Little River (Indiana) facts for kids
The Little River is a stream about 22.6 miles (36.4 km) long. It flows through Allen and Huntington counties in northeastern Indiana. This river flows into the Wabash River. Sometimes, people call it the "Little Wabash," which can be confusing because there's another river called the Little Wabash River in Illinois. The Little River collects water from an area of about 287.9 square miles (745.7 km²).
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About the Little River's Path
The Little River follows a special path called the Wabash-Erie Channel. This channel is a leftover from a huge ancient flood called the Maumee Torrent. This flood happened when a giant ice-age lake, known as Glacial Lake Maumee, drained away at the end of the Wisconsin glaciation (the last Ice Age). The Little River joins the Wabash River just west of Huntington.
Where the River Starts and Ends
The Little River begins about 1 mile (1.6 km) southwest of the Ardmore Knolls neighborhood in Fort Wayne. Its starting point is at 41°1′13″N 85°12′4″W / 41.02028°N 85.20111°W. The river ends in Huntington at a park called the Forks of the Wabash. This is where it meets the Wabash River, and its ending point is at 40°52′35″N 85°31′51″W / 40.87639°N 85.53083°W.
How Much Water Flows
In Huntington, Indiana, the Little River has an average flow of about 256 cubic feet (7.25 cubic meters) of water per second each year. This measurement tells us how much water moves through the river at that spot.
The River's Special History
The Little River is an important part of the Wabash River Heritage Corridor. The Indiana General Assembly created this special area in 1991. It was made to remember a historic portage route. A portage is a place where people would carry their canoes or boats over land from one river system to another. This specific portage linked the Wabash River's waters with those of Lake Erie. It was a very important travel route for Native Americans and early settlers.
