This is the list of existing Lancaster County water-powered mills organized by watershed. A watershed is the area of land that drains to a specific body of water, whether a stream, pond, lake, river, or ocean. A watershed area can be as large as the many states or as small as a creek running through a meadow. Watersheds can be broken down into smaller watersheds which can be further broken into even smaller watersheds. All of Lancaster County falls into the Susquehanna River watershed which in turn is part of the Chesapeake Bay watershed.
Chiques Creek Watershed
Chiques Creek
The Chiques Creek is a 31.6-mile-long tributary of the Susquehanna River. It originates near Mount Gretna Heights in Lebanon County, flows through Manheim, and enters the Susquehanna in East Donegal Township, just south of Marietta. The name comes from the Lenape word “Chiquesalunga” which means “place of crayfish”. An earlier spelling was “Chickies Creek”.
Little Chiques Creek
The Little Chiques Creek is a 20.6-mile-long tributary of the Chiques Creek. It originates in Mount Joy Township just below the Pennsylvania Turnpike. It runs east of the borough of Mount Joy and joins the Chiques Creek about a mile and a quarter from the Susquehanna River.
Dellinger Run
Donegal Creek
The Donegal Creek is a 6-mile-long tributary of the Chiques Creek. It originates in East Donegal Township and joins the Chiques Creek about a quarter mile from the Susquehanna River. The Donegal Springs Run is a major tributary.
Cocalico Creek Watershed
Cocalico Creek
The Cocalico Creek is a tributary of the Conestoga River. It begins in Millcreek Township, Lebanon County and flows for 27 miles until it joins the Conestoga in West Earl Township, Lancaster County. The Cocalico Creek watershed drains an area of 140 square miles. The name is derived from the Lenape word “Gookcalicunk” which means “snake dens”.
Hammer Creek
The Hammer Creek is a 19.2-mile-long tributary of the Cocalico Creek. This places it in the Conestoga River watershed. It originates in Lebanon County and enters Lancaster County in Elizabeth Township just north of the Pennsylvania Turnpike. A dam on the Hammer Creek forms the Speedwell Forge Lake. It joins the Cocalico near Rothsville. The Hammer Creek was named for the sound of the iron forge hammers that could be heard along the valley emanating from the three forges in the Furnace Hills.
Harnish Run
Little Cocalico Creek
The Little Cocalico originates in Spring Township, Berks County. It flows into West Cocalico Township, Lancaster County north-east of Reinholds. It joins the main branch of the Cocalico just south of the Borough of Denver
Middle Creek
Middle Creek is a 15.5-mile-long tributary of the Cocalico Creek. This places it in the Conestoga River watershed. Middle creek originates in Lebanon County near Kleinfeltersville. The stream enters Lancaster County in Clay Township where the creek is dammed to form the Middle Creek Reservoir, famous for the Snow Geese migration each spring. The Middle Creek joins the Cocalico in Ephrata Township.
Conestoga River Watershed
Conestoga River
The Conestoga River is a 61.6-mile-long tributary of the Susquehanna River. It originates in Berks County but most of its length is in Lancaster County. It enters the Susquehanna at Safe Harbor just below the Safe Harbor dam. Originally known as the Conestoga Creek, its name is derived from the Iroquoian word “Kanastoge” meaning “place of the immersed pole”.
- Brownstown
- Eberly’s Cider Mill
- Eden Roller Mill
- Greenbank
- Spring
- Spring Grove
- Windsor
- Zook’s Flour Mill
Cedar Creek
The Cedar Creek is a tributary of the Conestoga River. It flows through East Earl Township and joins the Conestoga River near Turkey Farm Road.
Groff Run
Kauffman’s Run
Lititz Run
The Lititz Run is a 7.2-mile-long tributary of the Conestoga River. It originates in Lititz Springs Park and joins the Conestoga at the Pinetown Covered Bridge. It originally was called Carter’s Run.
Little Conestoga Creek
The Little Conestoga is a 21.1-mile-long tributary of the Conestoga River. The Little Conestoga originates in Penn Township, flows to the west of Lancaster City and joins the Conestoga in Manor Township below Rock Hill.
Little Muddy Creek
The Little Muddy Creek is a branch of the Muddy Creek. It is included in the Conestoga River watershed. The Little Muddy Creek originates in Berks County and enters Lancaster County near Adamstown. It joins the Muddy Creek in Brecknock Township near the Red Run Campground
Mill Creek
The Mill Creek is a tributary of the Conestoga River. It originates in East Earl Township and makes its way through the fertile, Lancaster County farmland until it joins the Conestoga River near Lyndon in West Lampeter Township.
Muddy Creek
The Muddy Creek is a tributary of the Conestoga River. It originates in Brecknock Township north of Bowmansville and joins the Conestoga in Ephrata Township near Martindale
West Branch of Little Conestoga
The West Branch of the Little Conestoga is a tributary of the Little Conestoga which, in turn, is a tributary of the Conestoga River. The West Branch originates in West Hempfield Township just north of Route 30 near Stoney Battery Road and it joins the Little Conestoga in Manor Township near Walnut Hill Road.
Octoraro Creek Watershed
The Octoraro Creek is a 22.1-mile-long tributary of the Susquehanna River. It originates at the Octoraro Lake where the East and West Branches join the main branch. It forms the south-eastern border between Lancaster and Chester Counties. It joins the Susquehanna River in Cecil County Maryland just below the Conowingo Dam. The meaning of the name is uncertain but may have been an Iroquoian word meaning “Where the water is shallow and swift”.
Raccoon Creek
Raccoon Creek is a tributary of the Main Branch of the Octoraro Creek.
West Branch of Octoraro
The West Branch of the Octoraro Creek originates in Bart Township and flows into the Octoraro Lake where it joins the main branch.
Pequea Creek Watershed
Pequea Creek
The Pequea Creek is a 49.2-mile-long tributary of the Susquehanna River. It begins in the Welsh Mountains and joins the Susquehanna between the Safe Harbor and Holtwood dams. The creek takes its name from a Shawnee settlement that was located near the mouth of the creek. The name means “dust” or “ashes”.
Big Beaver Creek
The Big Beaver Creek is a 9.7-mile-long tributary of the Pequea Creek. The Beaver Valley Pike parallels the creek for part of its length. It flows through Eden and Providence townships and joins the Pequea in Strasburg Township.
Calamus Run
Calamus Run is a small tributary of the Little Beaver Creek that originates in Paradise Township just south of Route 896. The Little Beaver joins the Pequea below Lime Valley.
Climber’s Run
Climber’s Run is a small tributary of the Pequea Creek.
Eshelman Run
Little Beaver Creek
The Little Beaver Creek is a tributary of the Pequea Creek. It originates in Paradise Township and joins the Pequea just below Lime Valley.
White Horse Run
White Horse Run is a tributary of the Pequea Creek.
Other Susquehanna Tributaries
Conowingo Creek
The Conowingo Creek is a 20.2-mile-long tributary of the Susquehanna River. Its name is derived from a Lenape word meaning “at the rapids”. It originates in a pond along Route 272 in Providence Township just north of Buck. It flows mostly south through southern Lancaster County into Maryland. It enters the Susquehanna River just north of the Conowingo dam.
Conoy Creek
The Conoy Creek is an 11.2-mile-long tributary of the Susquehanna River. It originates near Elizabethtown and enters the Susquehanna at Bainbridge. The Conoy Creek is named after the Piscataway Conoy tribe that lived along its banks.
Fishing Creek
The Fishing Creek is a tributary of the Susquehanna River. It originates in a pond in Providence Township near Rawlinsville. It enters the Susquehanna River at Drumore about three miles north of Peach Bottom.
Witmer’s Run
Witmer’s Run is a one-and-a-half-mile tributary of the Susquehanna River that flows into the river just below Washington Boro.