Pine River (Chippewa River tributary) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Pine River
The Pine River in Alma
Map of the Saginaw River watershed showing the Pine River as one of its major tributaries
Country	United States
Physical characteristics
Main source	Wheatland Township, Mecosta County, Michigan
River mouth	Chippewa River 600 ft (180 m)
Length	103 mi (166 km)
Basin features
River system	Saginaw River

The Pine River is a river in Michigan, about 103 miles (166 km) long. It flows through the Lower Peninsula of the United States. The Pine River is a smaller river that flows into the Chippewa River. Both rivers are part of the larger Saginaw River system.

The River's Journey

The Pine River begins in Wheatland Township in Mecosta County. From there, it flows mostly southeast. It passes through parts of Isabella County, Montcalm County, and Gratiot County.

As it continues its journey, the river flows through the cities of Alma and St. Louis. Finally, it enters Midland County. The Pine River then joins the Chippewa River. This meeting point is about two miles before the Chippewa River itself joins the Tittabawassee River near the city of Midland.

Clean-up Efforts

For a time, the Pine River near St. Louis had some environmental challenges. A company called Michigan Chemical Corporation (later Velsicol Chemical Corporation) caused some pollution in the river.

Because of this, a lot of work has been done to clean up the river. These efforts have helped to make the Pine River healthier for everyone.

Smaller Streams and Lakes

Many smaller streams and lakes flow into the Pine River. These are called tributaries and they add water to the main river. Here are some of them:

• Sucker Creek
• Bush Creek
  • Taylor Drain
  • Rook Drain
• Horse Creek
• Sugar Creek
• Honeyoey Creek
  • Coles Creek
    • Peterman Lake
  • Madison Lake
• Newark and Arcadia Drain
• Carpenter Creek
• Twin Lake
• Robbins Lake
• Deaner Lake
• Mud Creek
  • Bass Lake Drain
• North Branch Pine River
  • Cedar Drain
  • Thatcher Creek
• Wolf Creek
  • Offnear Lake
  • Cedar Lake
    • Marl Lake
• Skunk Creek
• South Branch Pine River
  • Blanchard Millpond
    • Decker Creek
    • Jewel Creek
• Pony Creek
  • Halls Lake
  • Big Eldred Lake
    • Little Eldred Lake
• Miller Creek
  • Meeker Lake
• Pine Lake

The River's Drainage Area

A river's drainage basin is all the land area where water flows into that river. The Pine River's drainage basin covers parts of several counties in Michigan. This means that rain and snow that fall in these areas will eventually make their way into the Pine River.