Indian River (Delaware) facts for kids
The Indian River is a cool river and estuary (that's where fresh river water mixes with salty ocean water!) in southern Delaware, USA. It's about 15 miles (24 km) long and flows through Sussex County. The river got its name from a Native American area that used to be near its beginning.
Journey of the Indian River
The Indian River starts about 2 miles (3 km) southwest of Georgetown. From there, it flows east, passing by the town of Millsboro. Millsboro is known as the river's "head of navigation." This means it's as far upstream as boats can usually travel.
The river eventually flows into Indian River Bay, which is a large inlet connected to the Atlantic Ocean. This bay is located just south of Cape Henlopen. The last 6 miles (10 km) of the river are a wide, tidal estuary. This part of the river is protected from the open ocean by two long, narrow strips of land called sand bar peninsulas.
The Indian River Inlet: A Gateway to the Ocean
The mouth of the Indian River, where it meets the ocean, is called the Indian River Inlet. For a long time, until 1928, this inlet was a natural waterway. It would actually move its location along about two miles (3.2 km) of the coast!
To keep the inlet open in one spot, people started using dredging (which is like vacuuming up sand from the bottom) between 1928 and 1937. Then, in 1938, the United States Army Corps of Engineers built strong walls called jetties. These jetties helped hold the inlet firmly in its current place.
Bridges Over the Indian River
There are three main places where roads cross the Indian River. One crossing is in Millsboro, where U.S. Route 113 goes over the river. Another crossing in Millsboro is for Delaware Route 24 and Delaware Route 30.
The most famous crossing is at the Indian River Inlet itself, where Delaware Route 1 (also known as Coastal Highway) spans the water. Once the inlet was fixed in place in 1928, it became possible to build a permanent bridge there. In 1933, the Ocean Highway was completed, connecting Rehoboth Beach and Bethany Beach. This made it important for Delaware to build a bridge to link the northern and southern parts of the highway.
Since 1934, six different bridges have crossed the inlet. Most people just call them the Indian River Inlet Bridge. However, all but the very first one were officially named the Charles W. Cullen Bridge. The newest Indian River Inlet Bridge, which you can see today, opened in 2012.
