The Shenango River is a principal

tributary A tributary, or an ''affluent'', is a stream or river that flows into a larger stream (''main stem'' or ''"parent"''), river, or a lake. A tributary does not flow directly into a sea or ocean. Tributaries, and the main stem river into which they ...

of the Beaver River, approximately 100 mi (160 km) long,Columbia Gazetteer of North America entry for Shenango River
in

western Western may refer to: Places *Western, Nebraska, a village in the US *Western, New York, a town in the US *Western Creek, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western Junction, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western world, countries that id ...

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania, officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a U.S. state, state spanning the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern United States, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes region, Great Lakes regions o ...

in the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

. It also briefly flows through small portions of northeastern

Ohio Ohio ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Lake Erie to the north, Pennsylvania to the east, West Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Indiana to the ...

DeLorme DeLorme Publishing Company is a producer of personal satellite tracking, messaging, and navigation technology. The company's main product, ''inReach'', integrates GPS and satellite technologies. ''inReach'' provides the ability to send and rec ...

(2003). ''Pennsylvania Atlas & Gazetteer''. Yarmouth, Maine: DeLorme. Via the Beaver and

Rivers, it is part of the

watershed Watershed may refer to: Hydrology * Drainage divide, the line that separates neighbouring drainage basins * Drainage basin, an area of land where surface water converges (North American usage) Music * Watershed Music Festival, an annual country ...

of the

Mississippi River The Mississippi River is the main stem, primary river of the largest drainage basin in the United States. It is the second-longest river in the United States, behind only the Missouri River, Missouri. From its traditional source of Lake Ita ...

. The Shenango, whose name comes from the Iroquoian "Shanango," meaning "the beautiful one," rises in west-central

Crawford County Crawford County is the name of eleven counties in the United States: * Crawford County, Arkansas * Crawford County, Georgia * Crawford County, Illinois * Crawford County, Indiana * Crawford County, Iowa * Crawford County, Kansas * Crawford County, ...

and initially flows northwestwardly into the

Pymatuning Reservoir Pymatuning Reservoir is a man-made lake in Crawford County, Pennsylvania, and Ashtabula County, Ohio, in the United States, on land that was once a very large swamp. Much of it is incorporated into two state parks: Pymatuning State Park in Penn ...

, which was formed in 1934 by the construction of a

dam A dam is a barrier that stops or restricts the flow of surface water or underground streams. Reservoirs created by dams not only suppress floods but also provide water for activities such as irrigation, human consumption, industrial use, aqua ...

on the river. The lake turns to the south, widening into

Ashtabula County, Ohio Ashtabula County ( ) is the northeasternmost county in the U.S. state of Ohio. As of the 2020 census, the population was 97,574. The county seat is Jefferson, while its largest city is Ashtabula. The county was created in 1808 and later organ ...

, and passing through Pymatuning State Park. Below the dam and after returning fully to Pennsylvania, the Shenango flows south-southeastwardly into Mercer County, flowing through Jamestown and Greenville before turning westwardly into Shenango River Lake, formed in 1965 by a

United States Army Corps of Engineers The United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) is the military engineering branch of the United States Army. A direct reporting unit (DRU), it has three primary mission areas: Engineer Regiment, military construction, and civil wo ...

dam. Below that dam, the Shenango flows southwestwardly through the communities of Sharpsville and

Sharon Sharon ( 'plain'), also spelled Saron, is a given name as well as a Hebrew name. In Anglosphere, English-speaking areas, Sharon is now predominantly a feminine given name, but historically it was also used as a masculine given name. In Israel, ...

(near which it briefly enters

Trumbull County, Ohio Trumbull County is a County (United States), county in the far northeast portion of the U.S. state of Ohio. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 201,977. Its county seat and largest city is Warren, Ohio, Warren, ...

); then south-southeastwardly past

Farrell Farrell (anglicization of the Irish ''Ó Fearghail'') is a surname and may refer to: * Farrell (surname) * Farrell Lines, shipping company (acquired by Maersk) * Farrell, Mississippi, a census-designated place in Mississippi * Farrell, Nevada, a g ...

, Wheatland and West Middlesex into Lawrence County, where it passes New Castle and

Oakland Oakland is a city in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area in the U.S. state of California. It is the county seat and most populous city in Alameda County, with a population of 440,646 in 2020. A major West Coast port, Oakland is ...

. It joins the

Mahoning River The Mahoning River is a river in northeastern Ohio and a small portion of western Pennsylvania. Flowing primarily through several Ohio counties, it crosses the state line into Pennsylvania before joining with the Shenango River to form the Beav ...

to form the Beaver River, 3 mi (4.8 km) southwest of New Castle. Tributaries of the Shenango include the short Little Shenango River, which flows for its entire length in Mercer County and joins the Shenango from the east at Greenville; Pymatuning Creek, which flows into Shenango River Lake; and Neshannock Creek, which joins the river at New Castle.

References

External links

U.S. Geological Survey: PA stream gaging stations

Shenango River Watchers
{{authority control Rivers of Ashtabula County, Ohio Rivers of Crawford County, Pennsylvania Rivers of Lawrence County, Pennsylvania Rivers of Mercer County, Pennsylvania Rivers of Ohio Rivers of Pennsylvania Tributaries of the Beaver River Rivers of Trumbull County, Ohio

See also

References

External links