The Lehigh River is approximately 103 miles long and drains an area of 1,363 square miles in eastern Pennsylvania. The Lehigh River is a major tributary of the Delaware River. The watershed encompasses parts of ten counties including, Pike, Wayne, Monroe, Luzerne, Lakawanna, Carbon, Schuylkill, Berks, Lehigh and Northampton. The headwaters of the Lehigh River are located at Lehigh Marshes just north of Gouldsboro, Pa. The mouth of the river is located in the city of Easton, Northampton County. According to the “Degraded Watershed List” of May 1996, the Department of Environmental Protection’s priority listing for the Lehigh River watershed is as follows: High Priority Watershed SWP #2C in Lehigh and Northampton counties and Low Priority Watershed SWP #2A and 2B in Carbon, Luzerne and Monroe counties.

The Lehigh River is approximately 103 miles long and drains an area of 1,363 square miles in eastern Pennsylvania. The Lehigh River is a major tributary of the Delaware River. The watershed encompasses parts of ten counties including, Pike, Wayne, Monroe, Luzerne, Lakawanna, Carbon, Schuylkill, Berks, Lehigh and Northampton.

LRWCMP
The headwaters of the Lehigh River are located at Lehigh Marshes just north of Gouldsboro, Pa. The mouth of the river is located in the city of Easton, Northampton County. According to the “Degraded Watershed List” of May 1996, the Department of Environmental Protection’s priority listing for the Lehigh River watershed is as follows: High Priority Watershed SWP #2C in Lehigh and Northampton counties and Low Priority Watershed SWP #2A and 2B in Carbon, Luzerne and Monroe counties.

The upper reaches of the Lehigh River, from the headwaters to the Pa. Route 903 bridge, is classified by Pa. DEP as a High Quality-Cold Water Fishery (HQ-CWF). South of Pa. Route 903 to the Allentown Dam, the main stem of the river is classified as a trout-stocked fishery (TSF); and from the Allentown Dam to the Lehigh’s confluence with the Delaware River, the main stem is classified as a warm water fishery (WWF).

The Lehigh River’s main stem from Francis E. Walter Dam to Jim Thorpe has been designated a Pennsylvania Scenic River. The 32-mile Lehigh Gorge State Park that is located within this reach is one of the most popular Class II and Class III whitewater boating sections in the country today. This attraction provides annual economic benefits to the state and local economy and offers recreational opportunities to approximately 155,000 people each year.

Lehigh River Watershed Conservation Management Plan