 Watershed: drainage basin, region drained by, or one
that contributes water to a stream, lake, or other body.
 Divide: any ridge between two streams along which
precipitation runs off.
PA’s WATERSHEDS
 All fresh water in PA drains into the Atlantic Ocean.
 Pennsylvania is organized into 104 separate
watersheds.
 Five discussed in book
 Great Lakes
 Ohio River
 Susquehanna/Chesapeake
 Potomac
 Delaware
Great Lakes Basin
1% in PA
Erie Basin and the Genesee Basin
Streams in the Erie Basin drain into Lake Erie
Streams in the Genesee Basin drain into New York and
Lake Ontario
Ohio River Basin
 Second largest watershed in PA
 16000 square miles
 Drinking water for 13 million people
 3.5 million pennsylvanians
Headwaters for the Ohio River are in Pittsburgh, where
the Allegheny meets the Monongahela.
Other rivers and streams in this basin include: Tionesta
Creek, Mahoning Creek, Stonycreek River, Lower and
Upper Youghiogheny Rivers, Beaver River, Upper Ohio
River
Chartiers Creek and Ten Mile Creek (North and
South Branch)
You Solve It! “PA’s Mighty
Susquehanna R.”
1. In which state is the source of the Susquehanna R. located?
What is the name of the body of water where the Susquehanna
begins?
New York
Otsego Lake
2. What 5 major western NY rivers feed into the
Susquehanna just as it enters PA?
Cohocton R.
Canisteo R.
Tioga R.
Cowanesque R.
Chemung R.
3. What is the name of the creek that feeds into
the Susquehanna as the river enters PA?
Cayuta Creek
4. Where does the Tioughnioga R. meet the
Susquehanna R.?
Binghamton, NY
5. Name 5 creeks that enter the Susquehanna R.
between Sunbury & Harrisburg.
Penns Cr.
Clarks Cr.
Middle Cr.
Sherman Cr.
Mahanoy Cr.
Buffalo Cr.
Mahantango Cr. etc.
6. What type of drainage pattern is formed by the
Juniata R. & its tributaries near Lewistown?
Rectangular drainage
7. What type of drainage pattern has developed in
the Lower Susquehanna sub-basin?
Trellis drainage
8. In which state is the mouth of the Susquehanna R.?
Name the body of water into which the Susquehanna R.
empties.
MD
Chesapeake Bay
9. What are the names of the sub-basins of the
Susquehanna R. basin?
Upper Susquehanna
Chemung
West Branch Susquehanna
Middle Susquehanna
Juniata
Lower Susquehanna
10. Name the major river in each of the
Susquehanna R. sub-basins.
Each of the sub-basins is named
after the major river that runs
through it.
11. Describe the direction of flow of the Susquehanna R. from its
source to its mouth. Use the cities listed on the map in your
description.
 From its source in NY State, the
Susquehanna flows south-southwest. In PA,
the river flows south & east before running
toward the southwest above Wilkes-Barre.
From Sunbury, the river flows south to
Harrisburg, where it is joined by the Juniata.
Beyond Harrisburg, the river flows toward
the southeast.
Ohio River Watershed
Ohio River Watershed
You are here
Chartiers Creek Watershed
You Are Here
U R HERE
Chartiers Creek Watershed
Here
HERE
Race Track Rd.
CMHS
N. Strab
Park
519 &
19
interchange
Canonsburg
Lake
Sub-Basins of the Chartiers
Creek Watershed
 Opossum Run
 Morganza Run
 Plum Run
 Catfish Run
 Westland Run
 Brush Run
 Georges Run
 Chartiers Run
 Little Chartiers Creek
CANONSBURG LAKE
RESTORATION
 The Pittsburgh District Corps of Engineers
 GOAL: to restore a portion of the degraded aquatic
ecosystem of Canonsburg Lake located along Little
Chartiers Creek in Washington County, PA near State
Route 19
 Alcoa Dam, originally built in 1943
 managed by the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat
Commission
 the lake has been filling with sediment at the rate of
approximately 0.1 feet per year
 the original 76-acre lake has been reduced to about 63
acres
 its maximum depth has been reduced from 42.6 feet to
about 11.5 feet
 In addition, the lake has been degraded by excessive
sediment inflow and phosphorous-loading from
agricultural fertilizers used in the watershed area.
As a result…
 the lake is now inhabited by increasing numbers of
less desirable fish species, such as gizzard shad and
carp
 Not suitable for recreational boating and fishing.
 Undesirable for other types of recreation.
What would you propose to
solve this problem?
 This is your assignment…
 Write a proposal, in no less than two paragraphs, what
actions you would take to improve the quality of the lake
for fishing, boating, hiking, and other forms of recreation.
 Assume you have all the resources available and $$ is not a
factor.
 What would you do to restore Canonsburg Lake to it’s
original conk wdition and ecosystem, post-construction of
Alcoa Dam.
 Hint: you want to have the greatest number of recreational
activities without impacting, in any significant way, the
current ecosystem, geology, topography, or infrastructure
of the surrounding area.