Cedar Creek Canyon (Indiana) facts for kids

Cedar Creek Canyon, also called Cedar Canyon, is a cool natural spot in Allen County, Indiana. It's a deep, narrow gorge, about 50 to 100 feet (15 to 30 meters) deep. This canyon holds part of Cedar Creek, which is the biggest stream flowing into the St. Joseph River.

How Cedar Creek Canyon Was Formed

This amazing canyon was created at the end of the last ice age. Imagine a huge sheet of ice, like the Wisconsin Glacier, covering the land. Underneath this glacier, meltwater flowed in a special channel called a tunnel valley. This water was under a lot of pressure!

The powerful meltwater carved out the canyon. It also left behind a big pile of dirt and rocks called the Wabash Moraine. The water then formed a large fan-shaped deposit of sediment, which blocked the old path of the Eel River. This caused the Eel River to change its course and flow into the canyon, creating what we now call Cedar Creek. This process is like a river "stealing" water from another river, which scientists call stream piracy.

This change was part of a bigger shift in how water flowed in northeastern Indiana. The Maumee River opened up and took over water that used to flow into the Wabash River. Even though part of the Eel River still flows into the Wabash, a huge area of land (about 175,000 acres or 700 square kilometers) that it used to drain now sends its water to the Maumee River.

The Role of the St. Joseph River

The St. Joseph River also played a part in shaping Cedar Creek. As the St. Joseph River carved its own path deeper, its smaller streams (called tributaries) started flowing faster. This made them erode the land more quickly, working their way backward toward their start. One of these streams eventually connected with the tunnel valley and then captured the entire upper part of the old Eel River, forming the Cedar Creek we see today.

Cedar Creek Canyon Today

Today, Cedar Creek Canyon is a beautiful, tree-filled area just north of Fort Wayne. It has different types of environments, including high ground (upland) and flat areas near the river (floodplain).

The part of Cedar Creek that flows through the canyon is very special. It's officially called an "Outstanding State Resource Water." It's one of only four streams in Indiana that are part of the state's Natural, Scenic and Recreational Rivers system. This means it's protected for its natural beauty and importance.

Nature Preserves in the Canyon Area

You can explore parts of the canyon at the Vandolah Nature Preserve, which is looked after by ACRES Land Trust, Inc. Nearby, the Bicentennial Woods Nature Preserve also has similar features because it contains a large stream that flows into Cedar Creek. You might even find some hidden geocaches along the riverbanks!

• Water Resource Availability in the Maumee River Basin, Indiana, Water Resource Assessment 96-5, Indianapolis:Indiana Department of Natural Resources, Division of Water, 1996, p. 47. May be found in pdf format at [1]
• Sunderman, Jack A., "The Three Faces of Cedar Creek," ACRES Quarterly, v. 39, no. 4 (Fall 2000), pp. 6–7. May be found at [2].