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The Kankakee River as seen from the north bank of the river, in Kankakee, Illinois near Cobb Park. The clock tower of the Shapiro Developmental Center can be seen in the background.
The Kankakee River as seen from the north bank of the river, in Kankakee, Illinois near Cobb Park. Kankakee is a city in Kankakee County, Illinois, in the United States. The clock tower of the Shapiro Developmental Center can be seen in the background.

The Kankakee River is a tributary of the Illinois River, approximately 90 mi (144 km) long, in northwestern Indiana and northeastern Illinois in the United States. The Illinois River is a principal tributary of the Mississippi River, approximately 273 miles (439 km long in the U The State of Indiana ( was the 19th US state admitted into the union The State of Illinois ( roughly ill-i-NOY is a state of the United States of America, the 21st to be admitted to the Union. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the At one time the river drained one of the largest wetlands in North America and furnished a significant portage between the Great Lakes and the Mississippi River. A wetland is an area of Land consisting of Soil that is Saturated with Moisture, such as a Swamp, Marsh, or Bog Portage refers to the practice of carrying a Canoe or other Boat over land to avoid an obstacle on the water route (such as Rapids or a Waterfall The Laurentian Great Lakes are a chain of freshwater lakes located in eastern North America, on the Canada–United States border. The Mississippi River is the second longest River in the United States, with a length of from its source in Lake Itasca in Minnesota to Significantly altered from its original channel, it flows through a primarily rural farming region of reclaimed cropland south of Lake Michigan. Lake Michigan is one of the five Great Lakes of North America, and the only one located entirely within the United States.

Contents

Description

The Kankakee rises in northwestern Indiana, approximately 5 mi (8 km) southwest of South Bend. South Bend is a city on the St Joseph river and a twin city of Mishawaka Indiana. It flows in a straight channelized course generally southwestward through rural northwestern Indiana, collecting the Yellow River from the south in Starke County and passing the communities of South Center and English Lake. Channelization may refer to Channelization (roads River engineering The Yellow River is a Tributary of the Kankakee River, approximately 50 miles (80 km long in northern Indiana in the United States. Starke County is a County located in the US state of Indiana. South Center is an unincorporated town in Union Township, LaPorte County, Indiana. English Lake is an Unincorporated community in Starke County, Indiana, United States, located along the Kankakee River. It forms the border between LaPorte, Porter, and Lake counties on the north and Starke, Jasper, and Newton counties on the south. La Porte County is a county located in the US state of Indiana. Porter County is a county located in the US state of Indiana. Lake County is a county located in the US state of Indiana. In 2000 its population was 484564 making it Indiana's second-most populous county Starke County is a County located in the US state of Indiana. Jasper County is a county located in the US state of Indiana. Newton County is a county located in the US state of Indiana. The river curves westward as it enters Kankakee County in northeastern Illinois. Kankakee County is a County located in the US state of Illinois. Approximately 3 mi (5 km) southeast of the city of Kankakee it receives the Iroquois River from the south and turns sharply to the northwest for its lower 35 mi (56 km). Kankakee is a city in Kankakee County, Illinois, in the United States. The Iroquois River is a Tributary of the Kankakee River, about 85 mi (135 km long in northwestern Indiana and It joins the Des Plaines River from the south to form the Illinois, approximately 50 mi (80 km) southwest of Chicago. The Des Plaines River flows southward for 150 miles (241 km through southern Wisconsin and northern Illinois in the U Chicago (ʃɪˈkɑːgoʊ is the largest City by population in the state of Illinois and the American Midwest of the United States.

The Kankakee River Basin drains 2989 sq. mi. (square miles) in northwest Indiana, 2169 sq. The State of Indiana ( was the 19th US state admitted into the union mi. in northeast Illinois,and about 7 sq. mi. in southwest Lower Michigan (figure 1). The Kankakee River heads near South Bend, then flows westward into Illinois, where it joins with the Des Plaines River to form the Illinois River. South Bend is a city on the St Joseph river and a twin city of Mishawaka Indiana. The Illinois River is a principal tributary of the Mississippi River, approximately 273 miles (439 km long in the U The area of Lake County which originally drained to Lake Michigan but now drains by means of artificial diversion to the Illinois River is not considered to be part of the Kankakee River Basin study region. Although the Kankakee River basin includes portions of Indiana, Illinois, and Michigan, the discussion below will focus on the Indiana portion of the basin. The State of Illinois ( roughly ill-i-NOY is a state of the United States of America, the 21st to be admitted to the Union. Michigan ( is a Midwestern state of the United States of America. [1]

KANKAKEE OUTWASH AND LACUSTRINE PLAIN A large sandy and poorly drained plain, the Kankakee Outwash and Lacustrine Plain, comprises approximately the southern quarter of both Lake and Porter Counties and is the most recent of the three land scape regions to face the pressures of impending urbanization. Large portions of the area were once marshland associated with the meandering Kankakee River, which, for 8 or 9 months of the year, was flanked on both sides by wetlands. The marsh area was 3 or 4 miles wide and contained water 1 to 4 feet deep (Meyer, 1935). The low marshland was broken by infrequent islands of sand blown into dunes. The sand islands were the sites of Indian encampments and later of pioneer homes. The Kankakee marsh was an effective barrier to early southerly exploration of both counties, but the area has been progressively drained by ditches constructed during the past 60 years. [2]

History

Up through the early 19th century, the river furnished an important water transportation route through the Illinois Country for both Native Americans and early European settlers, notably French fur trappers. The 19th century of the Common Era began on January 1, 1801 and ended on December 31, 1900, according to the Gregorian calendar The Illinois Country ( Pays des Illinois) was the name used in the 17th century and afterwards to refer to an undefined region centered around present day southwest Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples from the regions of North America now encompassed by the continental United States The European peoples are the various Nations and Ethnic groups of Europe. This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. The fur trade is a worldwide industry dealing in the acquisition and sale of animal Fur. The headwaters of the river near present-day South Bend allowed a portage to the St. Joseph River, which drains into Lake Michigan, as well as furnishing a subsequent portage to the Lake Erie watershed. The St Joseph River (locally known as the St Joe) is a river approximately 210 mi (338 km long in southern Michigan and northern Indiana in the Lake Michigan is one of the five Great Lakes of North America, and the only one located entirely within the United States. Lake Erie (ˈɪəriː is the fourth largest Lake (by surface area of the five Great Lakes, and the tenth largest globally The Kankakee thus was part of an inland canoe route connecting the Great Lakes to Illinois River and subsequently to the Mississippi River. A canoe is a small narrow Boat, typically human-powered though it may also be powered by sails or small electric or gas motors

Fishermen on the Kankakee River at Momence, Illinois, on the north bank, looking southwest.
Fishermen on the Kankakee River at Momence, Illinois, on the north bank, looking southwest. Momence is a city in Kankakee County, Illinois, United States.

Until the end of the 19th century, the river was nearly 240 mi (384 km) long, flowing in highly meandering course through a vast complex of wetlands surrounding the river that were known as the "Great Kankakee Swamp. The 19th century of the Common Era began on January 1, 1801 and ended on December 31, 1900, according to the Gregorian calendar A meander in general is a bend in a sinuous watercourse also known as an oxbow loop or simply an Oxbow. " Encompassing 5,300 sq mi (14,000 km²), they were one of the largest marsh wetlands in the United States. Starting in the late 19th century much of the basin of wetlands was drained to create cultivated cropland. The upper river was also highly channelized with levees to allow easier transport of cut timber from the wetlands to saw mills downstream in Illinois. Dike (constructionEmbankmentA levee, levée, dike (or dyke) embankment, floodbank or stopbank is a natural or artificial The channelization aided in the desiccation of the surrounding wetlands and reduced the river to less than half of its original length. Of the original swamp, only 30,000 acres (120 km²) remain, comprising approximately one percent of the original area. The channelization of the river has rendered it especially prone to flooding. A flood is an overflow of an expanse of water that submerges land a deluge Starting in the 1980s, federal and state efforts have attempted to restore part of the original floodplain of the river through strategic widening of the levees. The 1980s was the decade spanning from January 1 1980 to December 31 1989. ||-||-||-||-||-||-||-||}A floodplain, or flood plain, is flat or nearly flat land adjacent to a Stream or River that experiences occasional or periodic

The river remains a popular destination for recreational canoeing and fishing for warm-water species. For the computer security term see Phishing. Fishing is the activity of catching Fish. Kankakee River State Park is located along the river northwest of Kankakee, Illinois. Kankakee River State Park is an Illinois state park on primarily in Kankakee and Will Counties Illinois, United States. The 4095-acre Kankakee Fish and Wildlife Area is located in Indiana. The Kankakee Fish and Wildlife Area is situated in Starke County at the junction of the Yellow River with the Kankakee River.

See also

References

  1. ^ Water Resource Availability in the Kankakee Riverr Basin, Indiana - Executive Summary; Indiana Department of Natural Resoruces, Division of Water, 1990
  2. ^ Environmental Geology of Lake and Porter Counties, Indiana An Aid to Planning; By EDWIN J. List of Rivers in Illinois ( US state) sorted by name Apple to Fox Apple River Big Muddy List of Rivers in Indiana ( US state) Alphabetically Anderson River Black River (Owensville The Kankakee Outwash Plain is a flat Plain in the Kankakee River valley in northwestern Indiana and northeastern Illinois. Rock Creek may refer to Communities;In Canada Rock Creek British Columbia, a town in the "Boundary Country" Rock HARTKE, JOHN R. HILL, and MARK RESHKIN; ENVIRONMENTAL STUDY 8 DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES GEOLOGICAL SURVEY SPECIAL REPORT 11, pg 3

External links

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