Mahoning River
The Mahoning River begins its journey to the Beaver River
southeast of Alliance, Ohio. Most of its journey is in Ohio with about 12 miles
in Pennsylvania before it joins Shenango River to form the Beaver River. The
word Mahoning is a Delaware word meaning “at the licks” in reference to the
numerous salt licks that lured the first settlers to the area. Today the river
suffers from years of heavy industrial pollution in the Youngston, Ohio area.
Though most of the industrial complexes are gone now, the accumulated sediments
remain on the bottom of the river, making the bottom essentially devoid of
life. Some of these pollutants flowed into the Beaver River as well.
However, the Mahoning River valley include floodplains,
islands and other notable riverside habitats. The valley harbors three Natural
Heritage Area recognized in the Lawrence County Natural Heritage inventory.
These areas recognize notable natural communities near the river. They include
– The Edinburg Swamp Biological Diversity Area, Soap City Slopes Area, and
Quaker Falls Area.
A. Alliance to Lowellville 80.0 miles
Class Grad Size
(Area/Volume) Scene/Poll Level
A-I 3/3 Medium
(978/1,016) D/C
Youngstown Youngstown
Lowellville
Topographic Maps: Alliance
(Ohio), Deerfield (Ohio), Lake Milton (Ohio), Newton Falls (Ohio), Champion
(Ohio), Warren (Ohio), Girard (Ohio), Youngstown (Ohio), Campbell (Ohio)
County Maps: Stark
(Ohio), Portage (Ohio), Trumbull (Ohio), Mahoning (Ohio)
Other Maps: The
Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Division of Watercraft "Boating in
Ohio Streams #5, Northeast Section".
Description: The Ohio Department of Natural
Resources, Division of Watercraft has published a series of pamphlets
describing canoeable rivers in Ohio. The following access points and difficulty
locations are taken from the #5 pamphlet, which covers northeast Ohio.
US Route 62 and Bandy Road east of Alliance, roadside
access on river left.
Webb Road bridge in Alliance, roadside access on river left.
Ford, pipe and dam below Webb Road bridge in Alliance,
portage on river right.
Gaskill Street off Walnut Street in Alliance, pull off access
on river right.
Early Hill Park in Alliance off Vine Street, access on river
left.
Greenbower Street bridge at Berlin Lake north of Alliance,
roadside access on river right.
Pine Street bridge at Berlin Lake north of Alliance, roadside
access on river left.
Berlin Lake north of Alliance, roadside access on river left
and right
Berlin Lake dam at north edge of Berlin Road north of
Alliance, portage on river left staying near shore as restricted area begins
100 feet above dam.
Shillings Mill bridge (closed) between Lake Berlin and Lake
Milton in Shillings Mill, roadside access on river right.
City of Youngstown Lake Milton public access off Mahoning
Avenue bridge south of Craig Beach, roadside access on river right.
Lake Milton Dam on Craig Beach, portage left or right.
Pritchard-Ohltown Road bridge (Mahoning-Trumbull County line)
north of Craig Beach, roadside access on river right.
West River Road bridge in Newton Falls, roadside access on
river left.
Dam in Newton Falls on Tickner Avenue bridge between First
Street and Ravenna Warren Road, portage on river right.
First Street in Newton Falls, roadside pulloff below dam on
river left.
Dam above Leavitt Road bridge in Leavittsburg, portage on
river left.
Canoe City Livery off Leavitt Road bridge in Leavittsburg,
access on river left with permission.
Leavitt Road bridge in Leavittsburg, roadside pulloff river
left.
Packard Park in Warren off Ohio State Route 45
(Mahoning Avenue), access on river left.
Dam above Ohio State Route 45 in Warren, portage on
river left, upstream of dam at Packard Park. [Checked 1988]
Although there is one more access point below Packard Park,
we recommend that the canoeing section stop at Packard Park. Below here the
water quality is not as good as above the park, access is not as frequent, and
there are several hazardous dams.
Maddel Park off Park Avenue west of Niles, access on river
left.
Dam north of Liberty Street, James Road in Girard, portage on
river right.
Dam above the railroad tracks in Worthington and West Federal
Streets north of the Ohio State Route 193 bridge in Youngstown,
portage on river right. Dam is broken, but not runnable.
Broken dam under Marshall Street bridge in Youngstown. There
is a chute on the right, but it has strainers and the rest of the dam has a
good hydraulic. Portage river right at the railroad tracks.
Dam in steel mill area in Campbell downstream of Center
Street bridge, portage on river right, but there is no portage path at high
water.
Dam above First Street/Washington Street bridge in Lowellville
(dangerous), portage on river left with difficulty.
Difficulties: None above Packard Park. Multiple dams below
the Park.
Shuttle: Use a good state road map.
Gauges:
Youngstown, Lowellville
Normal Wet Period:
Normal Wet Period: No available statistics on seasons. Since this section
is medium-sized, it should normally be runnable approximately December through
May.
B. Lowellville to Mahoningtown 11.0 miles
Class Grad Size
(Area/Volume) Scene/Pol Level
I 4/4 Medium (1,073/1,400) A/B 3.7-??
Lowellville Lowellville
Topographic Maps: Campbell
(Ohio), Edinburg, Bessemer
County Maps:
Mahoning (Ohio), Lawrence
Description: Much
of this run parallels the Stavich Bike Trail. There are lots of overhanging
trees, but the river is wide enough that strainers do not pose a problem.
[Reported 2002]
Difficulties:
There is a washed out dam in Lowellville. You should put in below this dam.
About a mile into the run, near an electrical station on the left, there are a
number of piers in the river creating an enormous logjam. The banks here are
steep and thick with brush making shore scouting and portage difficult. When
last run, the passage was on the extreme left with a pushy tongue and strong
eddy just off the tongue. Just below the US Route 224 bridge there is
a small pipe, which forms a very low-head dam. At a level of 4.4 it was easily
run. At a lower level you would have to lift over.
Shuttle: Put
in in the town of Lowellville on river left, about 2 blocks below the
bridge. Be sure to put in below the remains of an old washed-out dam. To reach
the take‑out, go southeast in Lowellville on E Jackson Street for about 1
mile to US Route 224. Turn left/east on US Route 224, go
about 8 miles to US Route 422 the New Castle bypass. Take
US Route 422 south for about 3.5 miles to the
State Route 168 exit. At the end of the ramp go left for a very short
block to Cherry Street. Turn right/west onto Cherry Street. Cross the Shenango
River and continue on for a few blocks to State Route 108/18. Turn
left/west onto State Route 18 and continue to the “T” intersection
where State Route 108 turns right, and State Route 18 turns
left. Turn left/south and go a short block to first road on the left. Turn left
and go a short block to the creek.
Gauge:
Lowellville. We estimate the gauge should read above 3.7 feet for a runnable
level.
Normal Wet Period: No available
statistics on seasons. Since this section is medium-sized, it should normally
be runnable approximately December through May.
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