and Glen Cove in Maryland had to be relocated in 1928 when the Conowingo Dam was built.
Contents
Dams on the Susquehanna River
Here is a list of dams found on the Susquehanna River. They are listed starting from the river's beginning (headwaters) and moving towards its end (mouth). This list includes dams that are still there and some that were removed a long time ago.
Northern Branch
This part of the river flows through New York and Pennsylvania.
New York
- A natural rock formation at Cooperstown creates Otsego Lake. This lake is where the Susquehanna River officially begins.
- Mill St. Bridge Dam at Cooperstown.
- A power-generating dam at Goodyear Lake, called Colliers Dam (Colliersville, NY). This dam creates a small lake popular for boating and waterskiing.
- Southside Oneonta Dam.
- Rockbottom Dam.
- A partial dam just above where the Chenango River joins the Susquehanna.
- Binghamton dam (a low dam).
- Johnson City Goudy Station Power Plant Dam.
Pennsylvania
- Oakland Dam (This dam was removed in 2023).
- Wilkes-Barre Dam (This dam is planned but not yet built; it would be inflatable).
- Nanticoke Dam (This was a former canal feeder dam, used from 1830 to 1901).
- Nanticoke Dam (Another planned inflatable dam).
West Branch
This branch of the river is mostly in Pennsylvania.
Pennsylvania
- Curwensville Dam.
- Clearfield Dam (a low dam).
- Shawville Dam (a low dam).
- Lock Haven Dam (a low dam).
- Williamsport Dam (a low dam).
Lower Susquehanna
This section of the river has some of the largest dams.
| Name | Height | Capacity (MW) | State | Completed | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shamokin Dam | 0 | PA | This was an early dam for navigation and canals. It was taken down in 1904. | ||
| Adam T. Bower Memorial Dam near Sunbury, Pennsylvania | 8 ft (2.4 m) | 0 | PA | ||
| Shamokin Dam power plant low head dam | 0 | PA | |||
| Clarks Ferry Dam | 0 | PA | This dam helped a canal called the Wiconisco Canal. It was taken down. | ||
| Dock Street Dam | 6 ft (1.8 m) | 0 | PA | 1913 | |
| York Haven Dam | 18 ft (5.5 m) | 21 | PA | ||
| Wrightsville Dam | 10 ft (3.0 m) | 0 | PA | 1840 | This was also a canal feeder dam and was later taken down. |
| Safe Harbor Dam | 75 ft (23 m) | 417.5 | PA | 1931 | |
| Holtwood Dam | 55 ft (17 m) | 252 | PA | 1910 | |
| Conowingo Dam | 94 ft (29 m) | 548 | MD | 1928 |
