Kiskiminetas River Explained
| Kiskiminetas River |
| Map Size: | 300 |
| Pushpin Map: | USA Pennsylvania |
| Pushpin Map Size: | 300 |
| Pushpin Map Caption: | Location of the mouth of the Kiskiminetas River in Pennsylvania |
| Subdivision Type1: | Country |
| Subdivision Name1: | United States |
| Subdivision Type2: | State |
| Subdivision Name2: | Pennsylvania |
| Subdivision Type3: | County |
| Length: | 27miles |
| Source1: | Confluence of Conemaugh River and Loyalhanna Creek |
| Source1 Location: | Saltsburg, Pennsylvania |
| Source1 Coordinates: | 40.4856°N -79.4539°W[1] |
| Source1 Elevation: | 827feet |
| Mouth: | Allegheny River |
| Mouth Location: | Schenley, Pennsylvania |
| Mouth Coordinates: | 40.6794°N -79.6669°W |
| Mouth Elevation: | 745feet |
| River System: | Allegheny River |
| Tributaries Left: | Loyalhanna Creek, Wolford Run, Beaver Run, Pine Run, Penn Run |
| Tributaries Right: | Conemaugh River, Blacklegs Creek, Sulphur Run, Long Run, Flat Run, Roaring Run, Carnahan Run, Guffy Run, Brady Run, Elder Run |
The Kiskiminetas River (commonly referred to as the Kiski[2] [3] by locals) is a tributary of the Allegheny River, approximately 27miles long, in Western Pennsylvania in the United States.[1] The region stretching from the northern side of Harmar Township, Pennsylvania to the Kiskiminetas towns is often referred to by the locals as the Alle-Kiski Valley after the rivers.
Course
The Kiskiminetas River is formed at Saltsburg, on the border between Westmoreland and Indiana counties, by the confluence of the Conemaugh River and Loyalhanna Creek. It flows northwest in a meandering course past Avonmore, Apollo, Vandergrift, Hyde Park and Leechburg. It joins the Allegheny River near Freeport at Schenley, approximately 25miles northeast of Pittsburgh.[4]
The Kiski-Conemaugh watershed includes much of the historic coal-producing region of Western Pennsylvania. The water quality is considered degraded by numerous abandoned mine drainages in its upper reaches and tributaries, leading to on-going efforts by federal, state, and private agencies to improve the water quality of the river. The Kittanning Path, a major trail in the region used by Native Americans and early European settlers, crossed the river at a ford near present-day Leechburg.
Political subdivisions
The course of the Kiskiminetas River traverses the following political subdivisions, named in order of encounter traveling downstream.
Tributaries
(Mouth at the Allegheny River)
- Elder Run
- Penn Run
- Brady Run
- Guffy Run
- Carnahan Run
- Pine Run
- Beaver Run
- Roaring Run
- Rattling Run (also called Jackson's Run)
- Flat Run
- Wolford Run
- Long Run
- Sulphur Run
- Blacklegs Creek
- Big Run
- Marshall Run
- Harpers Run
- Nesbit Run
- Hooper Run
- Whisky Run
- Loyalhanna Creek
- Conemaugh River
Tributaries of Kiskiminetas River| Name | Number | Bank | Mouth | Political subdivision | Source | Political subdivision |
|---|
| Kiskiminetas River | 0 | Left | 40.6794°N -79.6669°W (elev. 745feet) | Allegheny Township, Westmoreland County | 40.4856°N -79.4539°W | Saltsburg |
| Conemaugh River | 1 | Right | 40.4856°N -79.4539°W (elev. 827feet) | Saltsburg | 40.3317°N -78.925°W | Johnstown |
| Loyalhanna Creek | 2 | Left | 40.4853°N -79.4544°W (elev. 827feet) | Loyalhanna Township, Westmoreland County | 40.1292°N -79.3389°W | Donegal Township, Westmoreland County |
| Blacklegs Creek | 3 | Right | 40.5006°N -79.4542°W (elev. 823feet) | Conemaugh Township, Indiana County | 40.6214°N -79.2919°W | Armstrong Township, Indiana County |
| Sulphur Run | 4 | Right | 40.5258°N -79.4497°W (elev. 820feet) | Conemaugh Township, Indiana County | 40.5469°N -79.435°W | Kiskiminetas Township, Armstrong County |
| Long Run | 5 | Right | 40.5333°N -79.4761°W (elev. 823feet) | Kiskiminetas Township, Armstrong County | 40.5978°N -79.4239°W | South Bend Township, Armstrong County |
| Wolford Run | 6 | Left | 40.5247°N -79.49°W (elev. 807feet) | Bell Township, Westmoreland County | 40.4736°N -79.5269°W | Loyalhanna Township, Westmoreland County |
| Flat Run | 7 | Right | 40.5361°N -79.5047°W (elev. 801feet) | Kiskiminetas Township, Armstrong County | 40.5683°N -79.4711°W | Kiskiminetas Township, Armstrong County |
| Roaring Run | 8 | Right | 40.5511°N -79.5361°W (elev. 801feet) | Kiskiminetas Township, Armstrong County | 40.605°N -79.4408°W | Kiskiminetas Township, Armstrong County |
| Rattling Run | 8.1 | Right | 40.5608°N -79.5272°W (elev. 919feet) | Kiskiminetas Township, Armstrong County | 40.6111°N -79.5083°W | Kiskiminetas Township, Armstrong County |
| Beaver Run | 9 | Left | 40.5764°N -79.5675°W (elev. 787feet) | Bell Township, Westmoreland County | 40.3611°N -79.5428°W | Hempfield Township, Westmoreland County |
| Pine Run | 10 | Left | 40.6072°N -79.5847°W (elev. 771feet) | Allegheny Township, Westmoreland County | 40.5158°N -79.6225°W | Washington Township, Westmoreland County |
| Carnahan Run | 11 | Right | 40.6122°N -79.5839°W (elev. 768feet) | Parks Township, Armstrong County | 40.6306°N -79.4761°W | Kiskiminetas Township, Armstrong County |
| Guffy Run | 12 | Right | 40.6331°N -79.5817°W (elev. 784feet) | Parks Township, Armstrong County | 40.6794°N -79.5569°W | Bethel Township, Armstrong County |
| Brady Run | 13 | Right | 40.6325°N -79.6092°W (elev. 758feet) | Leechburg | 40.6678°N -79.5775°W | Gilpin Township, Armstrong County |
| Penn Run | 14 | Left | 40.64°N -79.6222°W (elev. 863feet) | West Leechburg | 40.6283°N -79.635°W | Allegheny Township, Westmoreland County |
| Elder Run | 15 | Right | 40.6478°N -79.6258°W (elev. 755feet) | Gilpin Township, Armstrong County | 40.6897°N -79.5725°W | Gilpin Township, Armstrong County | |
Blacklegs Creek
Tributaries of Blacklegs Creek| Name | Number | Bank | Mouth | Political subdivision | Source | Political subdivision |
|---|
| Blacklegs Creek | 0 | Right | 40.5006°N -79.4542°W (elev. 823feet) | Conemaugh Township, Indiana County | 40.6214°N -79.2919°W | Armstrong Township, Indiana County |
| Green Valley Lake | 1 | Left | 40.5958°N -79.3097°W (elev. 1132feet) | Young Township, Indiana County | | |
| Whisky Run | 2 | Right | 40.5614°N -79.3611°W (elev. 955feet) | Young Township, Indiana County | 40.6072°N -79.4103°W | South Bend Township, Armstrong County |
| Hooper Run | 3 | Left | 40.55°N -79.365°W (elev. 935feet) | Young Township, Indiana County | 40.5875°N -79.315°W | Young Township, Indiana County |
| Nesbit Run | 4 | Right | 40.5431°N -79.3678°W (elev. 922feet) | Young Township, Indiana County | 40.5819°N -79.3864°W | Young Township, Indiana County |
| Harpers Run | 5 | Right | 40.5364°N -79.3758°W (elev. 912feet) | Young Township, Indiana County | 40.5844°N -79.3972°W | South Bend Township, Armstrong County |
| Marshall Run | 6 | Left | 40.5319°N -79.3808°W (elev. 909feet) | Conemaugh Township, Indiana County | 40.5228°N -79.3186°W | Young Township, Indiana County |
| Big Run | 7 | Right | 40.5211°N -79.4014°W (elev. 886feet) | Conemaugh Township, Indiana County | 40.6144°N -79.4294°W | South Bend Township, Armstrong County | |
Etymology
There is no definite interpretation of the origin of the name. It may come from a Native American phrase Kithanne, meaning "Place of the largest stream." According to regional historians in the area, the name has historically had several other possible meanings, including: "river of the big fish" and "plenty of walnuts." Robert Walker Smith in his "History of Armstrong County, Pennsylvania" (Chicago: Waterman, Watkins & Co., 1883) reported that John Heckewelder (a Moravian writer, explorer, and historian who wrote about the Lenape and other tribes in Western Pennsylvania in the 18th century) claimed that the name is "corrupted from Gieschgumanito, signifying, make daylight. In this case, the etymology is: Gisch-gu---day; gisch-que---today; gieschapen---it is daybreak; manitoon---to make. It was probably the word of command, given by a warrior to his comrades at night to break up camp and resume the journey, or war-path." Smith also described another possible meaning from another source: "It is said in McCullough's Narrative, that the Indians called this river Kee-ak-ksheman-nit-toos, signifying 'cut spirit'." Smith noted that he preferred Heckewelder's definition. It is also possible that "Kiskiminetas" means "clear, clean stream of many bends."
See also
External links
Notes and References
- Web site: Kiskiminetas River. 1979-08-02. Geographic Names Information System. 2010-05-14.
- Web site: Mussel discovered in Kiski River for first time in a century. 2019-10-29. Trib Total Media, LLC. 2020-01-02.
- Web site: Kiskiminetas River. 2013. Pennsylvania Organization for Watersheds and Rivers. 2020-01-02.
- Web site: Kiskiminetas River. pawatersheds.org. 30 October 2017.
