The Susquehanna River, named by the Algonquin Sasquesahanock Indians who long ago lived on its banks, rises out of Otsego Lake and flows generally south through New York, Pennsylvania, and Maryland to the Chesapeake Bay. It is the longest river flowing into the Atlantic Ocean, draining over 27,500 square miles, and has been said to have the greatest water power potential of any river in the northeastern United States. Along its banks are several hydroelectric generating stations, coal-fired power plants such as the Jennison Station in Bainbridge, and nuclear power plants. Over its twisting 444-mile course, the Susquehanna has many depths and shallows and narrow and broad reaches, ranging from as narrow as 50 feet to as wide as a mile. It can be a friendly backyard river or a vicious danger, rising in flood to wipe away and destroy, and the events that have taken place on its banks give it a rich and colorful history.