Vermilion River (Wabash River tributary)

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The Vermilion River is a tributary of the Wabash River located in the state of Illinois, United States.

There are two "Vermilion Rivers" in Illinois. The Wabash tributary flows south. The other Vermilion River flows north. See Vermilion River (Illinois River tributary). There is also at least one Little Vermilion River.

The north-flowing Vermilion River and the south-flowing Middle Fork Vermilion River lie along a straight line connecting Oglesby and Danville. The two rivers drain what was once an upland marsh near Roberts. The two Rivers have been extended by drainage ditches so that they nearly connect at their headwaters. The Rivers may share a common name because early settlers regarded them as a single river that flowed two directions. The Rivers may have served as a canoe route between the Illinois River and Wabash River, with a portage through the marshes near Roberts.

Contents

[edit] Tributaries

The main tributaries of the Vermilion River join near Danville:

The naming of the tributaries is somewhat unusual in that the "Vermilion River" arbitrarily terminates, to be replaced by three tributaries. The preferred practice would be to carry the name "Vermilion River" to the end of the longest reach of the river, which appears to the Middle Fork.

There appears to be confusion as to the name of the stretch of river between the confluence of the Middle Fork and Salt Fork, and the North Fork. Is this the Vermilion, the Middle Fork, or the Salt Fork? Some maps, including Topozone, identify this stretch as the "Vermilion River". If this is correct, the Vermilion starts with the confluence of the Salt Fork and Middle Fork, to be joined by the North Fork a few miles downstream, and all three are indeed tributaries of the Vermilion River.

Interstate 74 crosses the ambiguous stretch of the River near Batesville. The sign on the bridge says it is crossing the "Salt Fork", which therefore appears to represent the State's official name for this stretch of the River. Accepting this naming system, the Middle Fork would actually be a tributary of the Salt Fork, and the Vermilion River would begin where the Salt Fork met the North Fork. This naming system is even more confusing because the main stem of the River becomes the Vermilion to Salt Fork to Middle Fork.

The Salt Fork is the western tributary. It arises north of Urbana, flowing east toward Danville. It was named for the saline springs in its lower reaches. When settlers first arrived in the area, the saline springs were the basis of the dominant industry. This may be why the shorter Salt Fork tributary was considered the main tributary rather than the longer Middle Fork.

The Middle Fork arises near Roberts, and flows southeast toward Danville. The Middle Fork is notable as the only river in Illinois designated as a National Wild and Scenic River by United States National Park Service. This scenic stream flows through Kickapoo State Park near Danville and is a favorite of Illinois canoeists.

The North Fork arises in Indiana to the northeast of Hoopeston, Illinois. It flows south and southwest toward Danville.

From Danville, the Vermiliion River flows to its confluence with the Wabash River to the east of the Illinois/Indiana border.

[edit] Cities and Counties

The following cities, towns and villages are among those in the Vermilion River watershed:

Portions of the following Counties are drained by the Vermilion River:

[edit] See also

[edit] External links

[edit] External References

  • Illinois Atlas & Gazeteer, DeLorme, 1996
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