If you are someone who often plans a visit to the river banks or who likes clicking pictures of the river and the vegetation surrounding it, then you are more likely to feel relaxed, calm, and positive.The de-stressing environment, green spaces, birds, and gentle breeze perfectly explain happy holidays spent near rivers. We, as humans, use rivers to satisfy most of our purposes, the prominent of them being irrigation, agriculture, transportation, drinking water, washing, producing electricity, and recreational activities.Besides, rivers are home to a variety of aquatic plants and animals. They are a great source of nutrients for these plants and animals. Thus, the uses of rivers cannot be bound in a few words, and their significance in our ecosystem cannot be undermined.Here we will discuss the details about the Allegheny river and highlight serious problems that the river currently faces. So, the next time you wish to feel a sense of openness, freedom, and fresh air and plan a visit to the Allegheny, you will understand the significance of clean water and refrain from polluting the Allegheny. Please keep reading to learn about its route in the Upper Ohio Valley and Downtown Pittsburgh. Afterward, also check Cape Far river facts and Chang Jiang river facts.Tributaries Of The Allegheny RiverAllegheny river starts from Potter County, Pennsylvania, that flows northward for roughly 80 mi (128.7 km) after rising in the hilly plateau region. The Allegheny River starts in Pennsylvania near Cobb hill, and it enters New York state at Allegany State Park’s Allegheny Reservoir. It then continues southwest for 120 mi (193.1 km), winding to the southeast and then southwest until joining the Monongahela River to form the Ohio River near Pittsburgh.The Allegheny River runs for 325 mi (523 km) across Pennsylvania and New York. The river makes its foray into the New York State at the Cattaraugus-Allegheny county line; it then meanders west for almost 55 mi (88.5 km). After that, it returns to Pennsylvania. At the Point in Pittsburgh, the river combines with the Monongahela rivers and becomes a tributary of the Ohio River.After re-entering Pennsylvania, Kinzua Creek joins the river from the east 10 mi (16.1 km) upstream of Warren; Conewango Creek from the north at Warren; Brokenstraw Creek from the west; and East Hickory Creek from the east at East Hickory.The word ‘Allegheny’ has an unclear meaning, and it is Lenape in origin. The river Alleghe is usually translated as ’excellent river.’ Still, it’s also referred to as the ‘Allegewi,’ a fabled tribe who lived along the river before being wiped out by the Lenape. The river Allegheny is used by the Pennsylvanians for various purposes ranging from camping, exploring, and viewing.The name of the Allegheny River has been used to name Allegheny county. Allegheny county thus became the first county in Pennsylvania to be named after a river. The Mississippi River carries the water from these rivers to the Gulf of Mexico. The rivers of Pittsburgh are generally 16-17 ft (4.9-5.2 m) deep.Some famous tributaries of river Allegheny include:Conewango creek: The tributary is 71 mi (114.3 km) in length and is amongst the most famous tributaries of Allegheny. Much of southeastern Chautauqua County, New York, and western Cattaraugus County, New York, is drained by the creek. The Chadakoin River, which receives water from Chautauqua Lake, is the creek’s most notable tributary. The Chautauqua Ridge, a continental divide, separates the watershed to the north and west.Conewango Creek: This creek originates at New Albion Lake in New Albion, New York, and flows through much of western Cattaraugus County in a meandering pattern. Before continuing south into Pennsylvania, it joins the Chadakoin river in Frewsburg, New York.French creek: French creek is also popularly called the Venango river. It is usually referred to as a creek and sometimes a river.Potato creek: Another popular and famous tributary of Allegheny is Potato creek in Mckean county, Pennsylvania, in the United States of America. Potato Creek flows into the Allegheny River about 1.7 mi (2.7 km) downstream of Caryville. Potato Creek contains several tiny tributaries, including Marvin Creek and Cole Creek, which meet in Smethport. This watershed also has a number of smaller brooks and streams.Kinzua Creek: The total length of Kinzua Creek is 26.5 mi (42.6 km) which becomes the tributary of Allegheny river in Mckean county, Pennsylvania, USA. Kinzua Creek joins the Allegheny River from the east. Historically, the site also served as the boundary between Kinzua and (West) Corydon before both communities were dissolved in the 60s. Kinzua was an unincorporated community that was wiped out due to the construction of the Kinzua Dam.Dams And Bridges: Allegheny RiverSeveral bridges and dams have been constructed over the Allegheny river over the entire length of its course. The primary purpose has always been to make some of the distance of the river navigable.Allegheny County, where the river is located, has about 1576 bridges. One of the most famous bridges is the ‘Sister bridges.’ The sister bridge is located over the Allegheny River, connecting downtown and north shore.The first bridge to cross the Allegheny River was the wooden St. Clair Bridge, designed by Lewis Wernwag and built for $80,000 on the current site of the Roberto Clemente Bridge. Since then, the construction of dams and bridges has been rampant over the river.After the civil war ended in America, the federal planners had understood that a narrow channel of navigation in Ohio was not sufficient to handle the significantly rising commercial demands and tonnage near the rivers of Pittsburgh. So the engineers created a system of dams and locks on the Ohio River. This system was then followed and adopted for the Allegheny River. More comprehensive constructions began and the Allegheny river transformed from a naturally flowing river to a restrained chain of lakes.Most recently constructed dams on the Allegheny river include the Hunter station bridge. The rampant construction has led to the loss of life and vegetation. It has also contributed to the extinction of many tribes, including the Seneca tribes. In 1956 plans were made for the construction of the Kinzua dam. Such a construction meant loss of shelter for Seneca people. The massive Kinzua Dam, which protects Pittsburgh from flooding and pollutants, came at a high cost to the local Indians. They lost nine settlements and 10,000 acres of Allegany Territory due to the dam.History Of The Allegheny RiverAllegheny Reservoir led to the elimination of a village located at the confluence of Willow Creek and Allegheny River. The control of the river fluctuated greatly in the 17th century. At one time, it was under the control of Shawnee, at the other time in the hands of Iroquois.The commercial significance of Allegheny as a transportation route did not reduce even after railroads were constructed. Due to this increased commercial significance, rampant construction of dams and bridges began on the Allegheny River.In 1965, the Kinzua Dam was constructed over Allegheny as a part of the plan of reservoir construction on the rivers. The aim was to protect Pittsburgh from flooding and water quality improvement of the region. However, the dam’s construction continues to be a dark history of Pennsylvania since it uprooted the Seneca Nation of Indians. They fought against the construction and made Kinzua Dam a site of resurgence.Similarly, the dam’s construction and filling of the Allegheny Reservoir compelled the abolition of Corydon, a small village along the Allegheny River. All the people residing here had to move to foreign places.The history of Allegheny is full of such examples of resistance and resurgence where people fought and advocated for free-flowing rivers. Allegheny was also given the status of the wild and scenic river in 1992.Environmental FactorsThe purpose for which dams and bridges have been constructed is noble, but the repercussions of such construction have been severe. It has resulted in significant loss of lives and vegetation. Most people were left without shelter, and many aquatic plants and animals were extinguished.Natural gas is extracted through the process of hydraulic fracturing. The release of toxic chemicals makes the water unfit for drinking purposes. It has put the lives of all those people who are dependent on the Allegheny River for their drinking water at great risk.Coal mining is one of the main activities in the county, and it results in a significant concentration of total dissolved solids in the beds of these streams. The added chemicals encourage algal blooms like the deadly golden algae bloom, which can kill many fish and bivalves like mussels.There is also a persistent problem of combined sewage overflows from all three rivers of Pittsburgh. These are Allegheny, Monogahela, and Ohio. It makes the water unfit for recreational activities.Time is now to act to make the water of Allegheny less scary. Once conferred with the designation of scenic river, the Allegheny River is currently going through an unfortunate situation. A large portion of the blame should go to the man and his activities. In the impunity of their actions, men tend to forget that the freely available resources are not free for us to exploit but for our legitimate use. Only then will it be able to satisfy our needs and of the generations to come. We owe a little bit to the world to make our water clean and use our natural resources judiciously.Much of the Allegheny river’s course is through hilly woodlands. Both Native Americans and European settlers regarded the Allegheny as the upper Ohio River. In the history of the United States, the Allegheny Valley is amongst the most prolific places for fossil fuel production. It continues west to Port Allegany, then it turns north and starts flowing north into the major western city of New York.The Allegheny flows and passes the North Side, downtown Pittsburgh, and Point State Park, university park, looping westward, across southern Cattaraugus County, then turns southwest again across Armstrong County since rising on the cobb hill, about a mile north. The Ohio rivers are also called the river beautiful in the Seneca language, from the Seneca lands. The Allegheny River eventually flows zigzag in the southwest past Warren, Tidioute, Tionesta, Oil City. Tionesta is also called the oil city. The average is 19,750 cu ft/s (559.3 cu m/s) at the village of Natrona, PA.The Allegheny river’s flow goes northwesterly into New York from its sources just below Pennsylvania’s northern border, then southwesterly across the border and through Western Pennsylvania to join the Monongahela river at the Forks of Ohio. The Allegheny River is joined in its upper sections by Potato Creek from the south, 1.7 mi (2.7 km) downstream of Coryville, Pennsylvania, and Olean Creek from the north, near Olean, New York. In Carrollton, New York, Tunungwant ‘Tuna’ Creek meets the shallow river located from the south. At Aspinwall, Pennsylvania, just above Allegheny River Lock and Dam No. 2, the Highland Park Bridge spans the Allegheny River.Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created many interesting family-friendly facts for everyone to enjoy! If you liked our suggestions for Allegheny river facts, then why not take a look at Chattahoochee river facts or Amur river facts?
If you are someone who often plans a visit to the river banks or who likes clicking pictures of the river and the vegetation surrounding it, then you are more likely to feel relaxed, calm, and positive.
