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 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

Potomac River The Potomac River () is in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic region of the United States and flows from the Potomac Highlands in West Virginia to Chesapeake Bay in Maryland. It is long,U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography D ...

located in south central

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 ...

and western

Maryland Maryland ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It borders the states of Virginia to its south, West Virginia to its west, Pennsylvania to its north, and Delaware to its east ...

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 ...

, a region known as the Hagerstown Valley. The creek became famous as a focal point of the

Battle of Antietam The Battle of Antietam ( ), also called the Battle of Sharpsburg, particularly in the Southern United States, took place during the American Civil War on September 17, 1862, between Confederate General Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virgi ...

during the

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

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 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 a County (United States), county located in the U.S. state of Maryland. The population was 154,705 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. Its county seat and largest city is Hagerstown, Maryland, Hagerstown. The ...

. 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 location information about more than two million physical and cultural features, encompassing the United States and its territories; the Compact of Free Association, asso ...

(GNIS).'' Accessed 2010-04-27. about upstream of Washington. The watershed 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), founded as the Geological Survey, is an agency of the U.S. Department of the Interior whose work spans the disciplines of biology, geography, geology, and hydrology. The agency was founded on Mar ...

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 structural load, loads partially into a horizontal thrust restrained by the abutments at either si ...

s dating to the 19th century that still traverse the creek, the most famous of which is the

Burnside's Bridge Burnside's Bridge is a landmark on the U.S. Civil War Antietam National Battlefield near Sharpsburg, northwestern Maryland. Built in 1836, it played a notable role in the 1862 battle. History Construction Seeking to improve connections ...

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 Ambrose Everts Burnside (May 23, 1824 – September 13, 1881) was an American army officer and politician who became a senior Union general in the American Civil War and a three-time Governor of Rhode Island, as well as being a successfu ...

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 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 ...

. The area is also heavily cultivated, and waste runoff 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 Precipitati ...

. MDE recommends that farmers implement best management practices on their lands to control runoff, such as installing

riparian buffer A riparian buffer or stream buffer is a vegetated area (a " buffer strip") near a stream, usually forested, which helps shade and partially protect the stream from the impact of adjacent land uses. It plays a key role in increasing water quality ...

References

Bibliography

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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