© pam lazos – aerial view of the Susquehanna at the Wrightsville and Columbia Bridges
I recently joined the Board of the Lower Susquehanna Riverkeeper Association (LSRA), a small but mighty organization headed by Riverkeeper, Ted Evgeniadis, who utilizes education, chemical and biological monitoring, pollution patrols, partnership building, public events, research and legal action to improve the health of the Susquehanna’s waterways.
The Lower Susquehanna River covers roughly 8,527 square miles from Selinsgrove, PA, to the Chesapeake Bay at Havre De Grace, MD. Some facts about the Susquehanna for those who don’t know or for those who live in the area but want a deeper dive (although, note to self, much of the Susquehanna isn’t deep enough to do that).
- The Susquehanna River is North America’s longest, commercially non-navigable river and geologically one of the world’s seven oldest rivers, dating back to the Paleozoic Era (543 to 248 million years ago) — and older than that youngster, the Nile, which is only 30 million years old.
- It’s the largest river draining into the Atlantic Ocean, located entirely within the United States’ borders.
- The Algonquian Indians named the Susquehanna Muddy River. It’s still muddy, but today, we call it the Mighty Susquehanna River for its sheer length and breadth.
- Historically, the Susquehanna River provided a bounty of resources to those dwelling along its banks, including the Susquehannock and Lenape Native Americans, who relied upon the river for food, trade, and transportation.
- The Susquehanna near Safe Harbor Dam is home to Native American petroglyphs, which were thought to be the work of the Shenks Ferry people, who carved them over 1,000 years ago.
- Today, the Susquehanna River is a critical source of drinking water for millions living along its banks, providing freshwater to various communities, including New York, Pennsylvania, and Maryland residents. LSRA continually monitors water quality in the Lower Susquehanna River through its sampling and analysis programs, keeping track of water quality and drinkability.
- For most of the Susquehanna’s 444 miles, the river meanders like a lazy teenager, falling a couple of feet or so per mile. Once it reaches Lancaster County, the drops become more dramatic until the final 27 miles, when the Susquehanna falls 208 ft. or 7.7 ft. per mile. This steep drop has resulted in the creation of four major hydroelectric dams on the Lower Susquehanna and some amazing vistas.
This Friday, August 30th, 2024, LSRA is having an open house at its new location at 338 S. Front St, Wrightsville, PA. Stop by and learn about all the incredible work being done by the Riverkeeper to keep our water drinkable, swimmable, and fishable.
Prepare to be amazed.
RSVP here — or just come, have a nosh and a beer and learn about the amazing Susquehanna River. Thanks for reading.
pam lazos – 8.28.24
Green Life Blue Water 
Pam, your post is as mighty as the Susquehanna itself! Congratulations on joining the LSRA Board—what an inspiring way to protect such a vital waterway. Your passion shines through every fact and anecdote, from ancient petroglyphs to the Riverkeeper’s impactful work. Wishing LSRA great success with the open house!
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Thanks, Michael. So nice of you to say! Here’s to clean water for all!!
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Lovely images, my friend, and I hope your education efforts with the board are going well! xxxxxx
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They are, Jean. Thank you!
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This was a fascinating read Pam. I’ve heard of the Susquehanna river. Now, I know a lot about it. Thank you!
It seems more and more problematic keeping water drinkable, as the planet becomes more crowded.
Droughts here, floods there; is there no happy medium?
Hey, I recently learned that the province I love in, Ontario, has over 250,000 fresh water lakes. (about 20% of the planet’s fresh water)
Still, with pollution, we have northern communities with “Boil Water advisories)
I think it’s cool that you joined the LSRA. Power to you!
Okay, be well!
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Wow, one shouldn’t have to boil water in paradise. Sad and sadder. And who knew Ontario had 20% of the planet’s fresh water!!
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Yes, sad.
I know! I’m so happy about our water.
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let’s hope your city planners are, too!
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Oh gee, don’t get me going about city planners! lol
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Oy, ah well, I get that, too. Same problem here. :0(
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How lovely! I wish I could participate with you.😅🙏🤙🥰 I just have to pity how reverse and lakes are drying in Iran under such a bloody, brutal regime.💖
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And how governments use water to control people, Aladin. Crimea against nature and humanity. 😢
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what isn’t in the article is how much medical waste, sewege and trash polutes this river from harrisburg. It’s sad.
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Ah, yes, I know of what you speak, having worked for EPA for years and reading about the problems with their aging sewer system. They are working on getting into compliance if that’s any consolation, but it’s going to take years.
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So beautiful! Especially surrounded, as it is, by such magnificent trees and scenery.
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It is a lovely river…❤️
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A very informative post, Pam. I had no idea of its importance in providing drinking water for such a large region. Wishing you success as a new board member of the LSRA 🙂
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Thanks, Rose! xo
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Gorgeous pictures of the Susquehanna! Love the Waterkeepers! We have them here too. I can name three right off the bat, and there are likely more. Black Water Riverkeeper, Mobile Baykeeper, and Hurricane Creekkeeper. Lots of water here, all in need of protection.
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Amen to that, Leah!
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The LSRA is fortunate to have you on its Board. You will do a great job.
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Aw, shucks. Thanks, Neil.🙏
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This is a brilliant post. Love all the stats and that you are ‘onboard’. xxxx
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Lady Shey! Thanking you. 😘
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My Lady Pam, I loved this. Learned so much in a nice way.
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We aim to please. 🙏 😘
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You succeed
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Stunning.
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Thanks, 🙏 Cindy.
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Um, explain to me Pam how I got to be 68 years old and never heard of the Susquehanna River? I guess geography is not my strongpoint. I’m amazed by your stats, especially the size and the age stats and I never knew how old the Nile River was either. Great that you have joined the Board of this group and I believe we have a similar organization and a Riverkeeper regarding the Detroit River. I follow the Facebook site “Friends of the Detroit River” and I think that is how I learned about it. I hope Friday’s event goes well.
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You are correct, Linda, it’s the Friends of the Detroit River — https://www.detroitriver.org/riverkeeper — and they are part of the association of Riverkeepers, I believe. The Susquehanna is pretty dang old and it’s also a beautiful river, but aren’t all rivers beautiful?!
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I thought it might be a similar organization Pam. They have an annual event around this time honoring the Riverkeeper. Yes, all rivers are beautiful. You might be surprised to learn that along the shoreline of the Detroit River, you can see to the bottom – I can see rocks and the orange feet of the Mallards. I understand that is because it is a large river and a swift current.
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Wow, that’s impressive considering all the industry in that area, Linda!
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That’s true Pam and there is a waterfront park in Wyandotte (MI) that is also along the Detroit River and I’ll copy and paste what they have done with that site… pretty amazing and I always thought with so many Great Lakes freighters passing through, surely there would be pollution from them, but the waters are clear.
This is the the former BASF industrial site, now a beautiful waterfront park. This is what was done in remediation of the site:
BASF Waterfront Park
Wyandotte, Michigan
BASF and the City of Wyandotte collaborated to re-develop a former industrial site as a waterfront park. Approximately 85 acres in size, this site was once used for shipbuilding, steel making and other heavy industrial uses. The owner, BASF, made it available to the City of Wyandotte for recreational use. Past uses of the site had left the soils highly toxic and the park design had to respond to the constraints of the contaminated site. The design effort began with a master planning process that called for close coordination of many, varied interest groups including the City, BASF and the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (MDNR)
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I remember reading about this when it was built, Linda. It’s a good reuse ♻️ of the property as long as they have those contaminated soils locked down so these do t keep leaching into the water. 🤞🙃
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I do think it took a long time for this remediation to take place Pam. The same type of remediation will be taking place where they just took down a DTE Energy Power Plant this year… they will be building a battery plant. The City of Trenton was hoping for green space/parks, but DTE wanted a battery plant. They took down the nearly 100-year old smokestacks by implosion. That went well, lots of water cannons to contain the dust, but then a few months later, they imploded the plant, but huge plumes of black smoke came from that implosion and now Congressman Debbie Dingell wants to know if they supposedly had ensured it was safe to take down (since it is near Humbug Marsh which is the only one-mile stretch of Detroit River shoreline where no industry has EVER taken place), if that smoke might have harmed the wildlife (birds/waterfowl only) there.
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Of course it harmed wildlife and resident in nearby areas as well since all that smoke travels as tiny particulate matter right into everyone’s lungs. Ugh!
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I’ll send you the link to the short video in a separate comment Pam. I used the video in a post where I mentioned it because I was so amazed at all the thick black smoke. I saw two herons spooked and taking off, likely from the noise. The herons roost in a large rookery at a nearby uninhabited island. There was media and many spectators watching (and inhaling).
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😱
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Here is the short video of that implosion – it is admirable Congressman Dingell is looking into any harm from the implosion, but it’s a little late for that now.
https://www.fox2detroit.com/news/watch-trenton-channel-power-plant-boiler-house-imploded
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Holy crap, Linda. We’re probably breathing in that particulate matter here in PA by now!
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I don’t doubt that Pam – it was awful. I am 12 miles from there.
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Sad.
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Yes it is.
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