Shenango River
The Shenango River drains the northern parts of Lawrence, most of Mercer and southwestern Crawford Counties in Pennsylvania and parts of northeastern Ohio. In terms of biological diversity, the river can be divided into two regions: that part upstream of the Sharon area, (Section A, B, C, and half of D) and the rest of the river below Sharon. Above Sharon, the Shenango River is one of the more exceptional rivers in Pennsylvania, both in terms of water quality and biodiversity. Below Sharon the stream is the recipient of the accumulated pollution from industry, sewage treatment plants and other forms of urban runoff.
A. Pymatuning Dam to Greenville 8.2 miles
Class Grad Size
(Area/Volume) Scene/Poll Level
A-B 4/6 Small
(167/208) A/A 4.6-5.7
Pymatuning
Dam Pymatuning
Dam
Topographic Maps: Greenville West
County Maps: Crawford, Mercer
Description: This is a small intimate stream, shallow, slow-flowing, highly meandering with deep pools. Overhanging tree branches and fallen trees block the channel. [Reported 2002]
Difficulties: If the level is high, the tree-blocked channel could be dangerous.
Shuttle: Put in at the base of the Pymatuning Dam by the gauge station where E Dam Road crosses the creek. Take out in Greenville at Riverside Park. To reach the take‑out, go east on E Dam Road to US Route 322. Turn left/southeast onto State Route 322. In Jamestown turn left/east onto State Route 58. As you approach Greenville, three blocks after State Route 18 comes in from the left, turn right/west onto Alan Avenue. Go about a block to Riverside Park entrance. Follow the one-way park road until it meets the river.
Gauges: Pymatuning Dam. This gauge should read between 4.6 and 5.7 feet (2002 rating table). This corresponds to a flow of 66 to 460 cfs.
Normal Wet Period: The Pymatuning Dam gauge is above 4.6 feet 75% of the time and above 5.7 feet 14% of the time.
B. Greenville to New Hamburg 9.5 miles
Class Grad Size
(Area/Volume) Scene/Poll Level
A 2/2 Medium (337/481) B/B 2.3-??
Transfer Transfer
Topographic Maps: Greenville West, Sharpsville, Fredonia
County Maps: Mercer
Description: This stream traverses through undeveloped farmland with many bends and tree-choked channels. There is a covered bridge at Reynolds Heights called Kidd's Mill Bridge. The remains of an old dam just below the New Hamburg bridge is now a good size riffle and nothing more. [Checked 2002]
Difficulties: At one point the right-hand channel is impassable due to downed trees, and the channel on the left is a narrow chute. Take the left. If the river is high this section could be dangerous due to the downed trees.
Shuttle: Put in in Greenville at Riverside Park. To reach the put‑in approach Greenville from the west on State Route 58, three blocks after State Route 18 comes in from the left, turn right/west onto Alan Avenue. Go about a block to Riverside Park entrance. Follow the one-way park road until it meets the river. To get to the take-out go south on State Route 58 towards Mercer, turn right onto State Route 4024. Take out on river left by the old bridge pilings in New Hamburg. It is possible to canoe beyond this point to the Sharpsville Dam.
Gauges: Transfer. This gauge should read above 2.3 feet (2002 rating table). This corresponds to a flow of 130 cfs.
Normal Wet Period: The Transfer gauge is above 2.3 feet 82% of the time.
C. New Hamburg to Sharpsville Dam 16.5 miles
Class Grad Size
(Area/Volume) Scene/Poll Level
A Lake Medium (400/667) B/A 2.2-??
estimated Transfer
Topographic Maps: Fredonia, Sharpsville
County Maps: Mercer
Description: The first 4.3 miles are in the section of Shenango River Lake that fluctuates. The remaining 12 miles are within the summer levels of this Corps of Engineers lake. [Reported 2002]
Difficulties: The last 12 miles of the lake have high speed motorboat traffic.
Shuttle: The put-in is in New Hamburg, off State Route 4024, by the old bridge pier pilings. To get to the take-out, go west on State Route 4014. At the fork continue on State Route 4007. Turn right/west onto State Route 3022. Turn left/south onto State Route 18. Turn right/west onto State Route 518. Go 3 miles, turn right/north at intersection. Go 2 miles to the dam.
Gauges: Transfer. This gauge should read above 2.2 feet (2002 rating table). This corresponds to a flow of 108 cfs.
Normal Wet Period: The Transfer gauge is above 2.2 feet 88% of the time.
D. Sharpsville Dam
to West Middlesex 12.0 miles
Class Grad Size
(Area/Volume) Scene/Poll Level
C-I 5/6 Medium
(584/761) D/B 2.6-??
Sharpsville
Dam Sharpsville
Topographic Maps: Sharpsville, Orangeville (Ohio), Sharon West (Ohio), Sharon East
County Maps: Mercer
Description: There are Class I rapids above Sharon. Through Sharon, which is in the middle of this section, there is a lot of industry along the banks. Below that the stream banks are reasonably undeveloped. [Reported 1983]
Difficulties: There are two dams and a waterfall in this section. Portage both dams on the left. The waterfall is about 20 yards beyond the second dam. Carry far enough past the dam to bypass the waterfalls and the discharge pipe on the right bank.
Shuttle: Put in on river right near the base of the Sharpsville Dam off of State Route 518. Head east on State Route 518. Turn right/south onto State Route 18. Turn right/west onto State Route 318. Go 0.1 miles to the bridge. Take-out at the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission Access on river right near the West Middlesex Bridge.
Gauges: Sharpsville. This gauge should read above 2.6 feet. This corresponds to a flow of 280 cfs. The Sharpsville gauge reports the outflow from the Shenango River Dam at Sharpsville.
Normal Wet Period: The Sharpsville gauge is above 2.6 feet 60% of the time.
E. West Middlesex to Harbor Bridge 13.7 miles
Class Grad Size
(Area/Volume) Scene/Poll Level
B 2/2 Medium (700/1,167) B/B 2.4-??
estimated Sharpsville
Topographic Maps: Sharon East, Edinburg
County Maps: Mercer, Lawrence
Description: Two bridges divide this trip more or less equally into thirds. Between West Middlesex and Pulaski Bridge (5.6 miles), the river is quite narrow and winding with a number of sets of riffles separated by flat pools. Numerous downed trees, but the river is wide enough that they usually present no problem at low to medium levels.
Below Pulaski Bridge there is occasional highway noise from State Route 60, but the stream is entirely undeveloped.
Between Nashua Bridge (3.8 miles below Pulaski Bridge) and the take-out, the remaining 4.3 miles of the stream is mostly flat but with a good current. [Reported 2002]
Difficulties: Beware of small rapids at an island about 0.2 miles below Pulaski Road bridge.
Shuttle: Put in at the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission Access on river right below the bridge on State Route 318 in West Middlesex. Follow State Route 18 south. Bear right/south onto State Route 551. Turn left onto State Route 208. Go 1 mile, turn right onto State Route 60. Turn right onto US Business Route 422. Turn right onto State Route 1002. Continue to Harbor Bridge. Take out on the left bank, about 100 yards upstream of the Harbor Road bridge.
Gauges: Sharpsville. This gauge should read above 2.4 feet. This corresponds to a flow of <<280>> cfs. The Sharpsville gauge reports the outflow from the Shenango River Dam at Sharpsville.
Normal Wet Period: The Sharpsville gauge is above 2.6 feet 60% of the time.
F. Harbor Bridge to Wampum 14.5 miles
Class Grad Size
(Area/Volume) Scene/Poll Level
B-I 3/3 Medium (792/871) C/C
New
Castle New
Castle
Topographic Maps: Edinburg, New Castle North, New Castle South, Bessemer
County Maps: Lawrence
Description: Flatwater for the most part, but with a series of rapids downstream of New Castle to the junction with the Mahoning. About half way through the trip, the Shenango and Mahoning come together to form the Beaver River. There is no easy access at this point. See the first section of the Beaver River, on page 121, for the description of the second half of this river section. [Reported 1983]
Difficulties: Wing dam at the power plant near West Pittsburg presents no difficulty, however one should stay close to the dam to avoid any current at the intake on the left.
Shuttle: Put in just upstream of the bridge in Harbor. To reach the take‑out go east on US Route 422. Turn right onto State Route 18. Turn a sharp left onto State Route 288. Take-out is on the left just below the bridge at Wampum.
Gauges: New Castle. We do not have enough information to report runnable levels on this section. A reading of 6.9 feet on the New Castle gauge corresponds to the mean flow of 871 cfs. Since this is a medium-sized river, we speculate that the river will be runnable at 6.9 feet and may be on the high side of runnable at that level. The Sharpsville Dam gauge, about 25 miles upstream, will probably read above 2.6 feet.
Normal Wet Period: No available statistics on seasons. Since this section is dam controlled we can not even guess the season based on river size.