Susquehanna Potholes

Perhaps the best way to spend a warm Lancaster County day is cooling off by the Susquehanna River. Swimming, fishing, boating, enjoying the summer breeze, sitting in a Susquehanna Pothole.  Yes. Susquehanna Pothole. Those well-worn rocks – dimpled, donut-holed, deeply dug out – all a testament to the eroding powers of sediment-laden water and most often sighted when the water levels of the river drop below normal. The best spot to view them, as seen in this photo snapped by Ed Shopf in September of 1953, is along the shores of Conoy Township, just below the mouth of the Conewago Creek.

Schopf was staff photographer for the Safe Harbor Water Power Company. This photo is part of a collection of photographs that he took during the construction of the Safe Harbor Dam from 1931 to 1933. Although it was taken much later, it captures a truly unique feature of the Susquehanna River. This image is among a handful of photos of Susquehanna summer fun on display in LancasterHistory.org’s lower level through the beginning of October. Stop by and enjoy the river!

From PhotoBlog