Swatara Creek facts for kids
Swatara Creek, also known as the Swatty, is a stream about 72 miles (116 km) long. It flows through central Pennsylvania in the United States.
The creek starts in the Appalachian Mountains in Schuylkill County. It then travels through Lebanon County before joining the Susquehanna River. This happens near Middletown in Dauphin County.
The name "Swatara" comes from a word in the Susquehannock language. This word, Swahadowry or Schaha-dawa, means "where we feed on eels".
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Where Swatara Creek Flows
Swatara Creek begins in the Appalachian Mountains. It starts on Broad Mountain in central Schuylkill County. This is about 5 miles (8 km) west of Minersville.
The creek flows southwest in a winding path. It goes south of Tremont. Then it cuts through the ridges of Sharp Mountain and Second Mountain.
It flows through Swatara State Park. After that, it turns south and passes through Swatara Gap. This gap is in the Blue Mountain ridge.
After leaving the mountains, the creek flows southwest. It goes north of Hershey and past Hummelstown. Finally, it joins the Susquehanna River at Royalton, near Middletown.
A smaller stream called Quittapahilla Creek joins Swatara Creek from the east. This meeting point is about 3 miles (5 km) north of Palmyra.
History of Swatara Creek
For many years, Swatara Creek was an important way to travel. People used it for transportation from the 1600s until the late 1800s.
Early Canal Plans
In 1690, William Penn first suggested building a canal. This canal would connect the Susquehanna and Delaware valleys. It took almost 100 years for people to survey a path for this canal.
David Rittenhouse and William Smith surveyed the route between 1762 and 1770. This was the first canal ever surveyed in the United States.
Building the Canal
In 1791, anthracite coal was found in the Susquehanna Valley. This discovery made the canal project even more important. The Pennsylvania government allowed two companies to start building it in 1792.
At that time, Philadelphia and Baltimore were competing to be the best shipping port. Business people in Philadelphia supported the canal. They wanted to make sure goods from the Susquehanna Valley came to Philadelphia. Otherwise, they might go downriver to the Chesapeake Bay and Baltimore.
The first canal project did not have enough money and failed. But a new company, the Union Canal, finished the project in 1828.
The Canal's Route
The canal route started by following Swatara Creek upstream from Middletown. It then went up Quittapahilla Creek past Lebanon and Myerstown. From there, it crossed land to connect with Tulpehocken Creek.
The canal then followed Tulpehocken Creek downstream to Reading on the Schuylkill River. From the Schuylkill, it would go to the Delaware River at Philadelphia.
The Union Canal followed a similar path. It went up Swatara Creek to Union Water Works. Then it used a 729-foot (222 m) tunnel to reach Lebanon. The upper part of the creek helped feed water into the main canal. It also provided a way to ship coal from the mountains to Philadelphia.
Major Flooding
On September 8, 2011, Swatara Creek had record-breaking floods. This happened after heavy rains from Tropical Storm Lee and parts of Hurricane Irene. Near Hershey, the creek reached 26.8 feet (8.2 m) high. This was the highest since measurements began in 1975.
Farther upstream, 24.6 feet (7.5 m) was recorded. This was the worst flooding since 1889. The floods forced thousands of people to leave their homes. Sadly, at least one person died.
Covered Bridges
Several covered bridges used to cross Swatara Creek. The Fiddler's Elbow Covered Bridge near Hummelstown and Clifton Covered Bridge near Middletown were both destroyed by Hurricane Agnes in 1972. The Sand Beach Covered Bridge was burned down on purpose in 1966.
Fun Activities on Swatara Creek
Today, Swatara Creek is part of a special water trail system. This system offers outdoor fun for families. People can go canoeing and kayaking on a 60-mile (97 km) part of the creek. This part connects to the Susquehanna River and Captain John Smith water trails.
Drinking Water from the Creek
Three water companies use water from Swatara Creek for drinking. These companies are Suez Water Pennsylvania, American Water, and the Lebanon Water Authority. They provide drinking water to hundreds of thousands of people living near the creek.
Streams Joining Swatara Creek
Many smaller streams flow into Swatara Creek. These are called tributaries:
- Iron Run
- Beaver Creek
- Spring Creek
- Manada Creek
- Quittapahilla Creek
- Brandywine Creek
- Bow Creek
- Indiantown Run
- Little Swatara Creek
- Lower Little Swatara Creek
- Upper Little Swatara Creek
- Good Spring Creek
Ships Named After the Creek
Two ships in the United States Navy have been named USS Swatara after this creek:
- The first USS Swatara (1865) was a wooden ship. It was launched in 1865 and taken apart in 1872. Its parts were used to build the second ship with the same name.
- The second USS Swatara (1873) was also a ship that used a screw propeller. It was launched in 1873 and stopped being used in 1891.
