Schuylkill River

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Schuylkill River
Boathouse Row, a landmark situated on the Schuylkill River in Philadelphia's Fairmount Park
Country	USA
State	Pennsylvania
Counties	Philadelphia, Montgomery, Chester, Berks, Schuylkill
Major cities	Philadelphia, Norristown, Pottstown, Reading
Length	130 mi (209 km)
Watershed	2,000 mi² (5,180 km²)
Discharge	Philadelphia
- average	4,650 ft³/s (132 m³/s)
- maximum	40,300 ft³/s (1,141 m³/s)
- minimum	995 ft³/s (28 m³/s)
Discharge elsewhere
- Berne	1,120 ft³/s (32 m³/s)
Primary source	East Branch Schuylkill River
- location	Tuscarora, Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania, USA
- coordinates	40°46′24″N, 76°01′20″W
- elevation	1,540 ft (469 m)
Other source	West Branch Schuylkill River
- location	Minersville, Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania, USA
- coordinates	40°42′51″N, 76°18′46″W
- elevation	1,140 ft (347 m)
Source confluence
- location	Schuylkill Haven, Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania, USA
- coordinates	40°38′01″N, 76°10′49″W
- elevation	520 ft (158 m)
Mouth	Delaware River
- location	Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
- coordinates	39°53′04″N, 75°11′41″W
- elevation	0 ft (0 m)
Major tributaries
- left	Little Schuylkill River, Perkiomen Creek
- right	Tulpehocken Creek, French Creek
Schuylkill River watershed

The Schuylkill River, most often pronounced "SKOOO-kull" (IPA: /'sku:kəɫ/), is a river in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. It is a designated Pennsylvania Scenic River.

The river is approximately 130 miles (209 km) long. Its watershed of around 2000 square miles (5,000 km²) lies entirely within the state of Pennsylvania. The source of its eastern branch starts in the Appalachian Mountains at Tuscarora Springs, near Tamaqua in Schuylkill County. The west branch starts near Minersville and joins the eastern branch at the town of Schuylkill Haven. The Tulpehocken Creek joins it at the western edge of Reading. Wissahickon Creek joins it in northwest Philadelphia. Other major tributaries include the Little Schuylkill River, Maiden Creek, Manatawny Creek, French Creek, and Perkiomen Creek. The Schuylkill joins the Delaware River, of which it is the largest tributary, at the site of the former Philadelphia Navy Yard, now the Philadelphia Naval Business Center, just northeast of Philadelphia International Airport.

1 Major towns and cities on the banks of the river
2 The river's history and the etymology of its names
3 Points of interest along the river
4 Transportation and recreation in the Schuylkill valley
- 4.1 Transportation
- 4.2 Recreation
5 See also
6 External links
- 6.1 Online maps and aerial photos
7 References

[edit] Major towns and cities on the banks of the river

Main article: List of cities and towns along the Schuylkill River

[edit] The river's history and the etymology of its names

The Delaware Indians were the original permanent settlers of the area around this river, which they called Ganshohawanee, meaning "rushing and roaring waters." The river was later named Schuylkill by its European discoverer, Arendt Corssen of the Dutch West India Company. One explanation given for this name is that it translates to "hidden river" and refers to the river's confluence with the Delaware River at League Island, which was nearly hidden by dense vegetation. Another explanation is that the name properly translates to "hideout creek", with the corresponding form in modern Dutch being Schuilkil. Thomas Paine tried in vain to interest the citizens in funding an iron bridge over this river, before abandoning "pontifical works" on account of the French revolution.

The Strawberry Mansion Bridge over the river at dusk.

John F. Kennedy Boulevard bridge over Schuylkill River in Center City, Philadelphia

[edit] Points of interest along the river

The Limerick nuclear power plant facility in Limerick
Valley Forge National Historical Park, site of the winter encampment of the American Continental Army over the winter of 1777–1778 in the American Revolutionary War at the mouth of Valley Creek
Boathouse Row, a landmark set of boathouse facilities in Fairmount Park, that houses several local college-affiliated or independent crew teams
Fairmount Water Works, a national historic landmark in Fairmount Park
Bartram's Garden
The former Philadelphia Naval Yard, located near the Schuylkill's confluence with the Delaware River.

[edit] Transportation and recreation in the Schuylkill valley

[edit] Transportation

The Schuylkill river valley was an important thoroughfare in the eras of canals and railroads. The river itself, the Schuylkill Canal, the Philadelphia and Reading Railroad (later the Reading Railroad), and the Pennsylvania Railroad were vital shipping conduits from the mid-19th century through the mid-20th century.

Freight still moves by rail through parts of the valley using many of the same rights-of-way that the 19th-century railroads used. Passenger and commuter rail service is more limited. Today, the old railbed rights-of-way along the river between Philadelphia and Norristown contain SEPTA's R6 Norristown Regional Rail line (former Reading Railroad right-of-way) and the Schuylkill River Trail (former Pennsylvania Railroad right-of-way).

There are movements to extend both rail and trail farther upriver than they currently reach. The Schuylkill River Trail currently continues upriver from Norristown to Valley Forge, and designers plan to extend it for scores of miles farther upriver. SEPTA Regional Rail service currently does not go farther upriver than Norristown. Visions of commuter rail service farther up the Schuylkill valley ("Schuylkill Valley Metro") have yet to become reality.

Roads closely associated with the river include the Schuylkill Expressway, the West Shore Bypass (on the west bank), the Kelly Drive (on the east bank, so also called the East River Drive), and the Martin Luther King, Jr. Drive (on the west bank, so also called the West River Drive).

[edit] Recreation

The Schuylkill River Trail,^[1] which generally follows the river bank, is a multi-use trail for walking, jogging, bicycling, rollerblading, and other outdoor activities. The trail presently runs from Philadelphia to the Perkiomen Creek, just beyond Valley Forge Park. There is also a section of trail starting at Pottstown and running upriver. Plans are underway to develop the trail between the existing sections.

The Schuylkill River is very popular with watersports enthusiasts. The Dad Vail Regatta, an annual crew competition, is held on the river near Boathouse Row.