These anadromous fish skirt the Conowingo Dam in fish lifts on their annual run to spawn. Numerous gulls, osprey, heron and even bald eagles nest in the vicinity of the dam and find plentiful fish to prey upon in the river. The rock-strewn bottom creates an interesting series of pools and ledges. These rocks mark the fall line on the river's descent to tidewater. Wooded islands dot the center of the river, while bluffs and ridges line either side of the river, providing scenic views of somewhat dramatic topography.
Granite is quarried nearby.
The Tidewater Canal runs the length of the river. Canals were used during the 19th century for ease of navigation around the bouldery river. The rocks and riffles just above Port Deposit have the name Smith Falls, because this is as far as Captain John Smith got in his exploration of the Chesapeake Bay and the Susquehanna River. Lapidum Landing is the site of the former Bell's Ferry that shipped local farmer's products to the port of Baltimore. The Susquehanna flats was a prime area for hunting canvasbacks in the United States, which peaked in the early 1900's through the 1930's.