St Joseph River, Newville, Indiana, 2001

The St. Joseph River (

Miami-Illinois Miami-Illinois (endonym: , ) also known as Irenwa, or Irenwe is an indigenous Algonquian language spoken in the United States, primarily in Illinois, Missouri, Indiana, western Ohio and adjacent areas along the Mississippi River by the Miami a ...

: Kociihsasiipi) is an U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline data
The National Map
accessed May 19, 2011 tributary of the

Maumee River The Maumee River (pronounced ) ( sjw, Hotaawathiipi; mia, Taawaawa siipiiwi) is a river running in the United States Midwest from northeastern Indiana into northwestern Ohio and Lake Erie. It is formed at the confluence of the St. Joseph and ...

in northwestern

Ohio Ohio () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Of the fifty U.S. states, it is the 34th-largest by area, and with a population of nearly 11.8 million, is the seventh-most populous and tenth-most densely populated. The sta ...

and northeastern

Indiana Indiana () is a U.S. state in the Midwestern United States. It is the 38th-largest by area and the 17th-most populous of the 50 States. Its capital and largest city is Indianapolis. Indiana was admitted to the United States as the 19th s ...

in the United States, with headwater tributaries rising in southern

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 ...

. It drains a primarily rural farming region in the watershed of

Lake Erie Lake Erie ( "eerie") is the fourth largest lake by surface area of the five Great Lakes in North America and the eleventh-largest globally. It is the southernmost, shallowest, and smallest by volume of the Great Lakes and therefore also has t ...

. The St. Joseph River of Lake Michigan is an entirely separate river that rises in western Michigan, dips into Indiana, and flows west into Lake Michigan.

Origin

At the end of the

Wisconsin glaciation The Wisconsin Glacial Episode, also called the Wisconsin glaciation, was the most recent glacial period of the North American ice sheet complex. This advance included the Cordilleran Ice Sheet, which nucleated in the northern North American Cor ...

, the glacier's Erie Lobe retreated toward the northeast, leaving large debris deposits called

moraine A moraine is any accumulation of unconsolidated debris (regolith and rock), sometimes referred to as glacial till, that occurs in both currently and formerly glaciated regions, and that has been previously carried along by a glacier or ice shee ...

s. The St. Joseph formed as a meltwater channel between the north limbs of two of these moraines, the Wabash Moraine on the west and the Fort Wayne Moraine on the east. At that time it joined the St. Marys River to drain into the

Wabash River The Wabash River ( French: Ouabache) is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map accessed May 13, 2011 river that drains most of the state of Indiana in the United States. It flows fro ...

. Later, the shrinkage of

Glacial Lake Maumee Lake Maumee was a proglacial lake and an ancestor of present-day Lake Erie. It formed about 17,500 calendar years, or 14,000 Radiocarbon Years Before Present (RCYBP) as the Huron-Erie Lobe of the Laurentide Ice Sheet retreated at the end of the W ...

, the ancestor of modern Lake Erie, brought about the opening of the modern Maumee River, which captured the flow of the St. Joseph and the St. Marys, causing the St. Marys to reverse its course to meet the flow of the St. Joseph almost head-on.

The St. Joseph today

The St. Joseph River forms in northern

Williams County, Ohio Williams County is a county located in the U.S. state of Ohio. As of the 2020 census, the population was 37,102. Its county seat is Bryan. The county was created in 1820 and later organized in 1824. It is named for David Williams, one of the ...

, at the confluence of the East and West branches at . Both branches rise in southern

Hillsdale County, Michigan Hillsdale County is a county located in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2020 Census, the population was 45,746. The county seat is Hillsdale. Hillsdale County is the only county in Michigan to border both Indiana and Ohio. Due to an a ...

. The headwaters of the East Branch are within of those of the St. Joseph River of Lake Michigan. Both branches initially flow southeast, then turn to the southwest to flow across the northwestern corner of Ohio past Montpelier. The St. Joseph enters De Kalb County in northeastern Indiana, flowing southwest past Saint Joe and into the city of

Fort Wayne Fort Wayne is a city in and the county seat of Allen County, Indiana, United States. Located in northeastern Indiana, the city is west of the Ohio border and south of the Michigan border. The city's population was 263,886 as of the 2020 Censu ...

, where it meets the St. Marys River to form the

at . The US Army Corps of Engineers built a flood control project in Fort Wayne that includes a floodwall and upper roadway along the St. Joseph River. (See photo)

Tributaries

From the mouth: * (left) Becketts Run * (right) Tiernan Ditch * (left) Ely Run * (left) Cedar Creek * Cedarville Reservoir ** (left) Nettlehorst Ditch ** (left) Warner Ditch ** (right) Wittmer Ditch *** (right) Haifley Ditch * (left) Swartz-Carnahan Ditch ** Dunton Lake * (right) Boger Ditch * (left) Metcalf Ditch * (right) Walker Ditch * (left) Dilley Ditch * (left) Wade Ditch * (left) Bear Creek ** (right) North Branch Hursey Ditch *** (right) Carper Ditch ** (left) South Branch Hursey Ditch *** (right) Swander Ditch * (right) Nancy Davis Ditch * (left) Sol Shank Ditch ** (right) Weicht Ditch ** (left) Sebert Ditch ** (right) Varner Ditch ** (left) Hoodelmier Ditch * (right) Melissa Ditch * (left) Buck Creek ** (left) Smith Ditch ** (right) Mason Ditch *** (left) Metcalf Ditch **** (right) Harwood Ditch * (left) Christoffel Ditch * (right) Willow Run * (right) Amaden Ditch * (right) Greens Ditch * (right) Foulks Ditch * (left) Peter Grube Ditch * (left) Big Run ** (right) Ayford Ditch *** (left) Walters Ditch *** (right) Streeter Ditch ** (right) Praul Ditch *** (right) Mary Metcalf Ditch ** (left) Teutsch Ditch ** (left) Donnell Ditch *** (right) King Ditch ** (right) John Smith Ditch *** (left) Haverstolk Ditch * (left) Russell Run * (left) Fish Creek ** (right) Cornell Ditch ** (left) Hiram Sweet Ditch *** (right) Baker Ditch *** (left) Hamilton Lake **** Black Creek ***** (left) Haughey Ditch ***** (left) Lillian Metz Ditch ****** (right) Burch Ditch *** Ball Lake *** (left) Myers Ditch *** Perfect Lake ** (left) West Branch Fish Creek *** (left) Donald Nunkle Ditch * (left) Bluff Run * (left) Bear Creek ** (left) Tamarack Ditch * (left) Eagle Creek ** (right) North Branch Eagle Creek * (left) Nettle Creek ** Nettle Lake *** (right) Mill Stream Drain * (right) East Branch St. Joseph River (rises in southwest

Adams Township, Hillsdale County, Michigan Adams Township is a civil township of Hillsdale County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 2,262 at the 2020 census. Communities * The village of North Adams is within the township, and the North Adams 49262 ZIP Code serves an ...

at ) ** (left) Clear Fork ** (left) Silver Creek *** Merry Lake ** (left) Laird Creek *** (right) Nile Ditch *** (left) Ransom Ditch ** (left) Bird Creek *** Bird Lake ** (left) Newton Drain ** (left) Dillon Drain ** (left) Anderson Drain ** (left) Goose Creek ** (left) Lake Number One *** Lake Number Two ** Pittsford Millpond *** (right) Otto Drain *** Deer Lake **** Twin Lake * (left) West Branch St. Joseph River (rises just south of the intersection of Carpenter Rd. and W. Territorial Rd. in southern

Cambria Township, Hillsdale County, Michigan Cambria Township is a civil township of Hillsdale County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 2,229 at the 2020 census. History Cambria Township was established in 1841 and named after Cambria, New York, which was the hometown of ma ...

at ) ** Lake Seneca *** (left) outflow from Lake La Su An ** (right) East Fork West Branch St. Joseph River (rises in northwest

at ) *** (left) Jonas Brown Drain *** (left) Carruthers Drain *** (right) outflow from Cub Lake *** Cambria Millpond **** (left) Cambria Drain *** (left) Meade Drain *** Bear Lake **** (left) Pike Lake ***** Broom Lake **** Lake Wilson ***** Bankers Lake ** (left) West Fork West Branch St. Joseph River (rises from the outflow of Rebeck Lake in northwest

Camden Township, Hillsdale County, Michigan Camden Township is a civil township of Hillsdale County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 2,093 at the 2020 census. The villages of Camden and Montgomery are within the township. Due to the angle in Michigan's southern border, ...

at ) *** (left) Joe Drain *** (left) Prouty Drain *** Rebeck Lake **** Mead Lake ***** Turner Lake

Drainage basin

The St. Joseph River and tributaries drain all or portions of the following: * Allen County, Indiana ** Cedar Creek Township ** Cedarville ** Eel River Township **

** Grabill ** Milan Township ** Perry Township ** St. Joseph Township ** Springfield Township ** Washington Township * DeKalb County, Indiana **

Auburn Auburn may refer to: Places Australia * Auburn, New South Wales * City of Auburn, the local government area *Electoral district of Auburn *Auburn, Queensland, a locality in the Western Downs Region *Auburn, South Australia *Auburn, Tasmania *Aub ...

** Butler Township **

Butler A butler is a person who works in a house serving and is a domestic worker in a large household. In great houses, the household is sometimes divided into departments with the butler in charge of the dining room, wine cellar, and pantry. Some a ...

** Concord Township ** Franklin Township ** Garrett ** Jackson Township ** Keyser Township ** Newville Township ** Richland Township ** Grant Township ** Fairfield Township ** Saint Joe ** Smithfield Township ** Spencer Township ** Spencerville ** Stafford Township ** Troy Township ** Union Township **

Waterloo Waterloo most commonly refers to: * Battle of Waterloo, a battle on 18 June 1815 in which Napoleon met his final defeat * Waterloo, Belgium, where the battle took place. Waterloo may also refer to: Other places Antarctica *King George Island (S ...

** Wilmington Township *

Noble County, Indiana Noble County is a county in the U.S. state of Indiana. As of the 2020 United States Census, the population was 47,457. The county seat is Albion. The county is divided into 13 townships which provide local services. Noble County comprises the K ...

** Avilla ** Allen Township ** Green Township ** LaOtto ** Swan Township ** Wayne Township *

Steuben County, Indiana Steuben County is a county in the northeast corner of the U.S. state of Indiana. As of the 2010 United States Census the county population was 34,185. The county seat (and only incorporated city) is Angola. Steuben County comprises the Angola, ...

** Clear Lake Township **

Hamilton Hamilton may refer to: People * Hamilton (name), a common British surname and occasional given name, usually of Scottish origin, including a list of persons with the surname ** The Duke of Hamilton, the premier peer of Scotland ** Lord Hamilt ...

** Otsego Township ** Richland Township ** York Township * Defiance County, Ohio ** Milford Township

** Bridgewater Township ** Blakeslee ** Center Township ** Edgerton ** Edon ** Florence Township ** Madison Township ** Montpelier ** Northwest Township **

Pioneer Pioneer commonly refers to a settler who migrates to previously uninhabited or sparsely inhabited land. In the United States pioneer commonly refers to an American pioneer, a person in American history who migrated west to join in settling and dev ...

** St. Joseph Township ** Superior Township *

** Adams Township ** Amboy Township ** Cambria Township ** Camden Township **

Camden Camden may refer to: People * Camden (surname), a surname of English origin * Camden Joy (born 1964), American writer * Camden Toy (born 1957), American actor Places Australia * Camden, New South Wales * Camden, Rosehill, a heritage res ...

** Jefferson Township ** Osseo ** Pittsford Township ** Ransom Township ** Reading Township ** Wheatland Township ** Woodbridge Township ** Wright Township

References

External links

* ttp://cfpub.epa.gov/surf/huc.cfm?huc_code=04100003 EPA St. Joseph Watershed Profile
St. Joseph River Watershed Initiative

Maumee River Basin Commission

Maume Valley Heritage Corridor
{{Authority control Rivers of Indiana Rivers of Michigan Rivers of Ohio Rivers of Allen County, Indiana Rivers of Hillsdale County, Michigan Rivers of DeKalb County, Indiana Rivers of Williams County, Ohio Tributaries of Lake Erie