Antietam Creek () is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline data
The National Map
, accessed August 15, 2011

tributary A tributary, or affluent, is a stream or river that flows into a larger stream or 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 drain the surrounding drai ...

of the

Potomac River The Potomac River () drains the Mid-Atlantic United States, flowing from the Potomac Highlands into Chesapeake Bay. It is long,U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map. Retrieved Augu ...

located in south central

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...

and western

Maryland Maryland ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It shares borders with Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware and the Atlantic Ocean t ...

in the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country Continental United States, primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., ...

, a region known as the

Hagerstown Valley Hagerstown Valley is located in Maryland in the United States. It is part of the Great Appalachian Valley, which continues northward as Cumberland Valley in Pennsylvania, and southward as Shenandoah Valley in West Virginia and Virginia. Hagerstown ...

. The creek became famous as a focal point of the

Battle of Antietam The Battle of Antietam (), or Battle of Sharpsburg particularly in the Southern United States, was a battle of the American Civil War fought on September 17, 1862, between Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia and Union ...

during the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and t ...

Geography

The creek is formed in Franklin County, Pennsylvania, at the confluence of the West and East Branches of Antietam Creek, about south of Waynesboro, Pennsylvania.

Welty's Mill Bridge Welty's Mill Bridge is a historic multi-span stone arch bridge located at Washington Township in Franklin County, Pennsylvania. It is a , two-arch bridge built of limestone. It was constructed in 1856. It crosses the East Branch of Little Antiet ...

crosses the East Branch of Little Antietam at Washington Township in Franklin County, Pennsylvania. The stream runs for about upon its entering

Washington County, Maryland Washington County is located in the western part of the U.S. state of Maryland. As of the 2020 census, the population was 154,705. Its county seat is Hagerstown. Washington County was the first county in the United States to be named for th ...

. The course proceeds southward in a meandering pattern, and the creek empties into the Potomac south of SharpsburgUnited States Geological Survey. Reston, VA
"Antietam Creek."
''

Geographic Names Information System The Geographic Names Information System (GNIS) is a database of name and locative information about more than two million physical and cultural features throughout the United States and its territories, Antarctica, and the associated states of ...

(GNIS).'' Accessed 2010-04-27. about upstream of

Washington Washington commonly refers to: * Washington (state), United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A metonym for the federal government of the United States ** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered o ...

. The

watershed Watershed is a hydrological term, which has been adopted in other fields in a more or less figurative sense. It may refer to: Hydrology * Drainage divide, the line that separates neighbouring drainage basins * Drainage basin, called a "watershe ...

area is and includes parts of Franklin County (106 mi²) and Washington County (185 mi²).Maryland Department of the Environment. Baltimore, MD (2008)
"Total Maximum Daily Load of Sediment in the Antietam Creek Watershed, Washington County, Maryland."
2008-08-11. Major tributaries in Pennsylvania include the East and West Branches, Red Run and Falls Creek. Major tributaries in Maryland include Little Antietam Creek, Beaver Creek, and Marsh Run. Communities in the watershed include Waynesboro in Pennsylvania; and Boonsboro, Funkstown, Hagerstown, Mount Aetna, Sharpsburg and Smithsburg in Maryland. At least four different tributaries are named Little Antietam Creek. Little Antietam Creek which empties into the Antietam in Keedysville, Maryland and another below Leitersburg, Maryland. The name Little Antietam Creek is also applied to the East and West Branch in Pennsylvania, the West Branch historically Little Antietam Creek proper. These names are listed in the

United States Geological Survey The United States Geological Survey (USGS), formerly simply known as the Geological Survey, is a scientific agency of the United States government. The scientists of the USGS study the landscape of the United States, its natural resources, ...

as variants.

History

The term "Antietam" is thought to derive from an Algonquian phrase meaning "swift-flowing stream". Historical and variant names include Andiedom, Andirton Creek, Ant-eat-em Creek, Anticturn Creek, Antieatum Creek, Crooked Brook, Odieta Creek and Ondieta Creek. The creek is noted for numerous well-preserved stone

arch bridge An arch bridge is a bridge with abutments at each end shaped as a curved arch. Arch bridges work by transferring the weight of the bridge and its loads partially into a horizontal thrust restrained by the abutments at either side. A viaduct ...

s dating to the 19th century that still traverse the creek, the most famous of which is the Burnside's Bridge in the Antietam National Battlefield. The creek was a major topographic feature during the

or Sharpsburg, fought on September 17, 1862, near the creek's mouth. Burnside's Bridge became a major focus of combat as Union forces under General Ambrose Burnside repeatedly tried to capture the bridge from Confederate forces guarding the crossing from a high bluff overlooking the creek. The day of the battle is known as "the day Antietam Creek ran red" due to the blood of thousands of Union casualties mixing with the creek waters. Both sides lost about a fourth of their number but, despite General McClellan's refusal to press on his attacks, it served as a tactical Union victory, as

Lee Lee may refer to: Name Given name * Lee (given name), a given name in English Surname * Chinese surnames romanized as Li or Lee: ** Li (surname 李) or Lee (Hanzi ), a common Chinese surname ** Li (surname 利) or Lee (Hanzi ), a Chinese ...

was forced to withdraw from

Development and water quality issues

Most of the watershed area is relatively rural in nature, but the area surrounding Hagerstown is threatened by

urban sprawl Urban sprawl (also known as suburban sprawl or urban encroachment) is defined as "the spreading of urban developments (such as houses and shopping centers) on undeveloped land near a city." Urban sprawl has been described as the unrestricted growt ...

. The area is also heavily cultivated, and waste

runoff Runoff, run-off or RUNOFF may refer to: * RUNOFF, the first computer text-formatting program * Runoff or run-off, another name for bleed, printing that lies beyond the edges to which a printed sheet is trimmed * Runoff or run-off, a stock marke ...

from farms is a growing

water quality Water quality refers to the chemical, physical, and biological characteristics of water based on the standards of its usage. It is most frequently used by reference to a set of standards against which compliance, generally achieved through tr ...

concern. The Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE) has identified farm runoff as the largest source of sediment (loose soil) in Antietam Creek and its tributaries. The second largest source is

urban runoff Urban runoff is surface runoff of rainwater, landscape irrigation, and car washing created by urbanization. Impervious surfaces (roads, parking lots and sidewalks) are constructed during land development. During rain , storms and other precip ...

. MDE recommends that farmers implement

best management practices Best or The Best may refer to: People * Best (surname), people with the surname Best * Best (footballer, born 1968), retired Portuguese footballer Companies and organizations * Best & Co., an 1879–1971 clothing chain * Best Lock Corporation, ...

on their lands to control runoff, such as installing riparian buffers.

References

Bibliography

* *

External links

Antietam Creek Watershed Alliance
(Hagerstown area)
Antietam Watershed Association
(Waynesboro area)

{{authority control Rivers of Maryland Rivers of Pennsylvania Hagerstown, Maryland Rivers of Washington County, Maryland Rivers of Franklin County, Pennsylvania Tributaries of the Potomac River