Tioga River (Chemung River tributary) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Tioga River |
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The Tioga River near the Pennsylvania–New York state line
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 Location of the mouth of the Tioga River in New York State.
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| Country | United States |
| State | New York, Pennsylvania |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Main source | Armenia Township, Bradford County, Pennsylvania 41°45′40″N 76°51′39″W / 41.76111°N 76.86083°W |
| River mouth | Chemung River Painted Post, Steuben County, New York 42°09′07″N 77°05′25″W / 42.15194°N 77.09028°W |
| Length | 58 mi (93 km) |
| Basin features | |
| Tributaries | |
The Tioga River (pronounced TY-o-guh) is a river in the United States. It flows for about 58 miles (93 km) through northern Pennsylvania and western New York. The Tioga River is a tributary, which means it's a smaller river that flows into a larger one. It joins the Chemung River, which then flows into the even bigger Susquehanna River. The Tioga River helps drain water from the northern Allegheny Plateau, a hilly region.
Long ago, in the 1800s, trees cut down in the Tioga Valley were very important for building ships. These logs were floated down the Tioga River, then to the Chemung and Susquehanna rivers. They traveled all the way to the Chesapeake Bay and the shipyards in Baltimore, where they became parts of new ships.
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Journey of the Tioga River
The Tioga River begins in the mountains of western Bradford County, Pennsylvania. It first flows southwest into Tioga County, Pennsylvania, passing through the beautiful Tioga State Forest.
As it continues, the river turns north. It carves its way through four different mountain ridges. Along its path, it flows past towns like Blossburg and Mansfield.
Tioga Reservoir: A Big Lake
The Tioga River then flows into the Tioga Reservoir. This is a large lake formed by a dam just before the town of Tioga, Pennsylvania. The lake covers about 498 acres (2.01 square kilometers). The United States Army Corps of Engineers manages this reservoir. They built the Tioga Dam between 1973 and 1979.
The Tioga Dam was built along with another dam, the Hammond Dam, on a nearby stream called Crooked Creek. Building both dams cost about $200 million. These projects were started after a huge flood caused by Hurricane Agnes in 1972. This flood caused a lot of damage along the rivers. The two lakes, Tioga Lake and Hammond Lake, are connected by a channel. This allows extra floodwater from Tioga Lake to be stored in Hammond Lake, which is larger.
Helping the Environment
Besides controlling floods, these dams also help make the Tioga River's water cleaner. The Tioga River sometimes has acidic water because of old acid mine drainage (water that flows out of old mines). The dams help by adding cleaner, less acidic water from Crooked Creek to the Tioga River. This helps to dilute, or weaken, the acid in the river.
Fun Activities at the Lake
The lakes created by the dams are also great places for outdoor fun! People can enjoy many activities there, including camping, boating, fishing, swimming, and hiking on the trails around the area.
River's Path to the Chemung
North of Tioga, the river receives water from Crooked Creek from the west. Then, the Tioga River crosses into Steuben County, New York. About 1 mile (1.6 km) north of the state line, it meets the Cowanesque River from the west.
Further on, in southeastern Steuben County, it receives the Canisteo River from the west. This is about 10 miles (16 km) southwest of Corning. Finally, the Tioga River joins the Cohocton River at Painted Post, which is just west of Corning. When these two rivers meet, they form the Chemung River, which then flows into the Susquehanna River.
