Origin: Hartstown Swamp in Crawford County, Pa. End: Joins The Mahoning River at New Castle to form

Origin: Hartstown Swamp in Crawford County, Pa.End: Joins The Mahoning River at New Castle to form the Beaver River.Length: about 70 river milesWatershed area: 1,050 square miles, including three-fourths of Mercer County.Control dams: Pymatuning Lake Dam at Jamestown; Shenango River Lake Dam at Sharpsville.
How to help keep the river clean:
Buy only the amounts of chemicals and paints you need to use to reduce waste.Dispose of hazardous chemicals properly in designated collection drives and don't pour them down drains, toilets or storm sewers.Reduce use of fertilizers, pesticides and household chemicals.Take your car to a car wash that recycles the wash water.Keep cattle out of rivers to reduce silt, a pollutant which reduces the life-giving oxygen for fish and other creatures.Don't litter.Participate in trash pickups along riverbanks.
Another Shenango River canoe trip:
Leaves at 10 a.m. July 14 at the Kelly Road Bridge just below Shenango River Lake dam at Sharpsville and goes seven river miles over four to five hours to Duferco Steel in Farrell, sponsored by Shenango River Watchers in Sharon, (724) 342-5453.
Source: Jim Mondok, manager, Mercer County Conservation District (soil and water conservation), Shenango Conservancy and Shenango River Watchers