The Mahoning River is a river located in northeastern Ohio and a small portion of western Pennsylvania. Flowing primarily through several Ohio counties, it crosses the state line into Pennsylvania before joining with the Shenango River to form the Beaver River. The Mahoning River drops from at the headwaters near Winona to at the outfall near Mahoningtown, Pennsylvania. It is part of the Ohio River watershed. The name is said to derive from either the Lenape or Shawnee languages and mean "Deer Lick," as the area was once known for salt springs, but it's possible the name of the Mahoning and several other similarly named landmarks and places in western Pennsylvania (Manayunk, etc) could come from the Lenape, mënehokink (may-nuh-ho-keeng), meaning "place to get water." Tributaries North Shore Marshall Run Grays Run Dry Run Little Squaw Creek Mosquito Creek Chocolate Run Eagle Creek West Branch Kale Creek Willow Creek Deer Creek Beech Creek Beaver Run South Shore Hickory Run Hines Run Yellow Creek Mill Creek (Austintown) Fourmile Run Meander Creek Mud Creek Duck Creek Lawson Run Charley Run Creek Mill Creek (Berlin) Island Creek Fish Creek Hydronymy The name comes from Lenape , meaning "at the licks" or "there is a lick", referring to historic salt licks in the area. Physical properties The river is formed near Winona in Columbiana County, Ohio, and extends for a length of approximately 113 miles (182 km), with a watershed area of approximately 1,132 square miles (2,932 km²). It joins the Shenango River near Mahoningtown, Pennsylvania south of New Castle to form the Beaver River. The river traverses five Ohio counties, Columbiana, Stark, Portage, Trumbull, and Mahoning, as well as Lawrence County, Pennsylvania. The watershed area also includes parts of Ashtabula and Geauga counties in Ohio. The three main tributaries are Mosquito Creek, West Branch, and Eagle Creek, all in Ohio. There are 15 dams on the river course. The river has a course of 97.1 miles (156.3 km) in Ohio, with the remainder in Pennsylvania. The river supports more than 72 species of fish and 15 species of freshwater mussels. The river is roughly divided into two sections based on its own character and its surroundings. In addition to the change in terrain address in the section on "Floods", the level of human development changes dramatically as well. The “upper elevation” flowing north and east extends roughly from Winona to Leavittsburg and is