The Black River is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline data
The National Map
, accessed May 1, 2012 river on the

Upper Peninsula The Upper Peninsula of Michigan – also known as Upper Michigan or colloquially the U.P. – is the northern and more elevated of the two major landmasses that make up the U.S. state of Michigan; it is separated from the Lower Peninsula by t ...

of the

U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its sover ...

Michigan Michigan () is a state in the Great Lakes region of the upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the 10th-largest state by population, the 11th-largest by area, and the ...

, flowing mostly in

Gogebic County Gogebic County ( ) is the westernmost county in the Upper Peninsula in the U.S. state of Michigan, and the westernmost in the state as a whole. As of the 2020 Census, the population was 14,380. The county seat is Bessemer. This was historical ...

into

Lake Superior Lake Superior in central North America is the largest freshwater lake in the world by surface areaThe Caspian Sea is the largest lake, but is saline, not freshwater. and the third-largest by volume, holding 10% of the world's surface fresh wa ...

at . Its source at is a boreal

wetland A wetland is a distinct ecosystem that is flooded or saturated by water, either permanently (for years or decades) or seasonally (for weeks or months). Flooding results in oxygen-free (anoxic) processes prevailing, especially in the soils. The ...

on the border with

Iron County, Wisconsin Iron County is a county located in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of the 2020 census, the population was 6,137, making it the third-least populous county in Wisconsin. Its county seat is Hurley. It was named for the valuable iron ore found w ...

. The northern section of the river, within the boundaries of the

Ottawa National Forest The Ottawa National Forest is a national forest that covers in the Upper Peninsula of the U.S. state of Michigan. It includes much of Gogebic and Ontonagon counties, as well as slices of Iron, Houghton, Baraga, and Marquette counties. The f ...

, was designated a

National Wild and Scenic River The National Wild and Scenic Rivers System was created by the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act of 1968 (Public Law 90-542), enacted by the U.S. Congress to preserve certain rivers with outstanding natural, cultural, and recreational values in a free- ...

in 1992. At the Lake Superior mouth of the Black River is Black River Harbor, a former

fish Fish are aquatic, craniate, gill-bearing animals that lack limbs with digits. Included in this definition are the living hagfish, lampreys, and cartilaginous and bony fish as well as various extinct related groups. Approximately 95% of li ...

ing station where commercial fishermen brought in cargoes of

lake trout The lake trout (''Salvelinus namaycush'') is a freshwater char living mainly in lakes in northern North America. Other names for it include mackinaw, namaycush, lake char (or charr), touladi, togue, and grey trout. In Lake Superior, it can also ...

. The

North Country Trail The North Country National Scenic Trail, generally known as the North Country Trail or simply the NCT, is a footpath stretching over from Middlebury in central Vermont to Lake Sakakawea State Park in central North Dakota in the United States; ...

crosses the river here via a

suspension Suspension or suspended may refer to: Science and engineering * Suspension (topology), in mathematics * Suspension (dynamical systems), in mathematics * Suspension of a ring, in mathematics * Suspension (chemistry), small solid particles suspend ...

footbridge A footbridge (also a pedestrian bridge, pedestrian overpass, or pedestrian overcrossing) is a bridge designed solely for pedestrians.''Oxford English Dictionary'' While the primary meaning for a bridge is a structure which links "two points at a ...

Waterfalls

The Wild and Scenic River section of the Black River of Gogebic County is known for the many

waterfall A waterfall is a point in a river or stream where water flows over a vertical drop or a series of steep drops. Waterfalls also occur where meltwater drops over the edge of a tabular iceberg or ice shelf. Waterfalls can be formed in several wa ...

s produced as the river tumbles down from near

Copper Peak Copper Peak is a ski flying hill designed by Lauren Larsen and located in Ironwood, Michigan, United States. It was built in 1969 and inaugurated one year later. The site was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1973 and designa ...

to Lake Superior. The river drops more than over five separate named cataracts beginning from its mouth. The first three named falls are smaller, farther apart, and have limited access. Some of these waterfalls are easily accessible from the parallel County Road 513 (Black River Road) north of Bessemer, while other waterfalls require a more strenuous hike to see. Roadside trails provide access to Gorge Falls and Potawatomi Falls. The Black River Road was named a

National Forest Scenic Byway The National Forest Scenic Byways are roads that have been designated by the U.S. Forest Service as scenic byways. Many are also National Scenic Byways (NSB). The program was initiated in 1987. __TOC__ List The following roadways were listed b ...

in 1992. The trails to two of the Black River waterfalls, Gorge and Potawatomi, have been designated

National Recreation Trail The National Trails System is a series of trails in the United States designated "to promote the preservation of, public access to, travel within, and enjoyment and appreciation of the open-air, outdoor areas and historic resources of the Nati ...

s due to their unique stairway designs (to provide easier access down the steep slopes) and observation platforms.

Narrows, Chippewa, and Algonquin Falls

The first three waterfalls on the Black River as it approaches Lake Superior are Narrows Falls, Chippewa Falls, and

Algonquin Algonquin or Algonquian—and the variation Algonki(a)n—may refer to: Languages and peoples *Algonquian languages, a large subfamily of Native American languages in a wide swath of eastern North America from Canada to Virginia **Algonquin la ...

Falls. They are the three smallest named waterfalls on the river. Narrows and Algonquin Falls are technically

rapids Rapids are sections of a river where the river bed has a relatively steep gradient, causing an increase in water velocity and turbulence. Rapids are hydrological features between a ''run'' (a smoothly flowing part of a stream) and a ''cascade''. ...

or cascades. Chippewa Falls drops nearly over boulders and dead tree limbs. These area have limited access and are not often visited.

Great Conglomerate and Potawatomi Falls

Great Conglomerate Falls is the southernmost (the Black River flows north) of the more publicized falls and the first large waterfall on the river's approach to Lake Superior. The river drops around a large piece of

conglomerate rock Conglomerate () is a clastic sedimentary rock that is composed of a substantial fraction of rounded to subangular gravel-size clasts. A conglomerate typically contains a matrix of finer-grained sediments, such as sand, silt, or clay, which fill ...

, boulders and tree trunks into a deep gorge. Potawatomi Falls drops nearly in two sections around a piece of conglomerate rock, similar to Great Conglomerate Falls.

Gorge and Sandstone Falls

At Gorge Falls, , the Black River constricts to about across and drops into a steep gorge, creating masses of

foam Foams are materials formed by trapping pockets of gas in a liquid or solid. A bath sponge and the head on a glass of beer are examples of foams. In most foams, the volume of gas is large, with thin films of liquid or solid separating the reg ...

as the water falls against the rocks below. Sandstone Falls drops a total of in two sections, a initial drop (pictured) and a second drop. Sandstone Falls is named for the

sandstone Sandstone is a clastic sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized (0.0625 to 2 mm) silicate grains. Sandstones comprise about 20–25% of all sedimentary rocks. Most sandstone is composed of quartz or feldspar (both silicates) ...

rocks along the riverbed that the river has

cut Cut may refer to: Common uses * The act of cutting, the separation of an object into two through acutely-directed force ** A type of wound ** Cut (archaeology), a hole dug in the past ** Cut (clothing), the style or shape of a garment ** Cut (ea ...

channels Channel, channels, channeling, etc., may refer to: Geography * Channel (geography), in physical geography, a landform consisting of the outline (banks) of the path of a narrow body of water. Australia * Channel Country, region of outback Austral ...

through.

Rainbow Falls

Rainbow Falls is the northernmost waterfall on the Black River, less than from Lake Superior. It is also the highest. Here, the water drops down into a rocky gorge. The waterfall creates much mist, which, on sunny days, creates a constant

rainbow A rainbow is a meteorological phenomenon that is caused by reflection, refraction and dispersion of light in water droplets resulting in a spectrum of light appearing in the sky. It takes the form of a multicoloured circular arc. Rainbows c ...

. The approach to this waterfall is strenuous: 200 steps are built on staircases and into the side of the hill, creating a very steep approach. Rainbow Falls Michigan

Tributaries and features

From the mouth: * Rainbow Falls * (left) Sagaigan Creek ** Sagaigan Lake * Sandstone Falls * Gorge Falls * Potawatomi Falls * Great Conglomerate Falls * (left) Sand Island Creek * Algonquin Falls * (left) Kirby Creek * Chippewa Falls * (right) Reed Creek * (left) Narrows Creek * (left) Montowibo Creek * (left) Sapsucker Creek * (right) Sixmile Creek * (right) Powder Mill Creek ** (left) Sellwood Creek * (right) Kallander Creek ** Bessemer * (left) Abitosse Creek * (left) Jackson Creek ** (right) Planter Creek ** (left) Berranger Creek ** (left) Connor Creek ** (left) Bowden Creek ** (left) Finnegan Creek ** (left) Alward Creek ** (right) McVichie Creek * Gabbro Falls * Neepikon Falls * (left) Little Black River ** Sunday Lake **

Wakefield Wakefield is a cathedral city in West Yorkshire, England located on the River Calder. The city had a population of 99,251 in the 2011 census.https://www.nomisweb.co.uk/census/2011/ks101ew Census 2011 table KS101EW Usual resident population, ...

* Ramsay * (left) Sunset Creek * Granite Falls * (left) Hosking Creek * (left) Devils Creek * (right) Palms Creek * (left) McDonald Creek ** McDonald Lake *** (left) Bice Creek *** (left) Mosinee Creek * (right) Wester Creek * (left) Underwood Creek * Black River Lake

References

* * {{Authority control Wild and Scenic Rivers of the United States Rivers of Michigan Rivers of Wisconsin Waterfalls of Michigan Rivers of Gogebic County, Michigan Tributaries of Lake Superior Rivers of Iron County, Wisconsin Ottawa National Forest