Chartiers Creek is a
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 drainag ...
of the
Ohio River in Western
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, Ma ...
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 primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., federal district, five ma ...
. The creek was named after
Peter Chartier, a trapper of
French
French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to France
** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents
** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...
and
Native American parentage who established a
trading post
A trading post, trading station, or trading house, also known as a factory, is an establishment or settlement where goods and services could be traded.
Typically the location of the trading post would allow people from one geographic area to tr ...
at the mouth of the creek in 1743.
Variant names
According to the
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 ...
, it has also been known historically as:
*Chartier's Creek
Course
Chartiers Creek winds from its
headwaters in
Washington County through
Allegheny County
Allegheny County () is a County (United States), county in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. It is located in Southwestern Pennsylvania. As of the 2020 census, the population was 1,250,578, making it the state's seco ...
, where it meets the Ohio River at
McKees Rocks and
Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, Allegheny County. It is the most populous city in both Allegheny County and Wester ...
's West End, three miles west of the
Point at
Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, Allegheny County. It is the most populous city in both Allegheny County and Wester ...
.
Tributaries
(Mouth at the Ohio River)
*
Little Chartiers Creek
Little Chartiers Creek is a long 3rd order tributary to Chartiers Creek in Washington County, Pennsylvania.
Course
Little Chartiers Creek rises in South Strabane, Pennsylvania, and then flows northerly to join Chartiers Creek at Van Emman.
Wa ...
joins Chartiers Creek at
Peters Township.
*
Chartiers Run joins Chartiers Creek at the borough of
Houston
Houston (; ) is the List of cities in Texas by population, most populous city in Texas, the Southern United States#Major cities, most populous city in the Southern United States, the List of United States cities by population, fourth-most pop ...
.
Environmental issues
Acid mine drainage,
agricultural and industrial runoff, and
sewer overflow made Chartiers Creek one of the most polluted
watersheds in Pennsylvania. Although improvements have been made, the watershed remains significantly impaired.
The main source of acid mine drainage (Iron) in the Chartiers Creek watershed is the Gladden Discharge along Millers Run Creek, a tributary that meets Chartiers Creek in Bridgeville. In 2020, the South Fayette Conservation Group started a project that will treat the polluted water before it enters Millers Run. This will result in Miller’s Run running clear from Cecil to Bridgeville for the first time in generations, while eliminating the single biggest source of pollution along Chartiers Cre
Plans have been considered
to establish the course of Chartiers Creek as a
Greenway (landscape), greenway including a multi-use path that would stretch from Canonsburg Lake to the Ohio River. Such a path could eventually provide connections with the
Montour Trail near Lawrence, the
Panhandle Trail near
Carnegie, and the
Three Rivers Heritage Trail in
McKees Rocks.
See also
*
List of rivers of Pennsylvania
*
Ohio River Trail
References
External links
U.S. Geological Survey: PA stream gaging stations
{{authority control
Rivers of Pennsylvania
Tributaries of the Ohio River
Rivers of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania
Rivers of Washington County, Pennsylvania