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BULLY HILL STATE FOREST

BURT HILL STATE FOREST

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CHARLES E. BAKERSTATE FOREST

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PINNACLESTATE PARK

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CHESAPEAKE& OHIO CANALN.H.P.

New YorkPennsylvania

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ATLANTICOCEAN

LAKE ERIE

Susquehanna

W. Branch Susquehanna

Susquehanna

Potomac

Patuxen

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Rappahannock

YorkJames

Sassafras River

Chester R.

Choptank R.

Nanticoke R.

Pocomoke R.

Pennsylvania

New York

Delaware

WestVirginia

Virginia

Washington,D.C.

Maryland

SUSQUEHANNA

WATERSHED

UNITEDSTATES

CANADA The Chesapeake Bay Watershed

0 mi

0 km 50

50

SusquehannaEnvision the

Connection to the Bay While the Susquehanna River and the Chesapeake Bay do not share a name, they share an ancient past. The bay is actually an extension of the lower Susquehanna; a valley that has been gradually fl ooded by the Atlantic Ocean over the last 15,000 years. The Susquehanna remains the lifeblood of the Chesapeake, pouring about 20 billion gallons of freshwater into the bay each day. This makes up about half of all the freshwater entering the bay. It provides crucial habitat for countless species of iconic bay wildlife, and carries sediments and nutrients from as far north as New York State to the shores of Virginia. The fate of the bay rests heavily on the fate of the Susquehanna.

Spanning more than miles from its headwaters in Cooperstown, New York, its journey through the mountains along the West Branch, and its entry to the Chesapeake Bay in

Havre de Grace, Maryland, the mighty Susquehanna River has been the lifeblood of this fertile region for centuries. To travel its length isto take a colorful journey through endless forests, wilderness areas, and rolling farms; past � ocks of migrating waterfowl and historic towns; and along unique geologic features like water gaps through the Appalachian Mountains. � e river continues to be an important place for commerce, recreation, and wildlife; however, it faces an uncertain future riddled with challenges. � e Susquehanna drains more than 27,500 square miles, picking up pollutants and sediments from an area roughly the size of West Virginia and Delaware combined.

To combat these ills and engage a growing population in the res-toration of this amazing resource, a group of interested parties has begun Envision the Susquehanna. � is community-driven initiative aims to create a shared vision for the river, focused on habitat restora-tion and conservation; cultural heritage preservation and education; recreational access; and economic development through tourism. � e hope is to create a lasting connection to the Susquehanna for those within the watershed, generating the conservation of its amazing resources.

Where the Susquehanna meets the Chesapeake is a large, shallow area of underwater grasses known as the Susquehanna fl ats. The 20th century saw devas-

tating declines in grasses and dependent waterfowl species due to pollution and severe

weather; however, through natural and restoration processes, native grasses are recolonizing the fl ats,

leading to increases in waterfowl and largemouth bass.

A view upriver in precolonial times would look much different than today. Instead of large hydroelectric dams, the river would be punctuated by numerous man-made eel weirs—stone formations in a char-acteristic V-shape used to catch eels as they swam

downstream. These formations are still visible along the West Branch and main branch of the river.

Not even mountains can contain the mighty Susquehanna. Over millions of years, the river has cut through fi ve ridges of the Appalachian

Mountains north of Harrisburg, forming what are now known as the “fi ve gaps.” While the exact

process of their formation is unknown, they are a unique and beautiful geological feature and have

been designated a “National Natural Landmark” by the National Park Service.

The boundaries of the Susquehanna watershed represent the traditional territory of Iroquoia, the sphere of infl uence of the Iroquois Nations, from

before John Smith’s time through the colonial period. A map of the Six Nations’ territory in the contact period would match up almost exactly

with the map you see here.

Abundant wildlife populations, diverse fi sheries, and waterfowl migration corridors draw people to the Susquehanna River each year. According to a 2011

U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service survey, more than 4.5 mil-lion people engage in wildlife-associated recreation

(fi shing, hunting, and/or wildlife watching). In Pennsylvania alone, this led to $2.7 billion

in expenditures.

John Smith’s Explorations After traveling the length of the Chesapeake Bay in search of the Northwest Passage, Captain John Smith and his crew found themselves on the Susquehanna River in August 1608. There, they met and traded with the Susquehannocks, who have been immortalized on Smith’s famous map. Unfortunately, Smith met an unlikely foe on the Susquehanna—a fall line that

produced impassable rapids. Smith’s Falls, as they are still known today, was the farthest north Smith traveled during his voyages in the Chesapeake. In 2012, the Captain John Smith Chesapeake National Historic Trail was extended the length of the Susquehanna River to com-memorate Smith’s exploration and the rich American Indian history in the region.

The Landscape Over time, plate tectonics and other environmental forces created a diverse terrain, giving rise to rolling hills and valleys, the Appalachian Mountains, glacier-formed moraines and boulders, and the fl at highlands of the Appalachian Plateau. The landscape covering this terrain is a patchwork of forestlands and agricultural tracts, dotted with river towns like Sunbury, Penn-sylvania, and Havre de Grace, Maryland, and several small

cities, including Harrisburg, the capital of Pennsylvania. Almost 25 percent of the watershed remains in agricultural use and over 60 percent of the watershed is forested. Although many of these tracts are incorporated into state forest reserves, much re-mains in private ownership. Only 27 percent, or 2.9 million acres, of the forests in the watershed are protected, making conserva-tion an immediate priority.

Natural Abundance Large forested tracts, miles of riparian landscape, and aquatic habitats support a rich diversity of life throughout the Susque-hanna watershed. Reptiles and amphibians like the map turtle and the elusive spotted salaman-der inhabit the many tributaries; smallmouth bass swim the river, while the brook trout grace the

cold water streams; and the east-ern coyote and reintroduced elk roam the forests. Waterfowl, rap-tors, and songbirds also abound as the Atlantic Flyway traverses the river corridor bringing tens of thousands of tundra swans and snow geese, bald eagles and red-tailed hawks, and warblers, orioles, and tanagers to the area.

Native History Serving as an American Indian thoroughfare for thousands of years, the Susquehanna River moved peoples up and down its length, connecting the Iroquois nations to the various peoples of the Chesapeake and beyond. The Iroquois, or Haudenosaunee, as they are known as today, are a league of six nations that came together in the precolonial era to form a powerful confederacy. The Mohawk, Onondaga, Seneca, Ca-yuga, Tuscarora, and Oneida Na-tions traversed the Susquehanna for reasons of warfare with the Catawba, or for transport and

trade, exchanging beaver pelts and deer skins with the Europe-ans and various American Indian tribes at the confl uence of the river’s North and West Branches. In the 21st century, Haudeno-saunee culture remains vibrant. The Haudenosaunee Environ-mental Task Force is working hard to bring attention to the many environmental issues that affect native communities and is guided by their environmental philosophy “to harvest only what you can eat or use, consider the Seven Unborn Generations, and give thanks.”

The Headwaters: An Inspiration The mighty Susquehanna begins at Otsego Lake, a beautiful nine-mile-long lake named “Glim-merglass” by the novelist of the Leatherstocking Tales, James Fenimore Cooper. Lying at the south end of the source waters, the village of Cooperstown, N.Y., named after Cooper’s father, was also home to James’s daughter, Susan Fenimore Cooper, the true nature writer in the family. An

amateur naturalist, Susan found inspiration in the headwaters and wrote Rural Hours, a collec-tion of nature essays that has come to be recognized as one of the classics in that genre. Her work encouraged Henry David Thoreau in his writing of Walden or Life in the Woods, giving rise to generations of nature enthusiasts and conservationists throughout the landscape.

Landscape of Power Through hydroelectric facilities, the waters of the Susquehanna provide power for millions of people. According to the Susque-hanna River Basin Commission, the 14 dams along the river and its tributaries can generate enough electricity to power two million homes. Each of the dams receives a 30- to 50-year license for operating, and several of these facilities’ licenses are cur-rently up for renewal. Although necessary for our energy needs, these facilities present an im-pediment to wildlife, recreation, and the nutrients and sediments

carried by the Susquehanna. Dams make it diffi cult for fi sh species to reach their spawn-ing grounds and for boaters to traverse large portions of the river. These structures also retain sediment and nutrients, but have recently reached their carrying capacity. During acute storm events, large amounts of sediment and nutrients are forced over the dam causing widespread environmental damage to the Chesapeake, as its natural resources are unable to absorb this sudden infl ux of sediment and nutrients.

A Land for Adventure More than 100 state forest areas, and state and local parks offer opportunities for hiking, biking, photography, and wildlife watch-ing. Look for bald eagles at Susquehanna State Park, cross-country ski at Arnold Lake State Forest, and hike the Appalachian National Scenic Trail at Michaux State Forest. There is even a driving tour—the Susquehanna River Birding and Wildlife Trail—linking the re-gion’s top birding spots through

maps, brochures, and signposts. The river itself offers opportuni-ties for kayaking, canoeing, and rafting on one of its many water trails, such as the Captain John Smith Chesapeake National His-toric Trail and the Susquehanna River Water Trail-West Branch. Unfortunately, public access areas along the Susquehanna are limited and sorely needed throughout the river corridor to reconnect the region’s communi-ties with this amazing resource.

Federally protected area

State protected area

Protected area

Other point of interest

Captain John Smith Chesapeake National Historic Trail

Susquehanna River Water Trail-West Branch

MAP KEY

0 205 10 15

STATUTE MILES

0 205 10 15

KILOMETERS

Copyright © 2013 National Geographic Society

Text by Joanna Ogburn, Lynda Eisenberg, Emily Myron, Katherine Faull, and Joel Dunn.

LANDSCAPE OF THE LOWER SUSQUEHANNA RIVERDAVID HARP / CHESAPEAKE PHOTOS

PORTION OF CAPT. JOHN SMITH’S 1612 MAP, INCLUDING RENDERING OF SUSQUEHANNOCK INDIANLIBRARY OF CONGRESS

ISLANDS IN THE SUSQUEHANNA, SOUTH OF THE CONOWINGO DAMDAVID HARP / CHESAPEAKE PHOTOS

TUNDRA SWANS IN WINTER FLIGHTDAVID HARP / CHESAPEAKE PHOTOS

HAUDENOSAUNEE LEADERS ATTENDING DEDICATION EVENT CELEBRATING THE EXTENSION OF THE CAPTAIN JOHN SMITH CHESAPEAKE NATIONAL HISTORIC TRAIL UP THE SUSQUEHANNA RIVER. SANDY POINT STATE PARK, MARYLAND

© WWW.HAWXHURST.COM

ENTRANCE TO COOPERSTOWN, NEW YORKJOEL DUNN

CONOWINGO HYDROELECTRIC DAM, MARYLANDDAVID HARP / CHESAPEAKE PHOTOS

KAYAKING NEAR FORT HUNTER PARK, HARRISBURG, PENNSYLVANIASUSQUEHANNA GREENWAY PARTNERSHIP