Lehigh River

River in Pennsylvania, United States

Lehigh River

The Lehigh River near Jim Thorpe, Pennsylvania in June 2002

The Lehigh River watershed highlighted in yellow

Location
Country| United States
State| Pennsylvania
Counties| On the river: Wayne, Lackawanna, Monroe, Luzerne, Carbon, Lehigh, Northampton, Watershed: Wayne, Lackawanna, Monroe, Luzerne, Carbon, Lehigh, Northampton, Schuylkill, Berks, Bucks
Cities| Lehighton, Allentown, Bethlehem, Easton
Physical characteristics
Source| Pocono Peak Lake
• location| Lehigh Township, Wayne County, Pennsylvania, U.S.
• coordinates| 41°16′42″N 75°24′22″W﻿ / ﻿41.27833°N 75.40611°W﻿ / 41.27833; -75.40611
• elevation| 2,056 ft (627 m)
Mouth| Delaware River

• location

| Easton, Northampton County, Pennsylvania, U.S.

• coordinates

| 40°41′20″N 75°12′17″W﻿ / ﻿40.68889°N 75.20472°W﻿ / 40.68889; -75.20472

• elevation

| 160 ft (49 m)
Length| 109 mi (175 km)
Basin size| 1,345 sq mi (3,480 km2)
Discharge|
• location| Glendon
• average| 3,740 cu ft/s (106 m3/s)
• minimum| 1,160 cu ft/s (33 m3/s)
• maximum| 11,700 cu ft/s (330 m3/s)
Discharge|
• location| Stoddartsville
• average| 280 cu ft/s (7.9 m3/s)
Basin features
Tributaries|
• left| Tobyhanna Creek, Drakes Creek, Bear Creek (Lehigh River), Pohopoco Creek, Aquashicola Creek, Hokendauqua Creek, Monocacy Creek, and Catasauqua Creek
• right| Black Creek, Nesquehoning Creek, Mauch Chunk Creek, Mahoning Creek, Lizard Creek, Little Lehigh Creek, and Saucon Creek

The Lehigh River is a 109-mile-long (175 km)[1] tributary of the Delaware River in eastern Pennsylvania. The river flows in a generally southward pattern from the Pocono Mountains in Northeastern Pennsylvania through Allentown and much of the Lehigh Valley before joining the Delaware River in Easton.

Part of the Lehigh River and a number of its tributaries are designated Pennsylvania Scenic Rivers by the state's Department of Conservation and Natural Resources.

The river's name is an anglicisation of the Lenape name for the river, Lechewuekink, which means "where there are forks". Both Lehigh County and Lehigh Valley are named for the river.

Between 1821 and 1966, the Lehigh River was owned by the Lehigh Coal and Navigation Company, making it the only privately owned river in the United States. This private ownership continued until a local representative, Samuel Frank, promoted a bill to return control of the river to the state in 1967.

According to an environmental report from a Pennsylvania nonprofit research center, the Lehigh River watershed is ranked second nationally in the volume of toxic substances released into it in 2020. The study mirrored a previous report by the state's Department of Environmental Protection that found most of the county's waterways unsafe for swimming or aquatic life.[2]

## Course[edit]

The Lehigh River at Walnutport in the Lehigh Valley in August 2015

The Lehigh River flows in a highly winding course through valleys between ridges of Pennsylvania's Appalachian Mountains. Its upper course is characterized by numerous whitewater rapids and supports recreational pursuits, including rafting, kayaking, and canoeing. Its lower course forms the heart of the Lehigh Valley, a historically important anthracite coal and steel-producing region of Pennsylvania.

The river rises in the Poconos region of northeastern Pennsylvania in several ponds in Lehigh Township in Wayne County, approximately 15 miles (24 km) southeast of Scranton. The PA Gazetteer of Streams shows that the Lehigh River begins as the outflow of Pocono Peak Lake. Flowing south from the south end of the lake (a natural but dammed body of water), the river turns west after a mile and receives water from many lakes and ponds as it flows past Gouldsboro.

It flows initially southwest through southern Lackawanna County and then through Francis E. Walter Dam. Near White Haven, it turns south, following a zigzag whitewater course through Lehigh Gorge State Park to Jim Thorpe, then southeast, past Lehighton. Southeast of Lehighton, it passes through Blue Mountain in the narrow opening at Lehigh Gap. A six-mile stretch of the river between Freemansburg and Easton is known as the "dry-lands" because all of the water from rain drainage flows underground.

From the Lehigh Gap, the river flows southeast to Allentown, where it is joined by Little Lehigh Creek, then northeast past Bethlehem, where it joins the Delaware River in Easton at Pennsylvania's border with northwestern New Jersey.

## Fishing[edit]

The Lehigh River holds many species of fish, including trout, smallmouth bass, largemouth bass, pickerel, panfish, carp, catfish, eel, and muskie. Rainbow trout, brown trout, and brook trout in the 11"-14" range are average, while some have been caught in the 20" range. Smallmouth bass are large in numbers but are of smaller size with most between 8"-14" with an occasional fish from the 18"-21" range. There is an increasing number of muskie being reported within the 30"-52" range. There are both pure and tiger muskie, the usually sterile, hybrid offspring of the true muskellunge (Esox masquinongy) and the northern pike (Esox lucius) being caught in the river.

Over the years since 2005 various groups such as the Lehigh Coldwater Fishery Alliance and the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission have worked with the Army Corps of Engineers to design annual flow plans[3] from the Frances Walter Dam (F.E.W.) to maximize the cold water discharge through the spring and summer. This has helped enhance the population of coldwater species like brown trout to gain a growing naturally reproducing population within the river below F.E.W. dam all the way to Northampton.[4]

## Whitewater rafting and tubing[edit]

Water tubers in the Lehigh River in June 2020

The Lehigh River is a whitewater river with Class I, II, and III rapids. The most popular section of the Lehigh River for whitewater rafting, kayaking, and canoeing is through the Lehigh Gorge State Park.[5] The Lehigh Gorge State Park begins at the Francis E. Walter Dam and ends in Jim Thorpe. Several white water outfitters operate guided white water rafting trips in various sections of the river. The first rafting outfitter on the Lehigh River was Whitewater Challengers, which was founded in 1975. Water releases from the Francis E. Walter Dam provide enough water to make the river deep enough for boating. Three popular boating trips on the Lehigh River are:[5]

* White Haven to Rockport – 8.7 miles
* Rockport to Glen Onoko – 12.2 miles
* White Haven to Glen Onoko – 20.9 miles

## See also[edit]

* Delaware and Lehigh National Heritage Corridor
* Lehigh Canal
* List of Pennsylvania rivers

## References[edit]

1. ^ U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline data. The National Map Archived 2012-03-29 at the Wayback Machine, accessed April 1, 2011
2. ^ Golter, Graysen (September 29, 2022), "Lehigh River watershed had more toxic pollution than almost anywhere else in the country, report finds", The Morning Call, retrieved October 2, 2022
3. ^ ""Francis E. Walter Dam Flow Management Plan Schedule"".
4. ^ ""Pennsylvania Fish & Boat Commission Biologist Report Lehigh River; Carbon, Luzerne, Northampton, and Lehigh Counties Trout Monitoring. 2006-2015"" (PDF).
5. ^ a b "PA DCNR - Lehigh Gorge State Park". www.dcnr.state.pa.us. Archived from the original on October 7, 2011. Retrieved 2015-11-16.

## External links[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Lehigh River.

Wikisource has the text of the 1905 New International Encyclopedia article "Lehigh".

* "Facts about the Lehigh River" at Lehigh University

* v
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Lehigh Valley

States|

* Pennsylvania

Counties|

* Lehigh
* Northampton

Cities|

* Allentown
* Bethlehem
* Easton

Cities and towns
100k-250k|

* Allentown
* Center City Allentown

Cities and towns
50k-99k|

* Bethlehem

Cities and towns
10-50k|

* Bethlehem Township
* Easton
* Emmaus
* Forks Township
* Hanover Township
* Lehigh Township
* Lower Macungie Township
* Lower Saucon Township
* Northampton
* North Whitehall Township
* Palmer Township
* Salisbury Township
* South Whitehall Township
* Upper Macungie Township
* Upper Saucon Township
* Whitehall Township

Colleges and universities|

* Baum School of Art
* Cedar Crest College
* DeSales University
* Lafayette College
* Lehigh Carbon Community College
* Lehigh University
* Moravian University
* Muhlenberg College
* Northampton Community College
* Penn State Lehigh Valley

Culture and history|

* Allentown architecture
* Allentown Art Museum
* Allentown culture
* Allentown historic places
* Allentown Symphony Orchestra
* America on Wheels museum
* Bach Choir of Bethlehem
* Civic Theatre of Allentown
* Coplay Cement Company Kilns
* Da Vinci Science Center
* In films
* Lehigh County historic places
* Lehigh County Historical Society
* Miller Symphony Hall
* National Museum of Industrial History
* Northampton County historic places
* Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival
* Shelter House
* The 1803 House
* Zoellner Arts Center

Geography|

* Blue Mountain
* Chestnut Hill
* Lehigh Valley AVA
* Lehigh Gap
* Lehigh River
* South Mountain

Hospitals and health networks|

* Lehigh Valley Health Network
* Lehigh Valley Hospital–Cedar Crest
* St. Luke's University Health Network

Media|

* Lehigh Valley media

People|

* Notable people

Recreation and events|

* Allentown Band
* Bear Creek Mountain Resort
* Blast Furnace Blues Festival
* Bushkill Park
* Dorney Park & Wildwater Kingdom
* Great Allentown Fair
* Lehigh Valley Zoo
* Marine Band of Allentown
* Mayfair festival
* Municipal Band of Allentown
* Musikfest
* Saucon Valley Country Club
* SouthSide Film Festival
* Trexler Nature Preserve
* Wind Creek Bethlehem

Shopping|

* Lehigh Valley Mall
* Outlets at Bethlehem
* Palmer Park Mall
* Promenade at Saucon Valley
* Shoppes at Trexler
* South Mall
* West Gate Mall
* Whitehall Mall

Sports|

* Allentown baseball history
* Allentown sports
* Cycling
* Gymnastics
* High school sports
* IronPigs AAA baseball
* Lafayette Leopards
* Lehigh Mountain Hawks
* Lehigh Valley Roller Derby
* Phantoms AHL ice hockey
* Muhlenberg Mules
* The Rivalry (Lafayette–Lehigh)

Transportation|

* Allentown Queen City Municipal Airport
* Braden Airpark
* LANta
* Lehigh Valley International Airport

* v
* t
* e

Protected areas of Pennsylvania

Federal|

| NPS National Historical Parks
& National Historic Sites|

* Allegheny Portage Railroad NHS
* Edgar Allan Poe NHS
* Eisenhower NHS
* First State NHP
* Friendship Hill NHS
* Gloria Dei (Old Swedes') Church NHS
* Hopewell Furnace NHS
* Independence NHP
* Steamtown NHS
* Valley Forge NHP

|

National Memorials|

* Benjamin Franklin
* Flight 93
* Johnstown Flood
* Thaddeus Kosciuszko

National Battlefields and
National Military Parks|

* Fort Necessity NB
* Gettysburg NMP

National Trails|

* Appalachian Trail

National Forests|

* Allegheny

USFS National Historic Sites|

* Grey Towers

National Wildlife Refuges|

* Cherry Valley
* Erie
* John Heinz
* Ohio River Islands

Wilderness areas|

* Allegheny Islands
* Hickory Creek

Other protected areas|

* Allegheny National Recreation Area
* Delaware and Lehigh National Heritage Corridor
* Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area
* Lackawanna Heritage Valley National and State Heritage Area
* Lower Delaware National Wild and Scenic River
* Middle Delaware National Scenic River
* Susquehanna National Heritage Area
* Tionesta Scenic Area
* Tionesta Wild Area
* Upper Delaware Scenic and Recreational River

State|

| Natural Areas|

* Alan Seeger
* Algerine Swamp
* Anders Run
* Bark Cabin
* Bear Meadows
* Bear Run
* Beartown Woods
* Big Flat Laurel
* Black Ash Swamp
* Bruce Lake
* Buckhorn
* Carbaugh Run
* Charles F. Lewis
* Cranberry Swamp
* David R. Johnson
* Detweiler Run
* Devil’s Elbow
* East Branch Swamp
* Forrest H. Dutlinger
* Frank E. Masland
* Halfway Run
* Hemlocks
* The Hook
* Hoverter and Sholl Box Huckleberry
* Jakey Hollow
* Johnson Run
* Joyce Kilmer
* Kettle Creek Gorge
* Lebo Red Pine
* Little Juniata
* Little Mud Pond Swamp
* Little Tinicum Island
* Lower Jerry Run
* Marion Brooks
* M.K. Goddard/Wykoff Run
* Meeting of the Pines
* Miller Run
* Mt. Cydonia Ponds
* Mt. Davis
* Mt. Logan
* Pennel Run
* Pine Creek Gorge
* Pine Lake
* Pine Ridge
* Pine Tree Trail
* Reynolds Spring
* Roaring Run
* Rocky Ridge
* Rosencrans Bog
* Ruth Zimmerman
* Sheets Island Archipelago
* Snyder-Middleswarth
* Spruce Swamp
* Stillwater
* Sweet Root
* Tall Timbers
* Tamarack Run
* Tamarack Swamp
* Torbert Island

|

State Parks|

* Allegheny Islands
* Archbald Pothole
* Bald Eagle
* Beltzville
* Bendigo
* Benjamin Rush
* Big Elk Creek
* Big Pocono
* Big Spring
* Black Moshannon
* Blue Knob
* Boyd Big Tree
* Buchanan's Birthplace
* Bucktail
* Caledonia
* Canoe Creek
* Chapman
* Cherry Springs
* Clear Creek
* Codorus
* Colonel Denning
* Colton Point
* Cook Forest
* Cowans Gap
* Delaware Canal
* Denton Hill
* Elk
* Erie Bluffs
* Evansburg
* Fort Washington
* Fowlers Hollow
* Frances Slocum
* French Creek
* Gifford Pinchot
* Gouldsboro
* Greenwood Furnace
* Hickory Run
* Hillman
* Hills Creek
* Hyner Run
* Hyner View
* Jacobsburg
* Jennings
* Joseph E. Ibberson
* Kettle Creek
* Keystone
* Kings Gap
* Kinzua Bridge
* Kooser
* Lackawanna
* Laurel Hill
* Laurel Mountain
* Laurel Ridge
* Laurel Summit
* Lehigh Gorge
* Leonard Harrison
* Linn Run
* Little Buffalo
* Little Pine
* Locust Lake
* Lyman Run
* Marsh Creek
* Maurice K. Goddard
* McCalls Dam
* McConnells Mill
* Memorial Lake
* Milton
* Mont Alto
* Moraine
* Mt. Pisgah
* Nescopeck
* Neshaminy
* Nockamixon
* Nolde Forest
* Norristown Farm
* Ohiopyle
* Oil Creek
* Ole Bull
* Parker Dam
* Patterson
* Penn-Roosevelt
* Pine Grove Furnace
* Poe Paddy
* Poe Valley
* Point
* Presque Isle
* Prince Gallitzin
* Promised Land
* Prompton
* Prouty Place
* Pymatuning
* R. B. Winter
* Raccoon Creek
* Ralph Stover
* Ravensburg
* Reeds Gap
* Ricketts Glen
* Ridley Creek
* Ryerson Station
* Salt Springs
* Samuel S. Lewis
* Sand Bridge
* Shawnee
* Shikellamy
* Simon B. Elliott
* Sinnemahoning
* Sizerville
* Susquehanna
* Susquehanna Riverlands
* Susquehannock
* Swatara
* Tobyhanna
* Trough Creek
* Tuscarora
* Tyler
* Upper Pine Bottom
* Varden
* Vosburg Neck
* Warriors Path
* Washington Crossing
* Whipple Dam
* White Clay Creek
* Worlds End
* Yellow Creek

State Forests|

* Bald Eagle
* Buchanan
* Clear Creek
* Cornplanter
* Delaware
* Elk
* Forbes
* Gallitzin
* Loyalsock
* Michaux
* Moshannon
* Pinchot
* Rothrock
* Sproul
* Susquehannock
* Tiadaghton
* Tioga
* Tuscarora
* Weiser
* William Penn

Scenic Rivers|

* Bear Run
* French Creek
* Lehigh River
* LeTort Spring Run
* Lick Run
* Lower Brandywine
* Octoraro Creek
* Pine Creek
* Schuylkill River
* Stony Creek
* Tucquan Creek
* Tulpehocken Creek
* Yellow Breeches Creek

State Game Lands|

* 12
* 13
* 14
* 24
* 25
* 26
* 28
* 29
* 30
* 31
* 33
* 34
* 35
* 36
* 37
* 38
* 39
* 40
* 41
* 42
* 43
* 44
* 45
* 46
* 47
* 48
* 49
* 50
* 51
* 52
* 53
* 54
* 55
* 56
* 57
* 58
* 59
* 60
* 61
* 62
* 63
* 64
* 65
* 66
* 67
* 68
* 69
* 70
* 71
* 72
* 73
* 74
* 75
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* 77
* 78
* 79
* 80
* 81
* 82
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* 86
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* 90
* 91
* 92
* 93
* 94
* 95
* 96
* 97
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* 100
* 101
* 102
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* 105
* 106
* 107
* 108
* 109
* 110
* 111
* 112
* 113
* 114
* 115
* 116
* 117
* 118
* 119
* 120
* 121
* 122
* 123
* 124
* 126
* 127
* 128
* 129
* 130
* 131
* 132
* 133
* 134
* 135
* 136
* 137
* 138
* 139
* 140
* 141
* 142
* 143
* 144
* 145
* 146
* 147
* 148
* 149
* 150
* 151
* 152
* 153
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* 155
* 156
* 157
* 158
* 159
* 160
* 161
* 162
* 163
* 164
* 165
* 166
* 167
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* 169
* 170
* 171
* 172
* 173
* 174
* 175
* 176
* 179
* 179
* 180
* 181
* 182
* 183
* 184
* 185
* 186
* 187
* 187
* 188
* 189
* 190
* 191
* 192
* 193
* 194
* 195
* 196
* 197
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* 309
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* 314
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* 318
* 319
* 320
* 321
* 322
* 323
* 324
* 325
* 326
* 327
* 328
* 329
* 330
* 331
* 332
* 333
* 335

Wild areas|

* Algerine
* Asaph
* Burns Run
* Clear Shade
* Hammersley
* James C. Nelson
* Kettle Creek
* Russell P. Letterman
* Martin Hill
* McIntyre
* Penns Creek
* Quebec Run
* Quehanna
* Russell P. Letterman
* Square Timber
* Stairway
* Thickhead Mountain
* Trough Creek
* Wolf Run

Other|

* Laurel Highlands Hiking Trail
* Mohn Mill Ponds Wild Plant Sanctuary
* Stone Valley Recreation Area

Local and private|

* Abernathy Field Station
* Asbury Woods
* Beechwood Farms Nature Reserve
* Benjamin Olewine III Nature Center
* Boyce Park Nature Center
* Briar Bush Nature Center
* Carbon County Environmental Education Center
* Churchville Nature Center
* Endless Mountains Nature Center
* Fern Hollow Nature Center
* Frick Environmental Center
* Great Valley Nature Center
* Harrison Hills Park Environmental Education Center
* Hawk Mountain Sanctuary
* Honey Hollow Environmental Education Center
* Jarrett Nature Center
* John James Audubon Center at Mill Grove
* Lacawac
* Lancaster Environmental Center
* Latodami Nature Center at North Park
* McKaig Nature Education Center
* McKeever Environmental Learning Center
* Millbrook Marsh Nature Center
* Kettle Creek Environmental Education Center
* Myrick Conservation Center
* Ned Smith Center for Nature and Art
* Nurture Nature Center
* Peace Valley Nature Center
* Pocono Environmental Education Center
* Pool Wildlife Sanctuary
* Powdermill Nature Reserve
* Richard Nixon Park Nature Center
* Riverbend Environmental Education Center
* Shaver's Creek Environmental Center
* Silver Lake Nature Center
* South Park Nature Center
* Strawberry Hill Nature Center
* Tom Ridge Environmental Center
* Trexler Environmental Center
* Trexler Nature Preserve
* Tyler Arboretum
* Welkinweir
* Whites' Woods Nature Center
* Winnie Palmer Nature Reserve at Saint Vincent College
* Woodbourne Forest and Wildlife Preserve
* Woodcock Creek Nature Center

* Category
* Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources
* Philadelphia
* Pittsburgh
* Commons

Authority control databases

International|

* VIAF

National|

* Israel
* United States

Other|

* NARA

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