Whitewater River (Great Miami River)
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The Whitewater River is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline data
The National Map
accessed May 19, 2011
southerly flowing right tributary of the
Great Miami River The Great Miami River (also called the Miami River) (Shawnee: ''Msimiyamithiipi'') is a tributary of the Ohio River, approximately long,U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map , accesse ...
in southeastern
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 ...
and southwestern
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 ...
in the
United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...
. It is formed by the confluence of two forks, the West Fork and East Fork. The name is a misnomer, as there is no true white water on the river. However, there are many rapids due to the steep gradient present - the river falls an average of . The gradient rendered upstream navigation impossible, and in the mid-nineteenth century resulted in the construction of the
Whitewater Canal The Whitewater Canal, which was built between and , spanned a distance of and stretched from Lawrenceburg, Indiana on the Ohio River to Hagerstown, Indiana near the West Fork of the White River. History Birth of a canal As with most transpor ...
paralleling the river from north of Connersville, Indiana, to the Ohio River. The West Fork, shown as the main stem of the river on federal maps, rises in Randolph County, Indiana, approximately northeast of Modoc. It flows south and southeast, past Hagerstown and
Connersville Connersville is a city in Fayette County, east central Indiana, United States, east by southeast of Indianapolis. The population was 13,481 at the 2010 census. The city is the county seat of and the largest and only incorporated town in F ...
, and joins the East Fork of the river at
Brookville, Indiana Brookville is a town in Brookville Township, Franklin County, Indiana, United States. The population was 2,596 at the 2010 census. The town is the county seat of and the largest community entirely within Franklin County. History Brookville was ...
. The East Fork rises in
Darke County, Ohio Darke County is a county in the U.S. state of Ohio. As of the 2020 census, the population was 51,881. Its county seat is Greenville. The county was created in 1809 and later organized in 1817. It is named for William Darke, an officer in the ...
, approximately northwest of New Paris. It flows south, through Richmond, Indiana, and joins the West Fork of the river at Brookville, Indiana. From the junction the Whitewater flows southeasterly into Ohio where it eventually joins the Great Miami River, a tributary of the Ohio River. Following continual flooding problems on the East Fork, and to help control flooding in the Ohio River, the East Fork was dammed by the
US Army Corps of Engineers , colors = , anniversaries = 16 June (Organization Day) , battles = , battles_label = Wars , website = , commander1 = ...
to create
Brookville Lake Brookville Lake Dam (National ID # IN03017) is a dam in Brookville Township, Franklin County, Indiana, just north of Brookville, in the southeastern part of the state. The earthen dam was constructed in 1974 by the United States Army Corps of ...
in 1974. Brookville Lake extends from just south of
Liberty, Indiana Liberty is a town in Center Township, Union County, Indiana, United States of America. The population was 2,000 at the 2020 census. It is the county seat of Union County. History The Liberty post office has been in operation since 1824. The L ...
, to Brookville. Cities and towns on the Whitewater River (north to south) include Hagerstown, Cambridge City, Connersville,
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, Metamora, Brookville, Harrison (Ohio), and Lawrenceburg. Richmond, Indiana is on the East Fork of the Whitewater River and is the most significant town in the river valley, containing most of the population of the valley. The West Fork of the river is paralleled by State Road 121 from Connersville to west of Brookville, thence by U.S. Route 52 to the Ohio River.


Whitewater Valley

The region surrounding the Whitewater River is known as the Whitewater Valley. The melting Wisconsin ice cap starting about 21,000 years ago created the Whitewater Valley basin as we know it today. The Whitewater Valley encompasses approximately between Hagerstown in Wayne County and Lawrenceburg in
Dearborn County Dearborn County is one of 92 counties of the U.S. state of Indiana located on the Ohio border near the southeast corner of the state. It was formed in 1803 from a portion of Hamilton County, Ohio. In 2020, the population was 50,679. The county ...
on the Ohio River. The Whitewater River and its valley were the main conduit of settlement of southeastern and eastern Indiana from Cincinnati and Clarksville (opposite Louisville) on the Ohio River during the first half of the nineteenth century, prior to the construction of railroads. The Indianapolis and Cincinnati Railroad constructed a line known as the Whitewater Railroad in 1863-1868 on the tow path of the Whitewater Canal, from Hagerstown to just west of Cincinnati. It brought to an end the commercial importance of the river and the canal.


Recreation

The river today is devoted to scenic and recreational uses.


See also

*
List of Indiana rivers This is a list of rivers in Indiana (U.S. state). By tributary Lake Erie *Maumee River ** St. Marys River ** St. Joseph River *** Cedar Creek **** Little Cedar Creek **** Willow Creek *** Fish Creek Lake Michigan * St. Joseph River (Lake Michig ...
*
List of rivers of Ohio Ohio is a Midwestern state in the Great Lakes region of the United States. The state takes its name from the Ohio River, whose name in turn originated from the Seneca word '' ohiːyo, meaning "good river", "great river" or "large creek". The Ohi ...


References

* * {{authority control Rivers of Indiana Rivers of Ohio Rivers of Fayette County, Indiana Rivers of Franklin County, Indiana Rivers of Union County, Indiana Rivers of Wayne County, Indiana