| Mackinaw River | |
|---|---|
_from_NW_1.jpg) Mackinaw River nearTremont, Illinois | |
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| Physical characteristics | |
| Source | |
| • location | Ford County east ofSibley, Illinois |
| • coordinates | 40°35′20″N88°21′59″W / 40.5889233°N 88.3664421°W /40.5889233; -88.3664421 (Mackinaw River origin) |
| Mouth | |
• location | Confluence with the Illinois River nearMapleton, Illinois |
• coordinates | 40°33′06″N89°43′56″W / 40.5517055°N 89.7323284°W /40.5517055; -89.7323284 (Mackinaw River mouth) |
• elevation | 443 ft (135 m) |
| Length | 130 mi (210 km) |
| Discharge | |
| • location | Green Valley, Illinois |
| • average | 772 cu/ft. per sec.[1] |
| Basin features | |
| Progression | Mackinaw River → Illinois → Mississippi → Gulf of Mexico |
| GNIS ID | 403283 |
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TheMackinaw River is a 130-mile-long (210 km)[2]tributary of theIllinois River in theU.S. state ofIllinois.[3] Itswatershed covers approximately 1,136 square miles (3,000 km2),[4] and contains some of the most productiveagricultural land in the United States. The river itself maintains some of the highest quality streams in the state and provides habitat for 60-70 nativefish species and 25-30 species ofmussels.[5] Its name, also spelledMackinac, is derived from theOjibwe wordmikinaak meaning "turtle".[6]
The Mackinaw River begins nearSibley, Illinois, inFord County. From its headwaters the river flows west throughMcLean County, where it provides drainage to part of theBloomington–Normal metropolitan area, andWoodford County. It continues west and then southwestward throughTazewell County before flowing into the Illinois River just south ofPekin.[5]
The river flows through three natural divisions, including the Grand Prairie, Upper Mississippi River and Illinois Bottomlands, and Illinois and Mississippi Sand Areas. Early in its life, several thousand years ago following theWisconsin glaciation, it cut through severalmoraines, which influenced the structure of the riverbed. The upper section of the watershed is marked by a series of pools and fast-flowing riffles. The character of the river downstream of the moraines is markedly different, with a relatively wide floodplain, large meanders and erosion-prone sandy banks. Its principal tributaries are Panther, Walnut and Money creeks, and theLittle Mackinaw River.[4]
People of theHopewell culture lived in the area 1,700 to 2,100 years ago. TheKickapoo,Potawatomi,Chippewa, andOttawa peoples also fished, hunted and lived along the river for several centuries, through the1830s. In 1853 a group of 200 Kickapoo still lived along the river but they were expected to move to a reservation in Missouri the next year.[7]
There are only a few villages along or near the Mackinaw River. These include (beginning up stream): Sibley,Colfax,Lexington, andMackinaw. Each was laid out prior to the arrival of therailroad in the region during the 1850s, which diminished the importance of river transport.
TheMackinaw River State Fish and Wildlife Area is a 1,448-acre (586 ha)state park along the river in Tazewell County. Operated by theIllinois Department of Natural Resources, the area provides opportunities for fishing, canoeing, hiking, hunting and general interaction with nature.[8]
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