St. Joseph River Watershed
The St. Joseph River Basin is a part of the Lake Michigan Basin, comprising 1.6 percent of its contribution. Its headwaters begin at Baw Beese Lake, near Hillsdale, Michigan. The River flows south and enters Indiana north of Bristol, Indiana. It flows through Elkhart and St. Joseph counties, leaving Indiana northwest of South Bend.
The St. Joseph River eventually discharges into Lake Michigan at St. Joseph, Michigan. Major tributaries discharging to the St. Joseph River (from east to west) include:
Prairie River
Coldwater River
Fawn River
Pigeon River
Little Elkhart River
Elkhart River
Dowagiac River
Paw Paw River
The St. Joseph River Basin
Mainstem river, is 210 miles long
Is a watershed of 4,685 square miles--3,000 in Michigan and 1,685 square miles in Indiana
Has over 400 lakes
Has a fall of over 600 feet from the source to its discharge into Lake Michigan
Consists of over 1,641 miles of significant tributaries.
Did you know...
Before the glaciers receded, the St. Joseph River flowed into the Kankakee River Basin.
The original name of the St. Joseph River was "River of the Miamis"
The first European to see the St. Joseph River was probably Father Jacques Marquette, in about 1675
The first bridge across the St. Joseph River was completed in 1836 at a cost of $2,499
In the 1800s, the St. Joseph River was used extensively by steamships, barges and keelboats to transport manufactured goods and farm products out of the region
For 50 years mussels and shellfish in the St. Joseph River provided a significant source of commercially-produced buttons
Today the St. Joseph River and its tributaries provide water-related recreation in the form of fishing, swimming, boating and canoeing
Some of the best salmon, trout, walleye, and large- and small-mouth bass fishing occurs on the St. Joseph River and tributaries, generating over $6 million annually in revenues to the region
The only designated "Sole Source Aquifer" in Indiana is in the River Basin
The largest natural inland lake in Indiana is in the St. Joseph River Basin--Lake Wawasee
A world class kayak/canoe run is on the St. Joseph River--The East Race
The oldest operating grist mill in Indiana is on the Little Elkhart River, a tributary of the St. Joseph River
A thriving harbor is located on the St. Joseph River at its discharge point into Lake Michigan
The St. Joseph River generates enough energy to light thousands of homes and power numerous businesses through a series of hydro-electric dams
The first northern Indiana release of the river otter occurred in the Elkhart River, a tributary of the St. Joseph River
The St. Joseph River Basin leads the world in domestic duck production
Indiana's leaders in dairy and beef cattle, in addition to hog production occur in St. Joseph River Basin counties.
Related Links:
Friends of the St Joseph River
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