Winters Run is a 14.6 miles (23.5 km) river

River

A river is a natural watercourse, usually freshwater, flowing towards an ocean, a lake, a sea, or another river. In a few cases, a river simply flows into the ground or dries up completely before reaching another body of water. Small rivers may also be called by several other names, including...

 in Harford County, Maryland

Harford County, Maryland

Harford County is a county in the U.S. state of Maryland. In 2010, its population was 244,826. Its county seat is Bel Air. Harford County forms part of the Baltimore-Washington Metropolitan Area.-History:...

. The river begins north of the community of Fallston

Fallston, Maryland

Fallston is a census-designated place in Harford County, Maryland, United States. The population was 8,427 at the 2000 census. It is a semi-rural community consisting mostly of farms and suburban-like developments and is a good example of an "exurb"...

 at the confluence of the West and East Branches, and flows southeast about 11 miles (17.7 km) to Atkisson Dam in Edgewood

Edgewood, Maryland

Edgewood is a census-designated place in Harford County, Maryland, United States. The population was 23,378 at the 2000 census.-History:Pooles Island Light was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1997.-Geography:...

. The dam and reservoir

Reservoir

A reservoir , artificial lake or dam is used to store water.Reservoirs may be created in river valleys by the construction of a dam or may be built by excavation in the ground or by conventional construction techniques such as brickwork or cast concrete.The term reservoir may also be used to...

 were built by the U.S. Army in 1942 to provide an auxiliary fresh water source for nearby Edgewood Arsenal. Upon reaching the tidal line, the river is renamed Otter Point Creek, which empties to Bush River

Bush River (Maryland)

Bush River is a tidal estuary in Harford County, Maryland, located about 15 mi northeast of Baltimore. The estuary extends from the community of Riverside, south for about 9 mi , to the Chesapeake Bay...

 and the Chesapeake Bay

Chesapeake Bay

The Chesapeake Bay is the largest estuary in the United States. It lies off the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by Maryland and Virginia. The Chesapeake Bay's drainage basin covers in the District of Columbia and parts of six states: New York, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, and West...

. The watershed

Drainage basin

A drainage basin is an extent or an area of land where surface water from rain and melting snow or ice converges to a single point, usually the exit of the basin, where the waters join another waterbody, such as a river, lake, reservoir, estuary, wetland, sea, or ocean...

 area of Winters Run is about 56 square miles (145 km²).

North of the dam is Harford Glen, an environmental study area owned by the Harford County Public Schools

Harford County Public Schools

Harford County Public Schools is an American public school system serving the residents of Harford County, Maryland.-Elementary schools:There are thirty-two elementary schools in Harford County...

 to provide environmental education to students around the county.

Recreational features

Winters Run contains areas of whitewater

Whitewater

Whitewater is formed in a rapid, when a river's gradient increases enough to disturb its laminar flow and create turbulence, i.e. form a bubbly, or aerated and unstable current; the frothy water appears white...

 Class I and II

International Scale of River Difficulty

The International Scale of River Difficulty is a standardized scale used to rate the safety of a stretch of river, or a single rapid. The grade reflects the technical difficulty and skill level required associated with the section of river...

as well ample fishing opportunities.