Schuylkill River

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The Schuylkill River, most often pronounced "SKOO-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, Schuylkill County; and the west branch starts near Minersville, Pennsylvania and joins in Pottsville, Pennsylvania , Schuylkill County it becomes one stream at the town of Schuylkill Haven. The Tulpehocken Creek joins it at the western edge of Reading. Wissahickon Creek joins it in northwest Philadelphia, and 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
7 References

[edit] Major towns and cities on the banks of the 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—"hidden river" in Dutch—by its European discoverer, Arendt Corssen of the Dutch West India Company. The name refers to its confluence with the Delaware River at League Island, nearly hidden by dense vegetation.

Image:Schuylkill bridge night.jpg

Image:Schuylkill River Trail (Philadelphia).JPG

[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<ref>http://www.montcopa.org/parks/schuylkillrivertrail.htm</ref>, 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.