Kaskaskia River

Infobox River
river_name = Kaskaskia River


image_size = 200px
caption =
origin = Champaign County, Illinois west of Champaign, Illinois
mouth = Mississippi River 10 miles (16 km) northwest of Chester
basin_countries = United States
length = approximately 320 mi (515 km)
elevation = ~840 ft, (Yankee Ridge)
mouth_elevation = ~350 ft
discharge = 420 m³/s [ [http://www.sage.wisc.edu/riverdata/scripts/station_table.php?qual=32&filenum=1081 River Discharge Database ] ]
watershed = approximately 5,746 square miles (14,950 km²)

The Kaskaskia River is a tributary of the Mississippi River, approximately 320 miles (515 km) long, in central and southern Illinois in the United States. 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.

"Cascasquia" is an alternative, supposedly more French, spelling of "Kaskaskia" that is sometimes encountered. "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.

Hydrography

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 south-southeast of St. Louis, Missouri. The watershed of the river encompasses approximately 5,746 square miles (14,950 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.

In the 19th century the river joined the Mississippi at Chester. In 1881 the Mississippi changed its channel to flow along the lower 10 miles (16 km) of the channel of the Kaskaskia. As a result, a small portion of Illinois, including the former capital of Kaskaskia is now located on the west side of the Mississippi. The Kaskaskia River State Fish & Wildlife Area is located along the lower river in southern Illinois.

Fort Kaskaskia was located near the mouth of the river in Randolph County.

ee also

*List of Illinois rivers

References

External links

* [http://dnr.state.il.us/lands/landmgt/PARKS/R4/kaskas.htm Kaskaskia River State Fish & Wildlife Area]
* [http://www.swircd.org/swircd/projects/kas_Final_Report.htm Kaskaskia River Watershed]
* [http://www.lib.niu.edu/ipo/2002/ihy020235.html Northern Illinois University: Kaskasia River in Randolph County]
* [http://cfpub.epa.gov/surf/huc.cfm?huc_code=07140201 Surf the Upper Kaskaskia with USEPA]
* [http://cfpub.epa.gov/surf/huc.cfm?huc_code=07140202 Surf the Middle Kaskaskia]
* [http://cfpub.epa.gov/surf/huc.cfm?huc_code=07140203 Surf the Shoal Watershed]
* [http://cfpub.epa.gov/surf/huc.cfm?huc_code=07140204 Surf the Lower Kaskaskia]