The water in the Lehigh River comes from three sources: mountain streams, melting snow, and rain. The area around Gouldsboro, PA, is a spring-flooded wetland which drains into tributaries which combine to be the Lehigh River’s source. Winter snow then melts in March and April, which increases the rivers flow in the spring. Finally, spring rains, called freshets, also increase the river volume and have been the cause of floods in the past. The floods have been known to destroy bridges and dams on the river (Zagofsky, 1997).

The Lehigh River is 103 miles long and originates in the area of Pocono Peak Lake near Gouldsboro, PA. It would take approximately 24 hours for a single drop of water to travel from the beginning to the end of the river. At the origin of the river, the elevation is approximately 2,100 feet above sea level. When the Lehigh River meets the Delaware River, the elevation is about 200 feet above sea level, having dropped 1,900 feet from the origination in the Poconos (Tom Gettings).