It has known security flaws and a limited feature set. Though the water treatment process removes estrogen, there is no state standard for how much may remain, a spokeswoman from the DEP said. According to Henry Shoemaker’s Susquehanna Legends, “They say, that is the old mountaineers, that the Water Witch was an Indian girl who suddenly changed her mind towards her lover. With twelve miles of trails and stunning views of the Susquehanna River from the mountaintop, the land also provides habitat for the wildlife Ned Smith immortalized – deer, bear, wild turkey, grouse, fox and many species of smaller animals. (In 2011 the conservation nonprofit organization American Rivers listed the Susquehanna as the most endangered river in the nation, not because of pollution from wastewater or agriculture, but because of the potential for contamination from fracking. Upon being asked during a panel discussion about his most “mysterious sighting” while in the wild, Maurer recalled a large creature that he saw swimming in the Susquehanna River. “Not the least in immune dysfunction.”. In July 2005, thousands of sick, dead fish clogged the river, most of them young smallmouth bass with lesions on their skin, and the outbreaks continue.Â. Today you can visit his grave inscribed with his real name “Isaac Gaines” at Furst-McGonigal Cemetery in Clearfield County. Described as a 4-foot-tall hairy ape-man fond of apples, the Albatwitch is thought to live around the Susquehanna River, most notably in the Chickies Rock area. Geoffrey Smith / Pennsylvania Fish & Boat Commission, Scalia’s death could affect court decisions long before his seat is filled, Deadly strikes on Syrian schools, hospitals denounced as ‘war crime’, New black mayors make a difference, one Georgia town at a time, Renewed deficit hysteria based on flimsy CBO projection, A blurry line divides addicts and dealers in heroin underworld, sprouting female egg cells in their testes, thousands of sick, dead fish clogged the river, wrote to the Environmental Protection Agency, Reproductive health indicators of fishes from Pennsylvania watersheds: association with chemicals of emerging concern,", taken broad steps to improve the water quality. A list of the most popular browsers can be found below. According to a United States Geological Survey report released in June, these intersex fish appear in water — both in this river and two others in the state — that has become saturated with estrogenic compounds, natural and artificial hormones in animal manure and, to a smaller degree, sewage. Estrogen is present naturally in the waste of all animals, particularly females producing milk or eggs. Garry Minium, 56, of Mount Pleasant Mills, is one angler who does know and regularly pursues these creatures. In Pennsylvania’s Susquehanna River, one of the longest in the northeast, male smallmouth bass are sprouting female egg cells in their testes. Just to list a few of them there are Whitetail Deer, Otters, beavers, squirrels, muskrats, and rabbits. ), The Environmental Protection Agency has taken broad steps to improve the water quality in the Chesapeake Bay and, by association the Susquehanna River, including raising standards for water-treatment facilities and limiting the amount of sediment that may be sloughed off from municipal storm-water systems and from agricultural operations, across the Chesapeake Bay drainage basin. The Kettle Creek Monster, West Branch Dugong, or Susquehanna Seal is a marine creature that dates back over a century. Paul Nevin examines remains of a crib dam built around 1840 so canal boats using a canal on the Conestoga River could be towed by mule across the Susquehanna to the Susquehanna … Listen carefully for its sad sniffles and think twice before you step in any puddles. The climate and land were different: colder with small stands of evergreens and open countryside, and no hardwood forests. Houses were made of bark and clothing from the skins of animals. On Wednesday, Smith finished the latest census of smallmouth bass in the Susquehanna and found numbers still low and many fish covered with sores and lesions. “We do think some of the same feminization chemicals are causing immunosuppression,” said Vicki Blazer, a fish biologist for the USGS who helped write the report. She is said to have appeared near Rattlesnake Run in the remote wilderness of the Nature Conservancy West Branch Forest Preserve. Intersex fish have been a worldwide phenomenon for two decades, and scientists have found them in the U.K., Germany, Italy, South Africa and Japan. After a massive die-off of smallmouth bass in 2003 in the Potomac River, another tributary of the Chesapeake Bay, scientists discovered that many of those ill fish were also intersex. Between 2002 and 2012, the acres of land fertilized with animal manure grew by nearly 10,000, while the head count of cows rose by almost 30,000 and the number of chickens shot up by more than 13 million. Male bass build nests by sweeping silt off the river bottom with their fins so that females may lay their eggs. Listings denote any known occurrence. Having influence with the Gods, the deserted one had her made into unchanging water; and in her helpless state, she mocks the petty aspirations of mankind.”. © 2016 Al Jazeera America, LLC. Over the next year or two, I saw it several times and it always sank out of sight before it got close enough to be seen clearly.”, “They say, that is the old mountaineers, that the Water Witch was an Indian girl who suddenly changed her mind towards her lover. Source: Numbers for above charts are totals for Pennsylvania counties inside the Susquehanna River basin from United States Department of Agriculture, Census of Agriculture, 2012, 2007 and 2002. The woman was able to flee, but, stricken by grief, drowned herself in the quicksand. Using local resources like authors Rick Fisher and Scott Butcher, the map pinpoints strange happenings, creature sightings, and wild tragedies. A smallmouth bass with a malignant tumor caught by an angler in the Susquehanna River in Pennsylvania in November, 2014. There are fewer still in the Ohio River, which has the fewest number of acres devoted to agriculture in its basin, the report says. Why would a large rock at the edge of the Susquehanna River have numbers and letters carved on it? Is the Kettle Creek Monster / West Branch Dugong / Susquehanna Seal really gone? Susquehannock Indians reportedly painted images that match the description of these creatures on their war shields, and the Algonquin also told of small hairy hominid creatures, which they called Megumoowesoos. Hard surface ramp. All rights reserved. The report says there is a significant correlation between the percentage of land used for agriculture in a watershed and the number of intersex fish downstream in a river. Please update your browser. Pig-like with a saggy skin covered in warts and blemishes, the Squonk spends much of its life weeping. “I just don’t see that happening,” he said. The Susquehanna River is one of the three oldest rivers in the world, said Jim Charles of the Isle of Que River Guides in Selinsgrove. The USGS report shows no correlation between wastewater-treatment facilities and the number of nearby intersex fish, but it does show that the testes of the intersex fish nearby have larger clusters of egg cells than those of bass from elsewhere in the river. Today, the Bay’s oyster population is a mere two percent of its historic level, and reduced amounts of underwater grass habitat, in addition to low summer levels of dissolved oxy… Please try again later or using a different browser. With hundreds of tributaries, the river's watershed includes 27,000 square miles in Pennsylvania, New York and Maryland. Pennsylvania’s Water Witch is a lesser known entity with her own unique history and abilities. Agriculture “keeps coming up,” said Geoff Smith, Susquehanna River biologist for the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission. Evidence of these mischievous beings has even been found in local Native American culture. Her work is focused on promoting trails and communities within our vibrant and connected Susquehanna Greenway, Alana can be reached at ajajko@susquehannagreenway.org. Over the next year or two, I saw it several times and it always sank out of sight before it got close enough to be seen clearly.”. Travel all the way down the Greenway to the Lancaster County town of Columbia and you’ll hear all about the legend of the Albatwich, a mini apple-munching Sasquatch. But Vicki Blazer, the lead author on the study, says the spike in livestock is significant. It is home to 3 million people, and one-fifth to one-half of its land is used for agriculture. Researchers have discovered intersex fish in this river and have said there is a correlation between unhealthy fish and intensifying agricultural practices. On Maurer’s own sighting, he says, “It pushed a wake that made waves that lapped up on the shoreline. The PA Species by Watersheds Table lists most Pennsylvania fishes occurring naturally in or introduced into Pennsylvania’s major watershed systems. Pennsylvania is the nation's third largest producer of eggs. This map is just in time for spooky season and is perfect for those who want to learn more about things that go bump in the night in the Susquehanna … STATUS. A lack of significant rainfall resulted in low river flows throughout late summer and much of the autumn. In it, a man captures a Squonk in a sack only to feel the sack becoming lighter and lighter as he carries it home. Sea lion, shark, whale, or some prehistoric dinosaur –the true identity of the creature remains a mystery. Â, “We’re focused on improving water quality with the hope that in conjunction with everything else going on that it will have a positive impact on the ecosystem as a whole,” said Tom Wenz, a spokesman for the EPA’s Chesapeake Bay Program Office. Rock Bottom Dam-off Route 363, ½ mile above the confluence of the Susquehanna and Chenango Rivers. The Swamp Angel appeared with just the right advice and the day was saved. Seen as recently as the 2000s, the Susquehanna’s Mystery Thing was publicized by outdoor guide and writer Ken Maurer of Sunbury’s The Daily Item. At about 50 yards, it sank out of sight. About the Refuge. Instead of front paws, it had bird claws, and instead of back feet, it had horse hooves, which confused trackers trying to follow it. Lacking water from the northern reaches, we see mid-river rocks and experience minimal readings on flow gauges along the lower Susquehanna, even if our local precipitation happens to be about average. The Susquehanna River flows from its headwaters at Otsego Lake near Cooperstown, New York, to the Chesapeake Bay in Maryland. Estrogen from human waste also enters rivers through sewage and industrial-waste treatment facilities, of which there are some 5,000 on the Ohio, Delaware and Susquehanna Rivers, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection. Dine in your car while enjoying our … Sampling locations from Reproductive health indicators of fishes from Pennsylvania watersheds: association with chemicals of emerging concern," published June 17, 2014. The Susquehanna River watershed stretches from the hills of western New York to the low-lying estuary of Chesapeake Bay in Maryland, but the bulk of it spans the rich farmland of central Pennsylvania. It was known as the Kettle Creek Monster, the West Branch Dugong, or, as I prefer, the Susquehanna Seal. The most famous account of the Swamp Angel originates with a man named Isaac Gaines, aka “Loop Hill Ike,” a real-life folk hero and legendary witch and monster hunter during his era. “And that disease is having an effect on the population.”, Smallmouth bass, oval shaped and olive colored, are an immensely popular game fish that draws more than 100,000 anglers each year to the Susquehanna River, officials say, and anchor a statewide sportfishing industry with annual revenues of $3.4 billion. When the algae proliferate, at times stretching bank to bank, biologists say, they suck oxygen from the water and leave little for fish. Susquehanna’s Mystery Thing (Northumberland County). Upon opening the sack, he finds nothing left but a wet spot. While the numbers of dairy cows fell, the overall number of cattle grew in Pennsylvania counties located within the Susquehanna River basin. Creepy. It’s a legend dating back over a century: a weird, barely-seen monster living in the Susquehanna River. Between 2002 and 2012, total chickens in the state increased by more than one-third. Here, Walt Bates shows off a 33-pound, 9 … One thing is for sure, the Susquehanna Mystery Thing would be a spooky sight to see from a kayak in the Greenway waters of Northumberland County. PA SPECIES BY WATERSHEDS. A creature with many names, this elusive legend has been said to lurk in the waters of the Susquehanna River near Lock Haven in Clinton County. Reports of the creature became less and less frequent in the later 1800s, many believing it to have died or escaped to the ocean through underground caverns. This group of animals (mollusks) includes recognizable species such as clams, oysters and scallops; however, not too many folks know that we have a … Having influence with the Gods, the deserted one had her made into unchanging water; and in her helpless state, she mocks the petty aspirations of mankind.”, “being the symbol of something ever flowing”. Scientists say bass are also a sensitive species whose health reflects the general state of a watershed as a whole. Today's breaking news and more in your inbox. A mythical being known to frequent European folklore, a Water Witch was said to have power over the wind and weather, often appearing to sailors and others in the seafaring trade. From the 1950s to the 1970s, the average annual oyster catch was about 25 million pounds per year, and the blue crab harvest contributed nearly a third of the nation’s catch. Intersex fish found throughout Susquehanna River Basin. The Fence Drive-In: Take a trip back in time at this local eatery. As an additional way to tell the story of our river, its tributaries and the creatures and people that depend on the extended Middle Susquehanna watershed, we have created the following series of podcasts interviewing people who are passionate about clean water and our environment. This 444-mile long river provides critical habitat for many native plants and animals. “As those numbers increase, obviously the nutrients and estrogens and other hormones they excrete increases as well.”. “You need a cleanup plan for the river that’s different than the one for the bay,” he said. The Susquehanna River delivers half the fresh water in the Chesapeake Bay and about 40 percent of the nitrogen pollution, 20 percent of the phosphorus pollution1, and a heavy load of the sediment pollution. Her spirit would even help you if you went to the swamp and asked, and thus it became known as the Swamp Angel. In the early 1940's, the island and over 13,000 acres of water were closed to hunting migratory waterfowl by presidential order and designated as the Susquehanna NWR. (I am not talking about the petroglyphs of birds and animals left by the Native Americans, such as those on Big Indian Rock and Little Indian Rock just below Safe Harbor dam, although they are certainly worth a … The story of this strange creature is thought to have its roots in Pennsylvania’s lumber history. Source: River basin geography and waterways from the Susquehanna River Basin Commission. Sorry, your comment was not saved due to a technical problem. Know of any other Greenway ghouls and legends? The only account of a person catching a Squonk comes from the book Fearsome Creatures of the Lumberwoods, a fantasy field guide published in 1910 by William T. Cox. The rudiments of a more complex civilization were at hand in the arts of weaving, pottery and agriculture, although hunting and food-gathering prevailed. If you journey to this section of the Greenway in search of the Water Witch, think twice. In Pennsylvania’s Susquehanna River, one of the longest in the northeast, male smallmouth bass are sprouting female egg cells in their testes. Disease in fish so young suggests that their immune systems are being hurt early, scientists say. Rather than controlling the elements, this Water Witch, “being the symbol of something ever flowing” knows a person’s destiny. “And the problem is not because of what we’re doing for the water. The northern reaches of the Greenway overlap with Squonk territory. Our next Greenway legend is another Clinton County native, and even holds the title as the “Official Monster of Clinton County.”. (A similar algae bloom in Lake Erie has now imperiled drinking water in Toledo, Ohio). You will not see all the features of some websites. Susquehanna River fishing guides estimate that there easily could be 60-pound flathead catfish in the river. He has caught literally hundreds of muskies from the Susquehanna River… It is said that he called upon the aid of the spirit to break a witch’s curse, summoning her by burning a plant called foxfire. The Hemlock forests of northern Pennsylvania are said to be home to a sad mythical creature known as the Squonk. Representatives of the agriculture industry say they have taken steps to reduce overall pollution, as mandated by state and federal laws. If you set out on a picnic in the Greenway reaches of York or Lancaster Counties, hold on to your apples… or maybe opt for a banana! “It’s frustrating.”. The 444 miles of the Susquehanna drain 27,500 square miles covering large parts of New York, Pennsylvania and Maryland before emptying into the Chesapeake Bay. The first people to live in the Susquehanna River area, about 15,000 years ago, are known as the nomadic hunter Paleo-Indians. In the last decade, the number of smallmouth bass in the Susquehanna has dropped by roughly 40 percent. Gregory Martin, a poultry expert who teaches at Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences, in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, the seat of Lancaster County, is skeptical that there is a connection between estrogen from agricultural pollution and intersex fish. The Susquehanna Greenway is a landscape full of opportunities not only for hiking, biking and paddling, but also for rich cultural and historic treasures, some of which have ghostly pasts. Did you know the swamps of northern Clinton County once contained quicksand? As Halloween approaches, now’s the time to brush up on your Greenway ghouls and legends. “Nice study, but I think we need to look at more of the picture.”. In 2013 nearly half of all smallmouth bass in the river showed signs of disease, the highest percentage yet. Waters at Risk Pollution in the Susquehanna Watershed—Sources and Solutions In 2010 the conservation group American Rivers named the Upper Delaware River the nation’s most endangered for the same reason. It was often blamed for the spilling or capsizing of lumber rafts at the time. The Susquehanna River Basin is the second largest - next to the Ohio River Basin - east of the Mississippi River. “Studies like this have to be viewed with the understanding that correlations or associations do not necessarily equal causations,” said Richard Carnevale, vice president at the Animal Health Institute, an agricultural lobbying group. Most simply described as a mishmash of animals, the Giwoggle was called upon by local witches to wreak havoc and mayhem on farmers who offended them. Along the West Branch of the Susquehanna River lived the Susquehannock people. But Arway, of the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission, said state and federal leaders must write a cleanup plan specifically for the Susquehanna River, for which news of intersex fish is only the latest in a litany of problems. An article in the Daily Democrat from February 27, 1897, describes the travels of a creature that existed before the valley was settled, making its way up the river and settling in the area between present-day Lock Haven and Kettle Creek. This can include synthetic estrogens from contraceptive and hormone replacement pills, which take longer to break down, scientists say. We tried to find some treasure on an island in the Susquehanna River in Central Pennsylvania at Milton State Park. The browser or device you are using is out of date. Kettle Creek Monster/ West Branch Dugong/ Susquehanna Seal (Lock Haven, Clinton County). susquehanna river and market street bridge, harrisburg, pennsylvania - panorama - susquehanna river stock pictures, royalty-free photos & images. Late last month, John A. Arway, executive director of the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission, wrote to the Environmental Protection Agency and pleaded for its help in regulating agriculture. Smallmouth bass spawn in the spring, the same season when the most water runs into rivers from ranches and farms because of melting snow and heavy rains. The Delaware River, with a smaller percentage of its basin used for agriculture, has fewer intersex fish. It’s said that a strange glowing fireball known as the Swamp Angel still frequents those wetlands. Most troubling, biologists say, is that many of these bass, and scores of others, have visible signs of disease — black splotches on their skin and grotesque open sores. The account received mixed reactions, some questioning the reporter’s encounters, others coming forward with similar sightings in the area. Another local jewel is Montour Preserve. Millions of sea creatures … “Loop Hill Ike” isn’t around to be the hero these days! Send us an email with your story: info@susquehannagreenway.org. This being said, keep your eyes open for the Giwoggle as you explore the trails and communities of the Greenway in Clinton County. Critics say this is not enough. Tread carefully next time you paddle your way through this section of the Greenway. It is very elusive, preferring to hide out of sight in the hemlock woods; however, the legend says that if you do happen to catch a Squonk, it won’t be long before you find yourself with a puddle of tears in place of the beast. You may not get the fortune you hoped for! A bicyclist and pedestrians travel next to the Susquehanna River in Harrisburg on Aug. 19, 2019. Copyright © Williamsport Sun-Gazette | https://www.sungazette.com | 252 W. Fourth Street, Williamsport, PA 17703 | 570-326-1551 | Ogden Newspapers | The Nutting Company, “not the form or image of anything else on earth”, “It pushed a wake that made waves that lapped up on the shoreline. bridge over river by buildings in city against sky - susquehanna river stock pictures, royalty-free photos & images. The Susquehanna River is a major river located in the Northeastern United States and the Mid-Atlantic region. It was about six feet tall, shaped like a wolf, and stood on its back legs. At 444 miles (715 km) long, it is the longest river on the East Coast of the United States. It is detailed as a “marine animal or sea monster” with the “the bulk of an ox or hippopotamus.” The monster was “not the form or image of anything else on earth” and was said to make a horrible howling and thrashing at night. Next time you find yourself in a pickle, just make your way along the West Branch section of the Greenway to Clinton County, and see if the Swamp Angel can help you out! The name “Albatwitch” is thought to derive from a Pennsylvania Dutch-English compound word meaning “apple-snitch” after the creature’s habit of stealing apples from picnic baskets or throwing the fruit at people while sitting in trees. They are “raising more animals in the same space,” she said. This is according to analysis of data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s census of agriculture for the 30 Pennsylvania counties that compose most of the Susquehanna River basin. Susquehanna River National Wildlife Refuge is located on a small island 3.79 acres (15,300 m 2) in size located at the mouth of the Susquehanna River in Harford County, Maryland.It is a satellite refuge managed by Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge.In the 1920s, the island was used as a fish hatchery to produce such species as shad.. “Cows don’t use toilets, and a lactating pregnant cow, for example, produces a lot of estrogen.”. Has the Susquehanna Seal of Clinton County relocated to new waters? The Susquehanna River, a broad waterway with two branches that course through dairy farms and past factories before joining to form the largest tributary to the Chesapeake Bay, has a basin that covers nearly half the state. Most of the information comes from an article in the Daily Democrat from February 27, 1897. 5 cars and trailers. A friend of Maurer’s who had also seen the creature described it as a small submarine about to surface. It washes into rivers when it rains, biologists say. “Estrogens are involved in a multitude of health and disease endpoints,” said John A. McLachlan a professor in the School of Pharmacology at Tulane University. The slopes of the preserve are a refuge from city life for both creatures and humans, including the threatened Allegheny woodrat and cerulean warbler. Also, they say, the intersex-fish report is far from conclusive. Crabs and oysters are famous Bay residents, but sadly their numbers are alarmingly low. “I don’t want to be director when the last bass is caught out of the Susquehanna River.”. In June 2004, zebra mussels were collected in Goodyear Lake, the first major impoundment of the Susquehanna River, near Cooperstown, New York. Then the eggs sit there, and often become coated with a thin layer of silt, which, the report says, contains “higher numbers and concentrations of estrogenic compounds” than the water. The Kettle Creek Monster, West Branch Dugong, or Susquehanna Seal is a marine creature that dates back over a century. The algae feed on phosphates and nitrates, two nutrients in industrial fertilizers. In the Susquehanna and Delaware rivers, biologists also found white sucker fish with stem cells in their blood that could potentially turn into egg cells, but these and other fish were otherwise healthy. Today, Pennsylvania is the nation’s fifth-largest producer of milk, third largest of eggs and the top producer of mushrooms, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. “We’ve been trying to explain that the river is sick,” he said in an interview. Most of the sickened bass found in the Susquehanna’s summertime surveys are just a few months old. A creature with many names, this elusive legend has been said to lurk in the waters of the Susquehanna River near Lock Haven in Clinton County. “None of these issues is going to be solved through looking at just one aspect.”. She emerges as if dreamlike to reveal that destiny, but beware; her prophecies are often mocking or even withheld completely, leaving the witness wanting and dispirited. Creepy. It might have been a Squonk! Clinton, Sanders spar over specifics in Iowa, Yoga used to help kids cope with violence in Chicago, Seeking charges against a Chicago officer, Filipina ‘comfort women’ seek official apology from Japan. EN - Endangered TH - Threatened C - Candidate EN - Believed extirpated (watershed indications are historical occurrences) Dating back as many as 1,000 years, the petroglyphs serve as a link to an ancient culture. In parts of Pennsylvania, there are now more domestic animals than ever on the land, and manure from them is routinely spread on cropland for use as fertilizer. “Human waste is at least treated,” she said. By watershed area, it is the 16th-largest river in the United States, and also the longest river in the early 21st-century continental United States without commercial boat traffic. Alana Jajko is the director of communications and outreach for the Susquehanna Greenway Partnership. At about 50 yards, it sank out of sight. According to legend, escaped slaves captured a Native American brave and maiden, and killed the man. The local hero “Loop Hill Ike” also reappears with this legend, tasked with hunting down witches, ghosts, and monsters. So, grab your monster repellent and get ready to learn all about the spooky specters of the Susquehanna Greenway! on the Susquehanna River. Ian Sterling for WITF Household chemicals that harm fish were found in Susquehanna River. The carvings, which take the shape of animals, human figures and symbols, can be found on rocks rising out of the Susquehanna River. Also, no facilities have been upgraded to specifically remove estrogen. Thought to live mostly in the trees, Albatwitches prefer to keep to the shadows, and are said to make their presence known by a sound like a cracking whip (perhaps branch-breaking).