- White River (Indiana)
The White River is a two-forked
river that flows through central and southernIndiana and is the main tributary to theWabash River .Two forks
The west fork, at 439 kilometers (273 miles), is the longest fork of the river. It starts in rural Winchester in Randolph County, winds through Muncie, Anderson and Indianapolis before joining the east fork in the triad of Daviess, Knox and Pike Counties.
The east fork starts in Columbus at the confluence of the Driftwood and Flatrock rivers. The east fork travels 261 kilometers (162 miles) before merging with the west fork.
The combined White River then flows another 72 kilometers (45 miles) between Gibson and Knox Counties before draining into the Wabash river at the
Indiana -Illinois border next toMount Carmel, Illinois . The total White River basin watershed is 14882 square kilometers (5,746 square miles).Recreation
Even with the constant threats to the river from pollution (see below) as well as from overflow sewage from
Indianapolis , there is plenty of fun to be had on the White River. Fromfishing tokayak ing tocanoe ing, there are many recreational activities to experience. In fact, there is even a White River Yacht Club and a section of the river in northern Indianapolis that is home to cottages and pontoon boats alike.Pollution
In 1997, the White River was listed as one of the United States' most threatened rivers.
Pesticide s (herbicide s andinsecticide s) are used extensively in the White River basin. Application of herbicides to corn andsoybean s accounts for most of the use. The pesticides most frequently detected near the mouth of the White River during1991 -1995 were the herbicidesalachlor ,atrazine ,cyanazine andmetolachlor .The highest concentrations of herbicides in the river were typically found during late spring runoff following application. Generally, concentrations of alachlor have been decreasing while concentrations of
acetochlor have been increasing in response to changes in the use of these herbicides in the basin.The total amount of the commonly used herbicides transported by the river is about 1% or less of the amount applied to
cropland . Insecticides commonly used in urban andagricultural areas also were found but in much lower concentrations than commonly used herbicides.In 1999, the West Fork experienced a massive
Fish kill that spread for 50 miles for an estimated loss of 4.6 million fish (187 tons). [cite web |url=http://www2.indystar.com/library/factfiles/environment/white_river/fish_kill.html |title=The White River fish kill |accessdate=2008-09-09 |publisher=The Indianapolis Star |date=July 2002] The kill was traced back to Guide Corp, an automotive parts maker inAnderson, Indiana . Guide Corp would eventually reach a settlement whereby the company would pay a total of $14.2 million in fines, penalties, legal expenses, and river restoration. By March 2000, fish were naturally returning to the affected area, and theIndiana Department of Natural Resources conducted a restocking program in October. The city of Anderson announced in 2002 that it would invest millions of dollars for improvements to its sewage treatment system.Trivia
*The
headwaters of the west fork are farther east than the east fork.
*TheMiami tribe gave this river the name Wapehani, meaning white sands.ee also
*
List of Indiana rivers External links
* [http://www.munciesanitary.org/about/white_river.php/ Short Documentary on cleanup efforts in Muncie, Indiana]
* [http://www.friendsofwhiteriver.org/ Friends of the White River]
* [http://in.water.usgs.gov/nawqa/wr03007.htm USGS Occurrence of pesticides in the White River, Indiana, 1991-95]
* [http://in.water.usgs.gov/nawqa/wr02008.htm Principal Cities and Towns of the White River Basin]
* [http://www.indianawaterways.com/ White River Guidebook] , Indiana Waterways
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.