Battle Creek River

Battle Creek River

Overlooking the Battle Creek River
Origin

Clarence Township, Calhoun County, Michigan

[1]
Mouth Kalamazoo River, Michigan
Length 54.5 mi (87.7 km)
Basin area 307 sq mi (800 km2)

The Battle Creek River (simply Battle Creek on federal maps[1]) is a river in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is a tributary of the Kalamazoo River, joining it at Battle Creek, Michigan.

The river's drainage basin is approximately 196,750 acres (796.2 km2) and covers northern Calhoun County, southern Eaton County, and southeastern Barry County in southwest Michigan. The headwaters of the Battle Creek River are at Duck Lake in Clarence Township in northeast Calhoun County, and the stream flows north to the city of Charlotte, then southeast through the village of Bellevue and empties into the Kalamazoo River at the city of Battle Creek. Tributaries of the Battle Creek River include Wanadoga Creek, Ellis Creek, Crooked Brook, Goose Creek, Ackley Creek, Indian Creek, and Big Creek. The river is 53.3 miles (85.8 km) long[2] with an average gradient of 1.25 feet/mile.[3]

The river's name, according to local lore, was given after a survey party, led by Col. John Mullet, engaged in hostilities with some local Native Americans in the winter of 1823-24. [4][5]

References

  1. ^ a b U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Battle Creek
  2. ^ U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline data. The National Map, accessed May 19, 2011
  3. ^ "The Battle Creek River Watershed Management Plan. Lansing, Michigan: State of Michigan, September, 2004.
  4. ^ Carter, Clarence Edwin. The Territory of Michigan, 1805-1837. Washington, DC: Government Printing Office, 1942.
  5. ^ Rust, E. G. Calhoun County Business Directory for 1869-70… together with a history of the county…, Battle Creek, Michigan: E. G. Rust, 1869.

See also