The 'Tuscarawas River' is a principal
tributary of the
Muskingum River, 129.9 miles (209 km) long, in northeastern
Ohio in the
United States. Via the Muskingum and
Ohio Rivers, it is part of the
watershed of the
Mississippi River, draining an area of 2,590 square miles (6,708 km²) on
glaciated and unglaciated portions of the
Allegheny Plateau.
It rises southwest of
Hartville in northern
Stark County, and initially flows westwardly, through
Uniontown into southern
Summit County, where it passes through the
Portage Lakes area south of
Akron, and the city of
Barberton. From Barberton the Tuscarawas flows generally southwardly through Stark and
Tuscarawas Counties, through the communities of
Clinton,
Canal Fulton,
Massillon,
Navarre,
Bolivar,
Zoar,
Dover, and
New Philadelphia. South of New Philadelphia the river turns to the southwest and west, flowing past
Tuscarawas,
Gnadenhutten,
Port Washington, and
Newcomerstown into
Coshocton County, where it joins the
Walhonding River at the city of
Coshocton to form the Muskingum River.
[DeLorme (1991). ''Ohio Atlas & Gazetteer''. Yarmouth, Maine: DeLorme. pp. 41, 51-52, 60-61. ISBN 0-89933-233-1.] From Barberton downstream, the
Ohio and Erie Canal was constructed in parallel to the river in 1828-1830; usage began declining in the 1850s, and the canal was damaged beyond repair by flooding in 1913.
[1] Portions of the canal's
towpath route are maintained as a hiking and bicycling trail.
[2]
According to the
Geographic Names Information System, the Tuscarawas River has also been known historically by the names Little Muskingum River, 'Mashongam River', 'Tuscarawa River', and 'Tuskarawas Creek'.
As of 2006, the state of Ohio Environmental Protection Agency has recommended limits on the consumption of fish taken from the river, due to contamination by mercury and PCBs.[3]
Tributaries
The Tuscarawas River collects Chippewa Creek in Summit County near Clinton, and Sandy Creek in Stark County near Bolivar. In Tuscarawas County, it collects Conotton Creek southeast of Zoar; Sugar Creek at Dover; and Stillwater Creek north of Tuscarawas. Nimishillen Creek, a tributary of Sandy Creek, drains the city of Canton.
Flow rate
At the United States Geological Survey's stream gauge in Newcomerstown, the annual mean flow of the river between 1922 and 2005 was 2,591 ft³/s (73 m³/s). The highest recorded flow during the period was 46,800 ft³/s (1,325 m³/s) on January 26, 1937. The lowest recorded flow was 216 ft³/s (6 m³/s) on August 15, 1944.
At an upstream gauge in Massillon, the annual mean flow of the river between 1938 and 2005 was 466 ft³/s (13 m³/s). The highest recorded flow during the period was 10,700 ft³/s (303 m³/s) on July 5, 1969. The lowest recorded flow was 45 ft³/s (1.3 m³/s) on September 20, 1999.
See also
★ List of Ohio rivers
References
1.
2.
3. 2006 Ohio Sport Fish Consumption Advisory Ohio Environmental Protection Agency, Division of Surface Water