Family Album

Family Album. Watershed Through Time. Throughout time the East Branch Codorus Creek watershed has nurtured many species of plants and animals. It has also supported human activity for thousands of years. , We rely on the water to irrigate crops and power businesses. At home, we need access to clean drinking, bathing, and cooking water. Many of us love the watershed's wooded hills, meandering streams, and abundant wildlife. , Osprey . Watershed Resident , (Pandion haliaetus) The “fish hawk” was nearly extinct from this area, but has made a comeback in the 1990’s due to pesticide restrictions. It flies above water in search of fish. , Agriculture , Farming has played a major role in the watershed's history since the first European settlers arrived, reaching its peak in the early 1900s. This photograph, taken in 1944, is of the E. Kilgore farm. , In 2004, 28% of the watershed was devoted to farmland. Products include grains, peaches, apples, corn, potatoes, eggs, and livestock. , Business , From the late 1700s to the early 1900s, the creek supported 16 mills, including the Keystone Factory and Grist Mill. The mill was located across this inlet. , Products from local mills ranged from flour and vegetable oils to lumber and cloth. All the mills are gone now, but businesses still flourish in the watershed., Home , These stone tools were found in the Loganville area. Many native peoples have lived in the watershed over the course of human history. , German immigrants settled here in 1728. English, Irish, and Scotch settlers soon followed. Today, there are over 17,000 households in the watershed, with residents from many different ethnic backgrounds. , Recreation , Native Americans hunted and fished throughout the watershed. Later arrivals also enjoyed its beauty and bounty. These swimmers cool off in South Branch Codorus Creek, near Days Mill Road. , Today boaters, cyclists, canoeists, runners, skiers, birdwatchers, and walkers enjoy the East Branch's 2,700 acres of parkland.