Chester Creek is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline data
The National Map
, accessed April 1, 2011

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 drai ...

of the

Delaware River The Delaware River is a major river in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. From the meeting of its branches in Hancock, New York, the river flows for along the borders of New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware, before ...

in Delaware County,

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, ...

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 Continental United States, primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., ...

.Gertler, Edward. ''Keystone Canoeing'', Seneca Press, 2004.

East Branch Chester Creek

The East Branch of Chester Creek is long. Rising near Kirkland, it crosses under the junction of U.S. Route 202 and

Pennsylvania Route 100 Pennsylvania Route 100 (PA 100) is a long state highway in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania that runs from U.S. Route 202 (US 202) near West Chester north to PA 309 in Pleasant Corners. The route runs between the western suburbs of Philadelph ...

. Just below, it is dammed to form the West Chester Reservoir. Flowing southward, it is dammed just above the

Pennsylvania Route 3 Pennsylvania Route 3 (PA 3) is a state highway located in the southeastern portion of Pennsylvania. The route runs from U.S. Route 322 Business (US 322 Bus.) in West Chester east to PA 611 in Philadelphia. The route begins in downtown West C ...

crossing to form the Milltown Reservoir. It flows south from there to

Westtown West Town or Westtown may refer to any of the following places. United Kingdom *West Town, Peterborough in Cambridgeshire *West Town, Hayling Island in Hampshire *West Town, Backwell in North Somerset United States *West Town, Chicago in Illinois ...

, where Goose Creek enters and the former West Chester and Philadelphia Railroad (now owned by

SEPTA The Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) is a regional public transportation authority that operates bus, rapid transit, commuter rail, light rail, and electric trolleybus services for nearly 4 million people in five c ...

) runs alongside it. The stream runs easterly about two miles, then turns south and passes a large stone quarry at Glen Mills. It turns southeasterly and meanders slightly, passing through

Darlington Darlington is a market town in the Borough of Darlington, County Durham, England. The River Skerne flows through the town; it is a tributary of the River Tees. The Tees itself flows south of the town. In the 19th century, Darlington underw ...

and Wawa and meeting the West Branch at Lenni.

West Branch Chester Creek

The West Branch originates near Dillworthtown, in

Chester County Chester County may refer to: * Chester County, Pennsylvania, United States * Chester County, South Carolina, United States * Chester County, Tennessee, United States * Cheshire Cheshire ( ) is a ceremonial and historic county in North West Eng ...

and flows generally eastward. Just before entering Delaware County, it is dammed to form Brinton Lake. At Markham,

Webb Creek Webb most often refers to James Webb Space Telescope which is named after James E. Webb, second Administrator of NASA. It may also refer to: Places Antarctica * Webb Glacier (South Georgia) * Webb Glacier (Victoria Land) * Webb Névé, Victoria ...

enters at the site of the historic Newlin Grist Mill. From here to Chester Heights, the creek is paralleled by the abandoned right-of-way of the Octoraro Branch, damaged in flooding from

Hurricane Agnes Hurricane Agnes in 1972 was the costliest hurricane to hit the United States at the time, causing an estimated $2.1 billion in damage. The hurricane's death toll was 128. The effects of Agnes were widespread, from the Caribbean to Canada, ...

in 1972. The creek loops southward in a deep gorge to skirt the "Heights" and comes north to meet the East Branch below Lenni.

Main stream

The two branches converge between Lenni and Glen Riddle. The main stream winds southward and eastward through a rocky gorge, formerly the site of many mills that tapped its power. The

Chester Creek Railroad Chester is a cathedral city and the county town of Cheshire, England. It is located on the River Dee, close to the English–Welsh border. With a population of 79,645 in 2011,"2011 Census results: People and Population Profile: Chester Local ...

(later the

Chester Creek Branch The Chester Creek Branch was a railroad line that operated in southern Delaware County, Pennsylvania, from 1869 to 1972. Built by the Chester Creek Railroad, it was originally operated and leased by the Philadelphia and Baltimore Central Railroa ...

of the

Pennsylvania Railroad The Pennsylvania Railroad (reporting mark PRR), legal name The Pennsylvania Railroad Company also known as the "Pennsy", was an American Class I railroad that was established in 1846 and headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It was named ...

), built in 1869, paralleled it from Lenni to Upland, where it turned away from the creek. In 1972 the rail line was severely damaged by flooding from

. Chester Creek joins the tidal Delaware River at the Port of Chester in

Chester Chester is a cathedral city and the county town of Cheshire, England. It is located on the River Dee, close to the English–Welsh border. With a population of 79,645 in 2011,"2011 Census results: People and Population Profile: Chester Loca ...

History

The original Indian name of Chester Creek was Meechoppenackhan which means "the large potato stream" or "the stream along which large potatoes grow". The lower watershed of the creek served as a tobacco plantation beginning in 1644. The land on the west bank of the creek was deeded to John Ammundson Besk and family on August 20, 1653. Swedish settlers were the first non-natives to live in the area. In 1729 one of the earliest paper mills established in the American colonies was built by Thomas Wilcox on this creek.Thomas, 1874, ''The History of Printing in America'', p. 23

Ecology

Chester Creek is undoubtedly, ironically (as Chester is largely associated with pollution and industry), the healthiest of the nearby Pennsylvania-originating creeks ( Darby, Crum, Ridley, and Chester) that feed into the Delaware River. Of these nearby creeks, its banks look the most-so how they would have when

William Penn William Penn ( – ) was an English writer and religious thinker belonging to the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers), and founder of the Province of Pennsylvania, a North American colony of England. He was an early advocate of democracy a ...

arrived in Pennsylvania in 1681, with many boulders, non-eroded gradients between water and land, and native vegetation along the creek. While all streams and rivers in Pennsylvania natively boasted a presence of

Brook Trout The brook trout (''Salvelinus fontinalis'') is a species of freshwater fish in the char genus ''Salvelinus'' of the salmon family Salmonidae. It is native to Eastern North America in the United States and Canada, but has been introduced elsewhere ...

, only Chester Creek still ''most-likely'' holds this feat. Furthermore, Freshwater Eels are still making their pilgrimage up the river, with sightings in both the East and West Branches, many miles upstream. These two facts alone indicate a very healthy ecosystem.