The Paxton Creek Watershed is situated within four municipalities in Central Pennsylvania – the City of Harrisburg, Susquehanna Township, Lower Paxton Township, and the Borough of Pennbrook.
Its headwaters are on Blue Mountain and it discharges into the Susquehanna River at two locations, by means of spillway discharge from Wildwood Lake in Susquehanna Township and south of the City of Harrisburg, near Steelton. For additional information about the watershed – Watershed Characteristics
The Paxton Creek watershed covers 27-square miles in, and generally to the northeast, of the City of Harrisburg, in Central Pennsylvania. Upstream portions of the watershed historically consisted of woodlands and farmland. While downstream portions of the watershed are situated within the City of Harrisburg where Paxton Creek flows through industrial and commercial properties. In places, downstream, the creek is channelized and receives heavy sediment loads eroded from rapidly developing areas upstream.
Development in the upland areas of the watershed has led to the construction of impervious surfaces in the form of roads, parking lots, commercial, and residential buildings. These impervious surfaces severally limit infiltration of surface water into the ground and perpetuate stormwater runoff problems. Paxton Creek Watershed generates 15 times the amount of suspended sediments released by typical forested watersheds.