Great Miami River
Encyclopedia
Ohio River
The Ohio River is the largest tributary, by volume, of the Mississippi River. At the confluence, the Ohio is even bigger than the Mississippi and, thus, is hydrologically the main stream of the whole river system, including the Allegheny River further upstream...
, approximately 160 miles (257.5 km) long, in southwestern Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The Great Miami flows through Dayton
Dayton, Ohio
Dayton is the 6th largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Montgomery County, the fifth most populous county in the state. The population was 141,527 at the 2010 census. The Dayton Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 841,502 in the 2010 census...
, Piqua
Piqua, Ohio
Piqua is a city in Miami County, Ohio, United States. The population was 20,738 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Dayton Metropolitan Statistical Area.Piqua was one of the cities that experienced severe flooding during the Great Dayton Flood of 1913....
, Troy
Troy, Ohio
* - Sports :In addition to Troy High School athletics, Troy is home to the Miami Valley Silverbacks indoor football team of the Continental Indoor Football League....
, Hamilton
Hamilton, Ohio
Hamilton is a city in Butler County, southwestern Ohio, United States. The population was 62,447 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Butler County. The city is part of the Cincinnati metropolitan area....
, and Sidney
Sidney, Ohio
Sidney is a city in Shelby County, Ohio, United States. The population was 20,211 at the 2000 census. It is named after English poet Sir Phillip Sidney and is the county seat of Shelby County.Sidney was the recipient of the 1964 All-America City Award...
.
The river is named for the Miami
Miami tribe
The Miami are a Native American nation originally found in what is now Indiana, southwest Michigan, and western Ohio. The Miami Tribe of Oklahoma is the only federally recognized tribe of Miami Indians in the United States...
, an Algonquian
Algonquian languages
The Algonquian languages also Algonkian) are a subfamily of Native American languages which includes most of the languages in the Algic language family. The name of the Algonquian language family is distinguished from the orthographically similar Algonquin dialect of the Ojibwe language, which is a...
-speaking Native American
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
people who lived in the region during the early days of European settlement.
The region surrounding the Great Miami River is known as the Miami Valley, an economic-cultural region centered primarily on the Greater Dayton
Greater Dayton
The Dayton metropolitan area is the fourth largest metropolitan area in the state of Ohio, behind the largest, Greater Cincinnati, Greater Cleveland, and Greater Columbus.-Definitions:...
area.
Course
The main course of the Great Miami River rises from the outflow of Indian LakeIndian Lake (Ohio)
Indian Lake is a reservoir in Logan County, western Ohio, in the United States. It is approximately 20 mi southeast of Lima...
in Logan County
Logan County, Ohio
Logan County is a county in the state of Ohio, United States. As of the 2010 census, the population was 45,858. The county seat is Bellefontaine. The county is named for Benjamin Logan, who fought Native Americans in the area....
, about 1 miles (1.6 km) southeast of the village of Russells Point
Russells Point, Ohio
Russells Point is a village located in Logan County, Ohio, United States. The population was 1,619 at the 2000 census. It is situated on Indian Lake.-Geography:Russells Point is located at ....
, approximately 15 miles (24.1 km) southeast of Lima
Lima, Ohio
Lima is a city in and the county seat of Allen County, Ohio, United States. The municipality is located in northwestern Ohio along Interstate 75 approximately north of Dayton and south-southwest of Toledo....
. Indian Lake is an artificial reservoir
Reservoir
A reservoir , artificial lake or dam is used to store water.Reservoirs may be created in river valleys by the construction of a dam or may be built by excavation in the ground or by conventional construction techniques such as brickwork or cast concrete.The term reservoir may also be used to...
which receives the flow from the North and South forks of the Great Miami River. It flows south and southwest, past Sidney
Sidney, Ohio
Sidney is a city in Shelby County, Ohio, United States. The population was 20,211 at the 2000 census. It is named after English poet Sir Phillip Sidney and is the county seat of Shelby County.Sidney was the recipient of the 1964 All-America City Award...
, and is joined by Loramie Creek
Loramie Creek
Loramie Creek is a tributary of the Great Miami River in western Ohio in the United States. Via the Great Miami and Ohio rivers, it is part of the watershed of the Mississippi River, draining an area of...
in northern Miami County
Miami County, Ohio
As of the census of 2000, there were 98,868 people, 38,437 households, and 27,943 families residing in the county. The population density was 243 people per square mile . There were 40,554 housing units at an average density of 100 per square mile...
. It flows south past Piqua
Piqua, Ohio
Piqua is a city in Miami County, Ohio, United States. The population was 20,738 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Dayton Metropolitan Statistical Area.Piqua was one of the cities that experienced severe flooding during the Great Dayton Flood of 1913....
and Troy
Troy, Ohio
* - Sports :In addition to Troy High School athletics, Troy is home to the Miami Valley Silverbacks indoor football team of the Continental Indoor Football League....
, and through Taylorsville Dam near Tipp City
Tipp City, Ohio
Tipp City is a city in Miami County, Ohio, United States. The population was 9,689 at the 2010 census. Formerly known as Tippecanoe, and then Tippecanoe City, this town was renamed to Tipp City in 1938 because another town in Ohio was likewise named Tippecanoe...
and Vandalia
Vandalia, Ohio
Vandalia is a city in Montgomery County, Ohio, United States, and a suburb of Dayton. Its population was 15,246 during the 2010 census. The James M. Cox Dayton International Airport is located in the city...
. It continues through Dayton
Dayton, Ohio
Dayton is the 6th largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Montgomery County, the fifth most populous county in the state. The population was 141,527 at the 2010 census. The Dayton Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 841,502 in the 2010 census...
, where it is joined by the Stillwater
Stillwater River (Ohio)
The Stillwater River is a tributary of the Great Miami River in western Ohio in the United States. Via the Great Miami and Ohio rivers, it is part of the Mississippi River watershed....
and the Mad
Mad River (Ohio)
The Mad River is a stream located in the west central part of the U.S. state of Ohio. It flows from Logan County to downtown Dayton, where it meets the Great Miami River. The stream flows southwest from its source near Campbell Hill through West Liberty, along U.S...
rivers and Wolf Creek
Wolf Creek (Great Miami River)
Wolf Creek is a tributary of the Great Miami River in southwestern Ohio in the United States. It rises in western Montgomery County, northwest of Brookville, and flows generally southeast, passing through the center of Trotwood and joining the Great Miami in downtown Dayton.It was one of the...
.
From Dayton it flows southwest past Miamisburg
Miamisburg, Ohio
Miamisburg is a city in Montgomery County, Ohio, United States. The population was 20,181 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Dayton Metropolitan Statistical Area...
, Franklin
Franklin, Ohio
Not to be confused with Franklin County, Ohio.Franklin is a city in Warren County, Ohio, United States. The population was 11,771 at the 2010 census.-History:...
, Middletown
Middletown, Ohio
Middletown is an All-America City located in Butler and Warren counties in the southwestern part of the U.S. state of Ohio. Formerly in Lemon, Turtlecreek, and Franklin townships, Middletown was incorporated by the Ohio General Assembly on February 11, 1833, and became a city in 1886...
and Hamilton
Hamilton, Ohio
Hamilton is a city in Butler County, southwestern Ohio, United States. The population was 62,447 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Butler County. The city is part of the Cincinnati metropolitan area....
in the southwest corner of Ohio. In southwestern Hamilton County
Hamilton County, Ohio
As of 2000, there were 845,303 people, 346,790 households, and 212,582 families residing in the county. The population density was 2,075 people per square mile . There were 373,393 housing units at an average density of 917 per square mile...
it is joined by the Whitewater River
Whitewater River (Indiana)
The Whitewater River is a tributary of the Great Miami River in southeastern Indiana and southwestern Ohio in the United States. It is formed by the confluence of two forks, the West Fork and East Fork....
approximately 5 miles (8 km) upstream from its mouth on the Ohio River
Ohio River
The Ohio River is the largest tributary, by volume, of the Mississippi River. At the confluence, the Ohio is even bigger than the Mississippi and, thus, is hydrologically the main stream of the whole river system, including the Allegheny River further upstream...
, just east of the Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
-Indiana
Indiana
Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
state line, approximately 16 miles (25.7 km) west of Cincinnati
Cincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio. Cincinnati is the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located to north of the Ohio River at the Ohio-Kentucky border, near Indiana. The population within city limits is 296,943 according to the 2010 census, making it Ohio's...
. The river meanders across the state line near Lawrenceburg, Indiana
Lawrenceburg, Indiana
Lawrenceburg is a city in Dearborn County, Indiana, United States. The population was 5,042 at the 2010 census. The city is the county seat of Dearborn County...
in the last two miles (3 km) before reaching its mouth approximately ¼ mile east of the border in Ohio.
Natural and human history
The Miami and Erie CanalMiami and Erie Canal
The Miami and Erie Canal was a canal that connected the Ohio River in Cincinnati, Ohio with Lake Erie in Toledo, Ohio. Construction on the canal began in 1825 and was completed in 1845. It consisted of 19 aqueducts, three guard locks, and 103 canal locks. Each lock measured by and they...
, which connected the Ohio River with Lake Erie
Lake Erie
Lake Erie is the fourth largest lake of the five Great Lakes in North America, and the tenth largest globally. It is the southernmost, shallowest, and smallest by volume of the Great Lakes and therefore also has the shortest average water residence time. It is bounded on the north by the...
, was built through the Great Miami watershed. The first portion of the canal, from Cincinnati
Cincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio. Cincinnati is the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located to north of the Ohio River at the Ohio-Kentucky border, near Indiana. The population within city limits is 296,943 according to the 2010 census, making it Ohio's...
to Middletown
Middletown, Ohio
Middletown is an All-America City located in Butler and Warren counties in the southwestern part of the U.S. state of Ohio. Formerly in Lemon, Turtlecreek, and Franklin townships, Middletown was incorporated by the Ohio General Assembly on February 11, 1833, and became a city in 1886...
was operational in 1828, and extended to Dayton in 1830. http://www.dnr.state.oh.us/water/canals/canlhist.htm Water from the Great Miami fed into the canal. http://www.middle-america.org/crout/Economic/ch_04.html. A later extension to the canal, the Sidney Feeder, drew water from the upper reaches of the Great Miami from near Port Jefferson
Port Jefferson, Ohio
Port Jefferson is a village in Salem Township, Shelby County, Ohio, United States. The population was 321 at the 2000 census.-History:First known as Pratt, the village adopted its present name when it was incorporated on April 18, 1842. Port Jefferson was located where the Sidney feeder canal...
and Sidney
Sidney, Ohio
Sidney is a city in Shelby County, Ohio, United States. The population was 20,211 at the 2000 census. It is named after English poet Sir Phillip Sidney and is the county seat of Shelby County.Sidney was the recipient of the 1964 All-America City Award...
. The canal served as the principal route of transportation for western Ohio until being supplanted by railroads in the 1850s. As was common in early industrial days, the river served as a source of water and a method to dispose of wastes for a variety of major industrial firms including Armco Steel, Champion International Paper
Champion International Paper
Champion International Paper was a large paper and wood products producer. In 2000, the company was bought byInternational Paper. Champion had operated since the late 19th century in the USA and other countries....
, Black Clawson, Fernald
Fernald Feed Materials Production Center
The Fernald Feed Materials Production Center is a Superfund site located within Crosby Township in Hamilton County, Ohio, as well as Ross Township in Butler County, Ohio...
and many others. Heightened attention to water pollution in the late 1950s and 1960s led to significant improvements.
Following a catastrophic flood
Flood
A flood is an overflow of an expanse of water that submerges land. The EU Floods directive defines a flood as a temporary covering by water of land not normally covered by water...
in March, 1913, the Miami Conservancy District
Miami Conservancy District
The Miami Conservancy District is a river management agency operating in Southwest Ohio to control flooding of the Great Miami River and its tributaries. It was organized in 1914 following the catastrophic Great Dayton Flood of the Great Miami River in March 1913, which hit Dayton, Ohio...
was established in 1914 to build dams
DAMS
Driot-Arnoux Motorsport is a racing team from France, involved in many areas of motorsports. DAMS was founded in 1988 by Jean-Paul Driot and former Formula One driver René Arnoux. It is headquartered near Le Mans, only 2 km from the Bugatti Circuit.- History :The year after its foundation,...
and levee
Levee
A levee, levée, dike , embankment, floodbank or stopbank is an elongated naturally occurring ridge or artificially constructed fill or wall, which regulates water levels...
s and to dredge
Dredge
Dredging is an excavation activity or operation usually carried out at least partly underwater, in shallow seas or fresh water areas with the purpose of gathering up bottom sediments and disposing of them at a different location...
and straighten channels to control flooding of the river.
Alternate Names
The Great Miami River has also been known as:- Assereniet River
- Big Miami River
- Gran Miammee Fiume
- Grande Miami Riviere
- Great Miama River
- Great Miamia River
- Great Miammee River
- Great Mineami River
- Miami River
- Riviere à la Roche
- Rocky Fiume
- Rocky River
- Big Mineamy River
- Great Miamis River
- Great Miyamis River
- Miamis River
- Riviere La Rushes
- Rockey River
Tributaries
- Loramie CreekLoramie CreekLoramie Creek is a tributary of the Great Miami River in western Ohio in the United States. Via the Great Miami and Ohio rivers, it is part of the watershed of the Mississippi River, draining an area of...
- Mad River (Ohio)Mad River (Ohio)The Mad River is a stream located in the west central part of the U.S. state of Ohio. It flows from Logan County to downtown Dayton, where it meets the Great Miami River. The stream flows southwest from its source near Campbell Hill through West Liberty, along U.S...
- Stillwater River (Ohio)Stillwater River (Ohio)The Stillwater River is a tributary of the Great Miami River in western Ohio in the United States. Via the Great Miami and Ohio rivers, it is part of the Mississippi River watershed....
- Whitewater River (Indiana)Whitewater River (Indiana)The Whitewater River is a tributary of the Great Miami River in southeastern Indiana and southwestern Ohio in the United States. It is formed by the confluence of two forks, the West Fork and East Fork....
- Wolf CreekWolf Creek (Great Miami River)Wolf Creek is a tributary of the Great Miami River in southwestern Ohio in the United States. It rises in western Montgomery County, northwest of Brookville, and flows generally southeast, passing through the center of Trotwood and joining the Great Miami in downtown Dayton.It was one of the...