The Sugar River is a tributary of the
Pecatonica River, approximately long,
[U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline data]
The National Map
accessed May 13, 2011 in the
U.S. states of
Wisconsin and
Illinois.
Geography
The river rises in the hills of southwest Wisconsin, in southwest
Dane County, approximately southwest of
Madison Madison may refer to:
People
* Madison (name), a given name and a surname
* James Madison (1751–1836), fourth president of the United States
Place names
* Madison, Wisconsin, the state capital of Wisconsin and the largest city known by this ...
. The headwaters are at the southern terminus of the
last North American glacier. West of the river, the land elevates from lack of glaciation and joins the
Driftless Area, known for its abrupt hills and valleys, covering most of southwest Wisconsin. From its source, the river meanders southeast, past
Paoli and
Belleville, where it is dammed to form Lake Belle View. From there it meanders east of
Monticello where it is joined by the
Little Sugar River and flows south through
Albany, and
Brodhead. It crosses into northern Illinois flowing past an extensive area of the Forest Preserves of Winnebago County system. These preserves are Sugar River Alder, Colored Sands, and Sugar River. The river joins the Pecatonica River in northern
Winnebago County near
Shirland
Shirland is a former pit village in Derbyshire, England. Together with the neighbouring villages of Higham, Stretton and Stonebroom, it forms part of the civil parish of Shirland and Higham, which had a population of 4,802 at the 2011 Census ...
, approximately south of the state line and approximately north-northwest of
Rockford.
The
Sugar River State Trail is a abandoned railroad line used for walking, bicycling, snowmobiling, and cross-country skiing.
Four organizations have been established to protect the watershed around the upper and lower stretches of the Sugar River. The Upper Sugar River Watershed Association manages the watershed north of Belleville and the Lower Sugar River Watershed Association manages the watershed south of Albany. The area in between, the Middle Sugar River Watershed, is managed by Lake Winnetka Sugar River Improvement Association and the Green County River Rats from Attica through Albany.
Activities
The river is a popular destination for
kayakers,
canoers
Canoeing is an activity which involves paddling a canoe with a single-bladed paddle. Common meanings of the term are limited to when the canoeing is the central purpose of the activity. Broader meanings include when it is combined with other acti ...
, and
tubers, with multiple companies existing that rent tubes and provide transportation to customers desiring to float the river. Accidents and
drowning deaths have occurred on the river; some as the result of
excessive drinking
Alcohol abuse encompasses a spectrum of unhealthy alcohol drinking behaviors, ranging from binge drinking to alcohol dependence, in extreme cases resulting in health problems for individuals and large scale social problems such as alcohol-r ...
, high
current, or a combination of both.
See also
*
List of rivers of Illinois
This is a list of rivers in the U.S. state of Illinois:
By drainage basin
Gulf of Mexico
*Mississippi River
** Ohio River
*** Lusk Creek
*** Saline River
***Wabash River
****Little Wabash River
***** Skillet Fork
***** Elm River
***** Fox River
* ...
*
List of rivers of Wisconsin
This is a list of rivers in the U.S. state of Wisconsin.
By drainage basin
This list is arranged by drainage basin, with respective tributaries indented under each larger stream's name.
Great Lakes Drainage
Lake Michigan
*Menominee River
* ...
References
External links
*
{{authority control
Rivers of Illinois
Rivers of Wisconsin
Rivers of Winnebago County, Illinois
Rivers of Dane County, Wisconsin
Rivers of Green County, Wisconsin