Nottawa Creek facts for kids

Nottawa Creek is a cool stream in Michigan. It's about 33.9 miles (54.6 km) long. This creek flows into the big St. Joseph River. You can find where it joins the St. Joseph River near the village of Mendon.

Where Does Nottawa Creek Start and Go?

Nottawa Creek begins its journey from Nottawa Lake. This lake is in the southern part of Calhoun County. Water from places like Nottawa Drain and Goose Pond Drain helps fill Nottawa Lake.

From the lake, the creek first flows towards the northwest. Then, it makes a big curve and heads southwest. It even passes through the village of Athens before it meets the St. Joseph River.

What Areas Does the Creek Help Drain?

Every river and creek has an area where it collects water. This area is called a watershed or drainage basin. The Nottawa Creek system collects water from many different areas. These areas are mostly in four counties in Michigan:

• In Calhoun County:
  • Athens Township
  • Burlington Township
  • Clarendon Township
  • Eckford Township
  • Fredonia Township
  • Leroy Township (water comes from Pine Creek)
  • Newton Township
  • Tekonsha Township
• In Branch County:
  • Sherwood Township
• In Kalamazoo County:
  • Climax Township (water comes from Bear Creek)
  • Wakeshma Township (water comes from Bear Creek)
• In St. Joseph County:
  • Leonidas Township

Smaller Streams Joining In

Smaller streams and drains that flow into a larger river are called tributaries. Nottawa Creek has many tributaries that add water to it along its path. Here are some of them:

• Bear Creek
• Pine Creek
  • Histand Drain
  • Waterman Drain
    • Miller and Melody Drain
  • Houghton Drain
  • Cotton Lake
• Rowe and Wallace Drain
• French Drain
• Alder Creek
• Mud Creek
  • Yost Francisco Drain
    • Hyde Lake
• Gleason Drain
• An unnamed drain
  • Fish Lake
  • Lyon Lake
  • Long Lake
  • Pine Lake
• Nottawa Lake
  • Klingaman Lake
  • Nottawa Drain
    • Goose Pond Drain