Conococheague Creek, atributary of thePotomac River, is a free-flowing stream that originates inPennsylvania and empties into the Potomac River nearWilliamsport,Maryland. It is 80 miles (129 km) in length,[1] with 57 miles (92 km) in Pennsylvania and 23 miles (37 km) in Maryland. The watershed of Conococheague Creek has an area of approximately 566 square miles (1,470 km2), out of which only 65 square miles (170 km2) (12% of the area) are in Maryland.
The word "Conococheague" is translated from theDelaware Indian or Unami-Lenapi termòk'chaxk'hanna, which means "many-turns-river."[2] The Conococheague, orConnogochegue, as it was known at the time, was the northernmost extent of the range along the Potomac within which Congress in theResidence Bill of 1790 authorized the establishment of the Federal District, known as theDistrict of Columbia. By presidential proclamation,George Washington placed the District at the lower end of the range, near the "Eastern Branch", laterAnacostia River, which marked the southernmost extent of the Residence Bill's range.
Thewater divide between Conococheague Creek andConodoguinet Creek is sometimes used as the boundary between theHagerstown Valley and theCumberland Valley.
Conococheague Creek, above its confluence with its West Branch, is sometimes referred to as the East Branch Conococheague Creek. At 53.1 miles (85.5 km), the "East Branch" is 7 miles (11 km) shorter than the West Branch.[1] It rises in theSouth Mountain range of south-central Pennsylvania, forming in northwesternAdams County between East Big Flat Ridge and Piney Mountain. The creek flows southwest, turning west atCaledonia State Park, and continues pastFayetteville into theGreat Appalachian Valley, turning southwest atChambersburg and flowing west ofGreencastle.
The creek from Fayetteville to its confluence with Back Creek near Williamson is very polluted from farm runoff. Over the past 30 years there has been a steady decline in the number of available native fish species, such asyellow perch,eel,horned chub,calico bass,rock bass, andwhite sucker, and overall water quality due to sediment collection on the bottom, thereby severely limiting the ability of these native species to spawn. This in turn has made parts of the lower East Branch ideal for catching hugecrayfish at night; however, the food value of this species, due to pollution, is dubious at best.
TheWest Branch Conococheague Creek flows for 60.0 miles (96.6 km),[1] almost the entire length of westernFranklin County, before joining the main branch near the borough of Greencastle. The West Branch is the more pure of the two, owing mostly to the fact that a large portion of it runs through wilderness, making for very finesmallmouth bass,warmouth androck bass fishing. However, there are a few small sewage treatment plants on the lower West Branch, starting atFort Loudon, that make the lower West Branch less hospitable to native species' spawning.Northern pike andpickerel have been caught in the creek.
The West Branch flows southwest along theTuscarora Trail to around Fort Loudon, then turns south, and finally southeast, joining the main stem 8.2 kilometres (5.1 mi) north of theMason–Dixon line.
TheBridge in Metal Township crosses the West Branch Conococheague Creek atMetal Township inFranklin County, Pennsylvania. It was listed on theNational Register of Historic Places in 1988.[3]
Conococheague Creek continues south intoMaryland and enters the Potomac nearWilliamsport, where theGreat Philadelphia Wagon Road crossed the river at William's Ferry, continuing on toWinchester, Virginia. The crossing is whereBraddock's forces crossed the Potomac after leavingFrederick on their way to Winchester. The Tuscarora Trail crosses the Conococheague.
39°36′02″N77°49′42″W / 39.60056°N 77.82833°W /39.60056; -77.82833