| Turtle Creek | |
|---|---|
1751 map depicting "Turtle C" near top, just left of center |
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| Basin countries | United States |
| Mouth elevation | 722 feet (220 meters) |
| River system | Monongahela River |
Turtle Creek is a 21.1-mile-long (34.0 km)[1] tributary of the Monongahela River in Allegheny and Westmoreland counties in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania.[2] At its juncture with the Monongahela is Braddock, Pennsylvania, where the Battle of the Monongahela ("Braddock's Defeat") was fought in 1755. In the mid-19th century, the Pennsylvania Railroad laid tracks along the stream as part of its Main Line from Philadelphia to Pittsburgh.
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The headwaters of Turtle Creek are in Delmont. The stream flows west and enters the Monongahela River at North Versailles Township.
In 1742 John Fraser built a cabin along the creek. He may have been the first Anglo-American settler west of the Allegheny Mountains. Turtle Creek was named by George Washington during his travels to the Pittsburgh area during the French and Indian War. He noted in his journal of his travels a stream with a large number of turtles basking, which is the present-day Turtle Creek. Turtle Creek no longer has any turtles living in it, although cleanup efforts are underway. The coal mines in Export, Pennsylvania, had runoff from their spoil banks flow directly into Turtle Creek, thus making it too acidic to support life. Current cleanup methods include dumping large amounts of lime chips, in an effort to neutralize the pH level of the water, making it hospitable for aquatic life again.