The Kaskaskia River is a tributary of the Mississippi River, approximately 325 miles (523 km) long,[2] in central and southern Illinois in the United States.[3] The second largest river system within Illinois, it drains a rural area of farms, as well as rolling hills along river bottoms of hardwood forests in its lower reaches. The lower reaches of the river have been canalized to allow barge traffic.
Kaskaskia River
A coal loading facility on the Kaskaskia River near New Athens in St. Clair County, Illinois
Shelbyville Lake and Dam on the Kaskaskia River at Shelbyville, Illinois
"Cascasquia" is an alternative, supposedly more French, spelling of "Kaskaskia" that is sometimes encountered.[citation needed] It was named after a clan of the Illiniwek encountered by the early FrenchJesuits and other settlers. "Okaw River" was an alternative name for the Kaskaskia that persists in place names along the river, including Okawville, and in a major tributary, the West Okaw River.
The Kaskaskia rises in east central Illinois in several farm ditches along the west side of Champaign. The headwaters of the river is just north of Interstate 74, where it is marked with a sign. The river flows south across rural Champaign and Douglas counties, then southwest across southern Illinois, past Vandalia. It joins the Mississippi from the north approximately 10 miles (16 km) northwest of Chester and 40 miles (64 km) south-southeast of St. Louis, Missouri. The watershed of the river encompasses approximately 5,746 square miles (14,880 km2), approximately 10.2% of the state of Illinois.
For most of the 19th century, the river joined the Mississippi at Chester. Deforestation of river banks of the Mississippi and tributaries to fuel the hundreds of steamboats that plied the river had several significant environmental effects: destabilizing the banks, causing the Mississippi to become wider and more shallow, causing more severe flooding and leading to lateral channel changes in the American Bottoms area.[4] In the aftermath of a major 1881 flood, the Mississippi changed its channel and moved east to flow along the lower 10 miles (16 km) of the channel of the Kaskaskia, shifting the confluence 10 miles north. As a result, a small portion of Illinois, including the former capital, Kaskaskia, was cut off from Illinois when the river moved to its east side. It is now located on the west side of the Mississippi. The community of Kaskaskia can now only be reached from the Missouri shore. The Kaskaskia River State Fish & Wildlife Area is located along the lower river in southern Illinois.
^U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline data. The National Map 2012-03-29 at the Wayback Machine, accessed May 13, 2011
^U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Kaskaskia River
^F. Terry Norris, "Where Did the Villages Go? Steamboats, Deforestation, and Archaeological Loss in the Mississippi Valley", in Common Fields: an environmental history of St. Louis, Andrew Hurley, ed., St. Louis, MO: Missouri Historical Society Press, 1997, pp. 73-89
External links
Media related to Kaskaskia River at Wikimedia Commons
Surf the Upper Kaskaskia with USEPA
Surf the Middle Kaskaskia
Surf the Shoal Watershed
Surf the Lower Kaskaskia
January 07, 2023
kaskaskia, river, tributary, mississippi, river, approximately, miles, long, central, southern, illinois, united, states, second, largest, river, system, within, illinois, drains, rural, area, farms, well, rolling, hills, along, river, bottoms, hardwood, fores. The Kaskaskia River is a tributary of the Mississippi River approximately 325 miles 523 km long 2 in central and southern Illinois in the United States 3 The second largest river system within Illinois it drains a rural area of farms as well as rolling hills along river bottoms of hardwood forests in its lower reaches The lower reaches of the river have been canalized to allow barge traffic Kaskaskia RiverA coal loading facility on the Kaskaskia River near New Athens in St Clair County IllinoisKaskaskia River watershed mapLocationCountryUnited StatesPhysical characteristicsSource locationInterstate 74 in Champaign County Illinois west of Champaign Illinois coordinates39 59 30 N 88 21 22 W 39 991698 N 88 3561656 W 39 991698 88 3561656 Kaskaskia River origin elevation 840 ft 260 m Yankee Ridge Mouth locationMississippi River 10 mi 16 km northwest of Chester coordinates37 58 30 N 89 56 15 W 37 974942 N 89 937372 W 37 974942 89 937372 Kaskaskia River mouth Coordinates 37 58 30 N 89 56 15 W 37 974942 N 89 937372 W 37 974942 89 937372 Kaskaskia River mouth elevation 350 ft 110 m Lengthapproximately 325 miles 523 km Basin sizeapproximately 5 746 sq mi 14 880 km2 Discharge average14 832 cu ft s 420 0 m3 s 1 Basin featuresGNIS ID426395Map all coordinates using OpenStreetMap Download coordinates as KMLShelbyville Lake and Dam on the Kaskaskia River at Shelbyville Illinois Cascasquia is an alternative supposedly more French spelling of Kaskaskia that is sometimes encountered citation needed It was named after a clan of the Illiniwek encountered by the early French Jesuits and other settlers Okaw River was an alternative name for the Kaskaskia that persists in place names along the river including Okawville and in a major tributary the West Okaw River Contents 1 Hydrography 2 See also 3 References 4 External linksHydrography EditThe Kaskaskia rises in east central Illinois in several farm ditches along the west side of Champaign The headwaters of the river is just north of Interstate 74 where it is marked with a sign The river flows south across rural Champaign and Douglas counties then southwest across southern Illinois past Vandalia It joins the Mississippi from the north approximately 10 miles 16 km northwest of Chester and 40 miles 64 km south southeast of St Louis Missouri The watershed of the river encompasses approximately 5 746 square miles 14 880 km2 approximately 10 2 of the state of Illinois The Kaskaskia is impounded in Shelby County to form Lake Shelbyville It is also impounded in Clinton County southwest of Vandalia to form Carlyle Lake For most of the 19th century the river joined the Mississippi at Chester Deforestation of river banks of the Mississippi and tributaries to fuel the hundreds of steamboats that plied the river had several significant environmental effects destabilizing the banks causing the Mississippi to become wider and more shallow causing more severe flooding and leading to lateral channel changes in the American Bottoms area 4 In the aftermath of a major 1881 flood the Mississippi changed its channel and moved east to flow along the lower 10 miles 16 km of the channel of the Kaskaskia shifting the confluence 10 miles north As a result a small portion of Illinois including the former capital Kaskaskia was cut off from Illinois when the river moved to its east side It is now located on the west side of the Mississippi The community of Kaskaskia can now only be reached from the Missouri shore The Kaskaskia River State Fish amp Wildlife Area is located along the lower river in southern Illinois Fort Kaskaskia was located near the mouth of the river in Randolph County See also EditList of Illinois rivers Becks Creek tributary of the river References Edit 32 amp filenum 1081 River Discharge Database permanent dead link U S Geological Survey National Hydrography Dataset high resolution flowline data The National Map Archived 2012 03 29 at the Wayback Machine accessed May 13 2011 U S Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System Kaskaskia River F Terry Norris Where Did the Villages Go Steamboats Deforestation and Archaeological Loss in the Mississippi Valley in Common Fields an environmental history of St Louis Andrew Hurley ed St Louis MO Missouri Historical Society Press 1997 pp 73 89External links Edit Media related to Kaskaskia River at Wikimedia Commons Kaskaskia River State Fish amp Wildlife Area Kaskaskia River Watershed Northern Illinois University Kaskaskia River in Randolph County Surf the Upper Kaskaskia with USEPA Surf the Middle Kaskaskia Surf the Shoal Watershed Surf the Lower Kaskaskia Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Kaskaskia River amp oldid 987754448, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
