Portage River (Jackson County, Michigan) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Portage River
Country	United States
Physical characteristics
Main source	Waterloo Township, Jackson County, Michigan
River mouth	Grand River in Blackman Charter Township, Jackson County, Michigan 909 feet (277 m)
Length	15.5 mi (24.9 km)

The Portage River is a cool river in the state of Michigan, USA. It's about 15.5 miles (24.9 km) long. This river flows mostly southwest through the northeast part of Jackson County.

The Portage River starts in a place called the Portage Lake Swamp. This swamp is part of the Waterloo State Recreation Area. The river then travels southwest. It eventually flows into the Grand River. This happens near Blackman Charter Township. That's just north of the city of Jackson. The river also helps mark the border between Henrietta and Leoni.

Where the River Flows: Drainage Area

The Portage River collects water from a large area. This area is called its drainage basin. It includes parts of three different counties in Michigan.

Counties and Townships

The river's water comes from these places:

• Ingham County
  • Bunker Hill Township
  • Ingham Township
  • Stockbridge Township
• Jackson County
  • Blackman Charter Township
  • Grass Lake Township
  • Henrietta Township
  • Leoni Township
  • Waterloo Township
• Washtenaw County
  • Lyndon Township
  • Sylvan Township

River Branches: Tributaries

Many smaller streams and lakes feed into the Portage River. These are called tributaries. They join the river as it flows towards the Grand River.

Main Tributaries

Here are some of the important streams and lakes that connect to the Portage River:

• Wildcat Creek: This creek joins the river from the right side. It gets water from Brill Lake.
• St. John Lake, Eagle Lake, and Mud Lake: Water flows out of these lakes and into the Portage River from the right.
• Batteese Creek: This creek joins from the left. It is fed by Batteese Lake and Hewes Lake.
• Orchard Creek: This is another creek joining from the left.
  • Cahaogan Creek: This creek flows into Orchard Creek from the left.
  • Thornapple Creek: This creek flows into Orchard Creek from the right.
    • Pickett Drain: This drain feeds Thornapple Creek from the left, getting water from Standish Lake.
    • Jacobs Lake Drain: This drain feeds Thornapple Creek from the right, getting water from Jacobs Lake.
• Portage Lake: Water flows out of Portage Lake and into the river from the right.
• Little Portage Lake: This lake also connects to the river.
  • Locker Lake, Riley Lake, Notten Lake, Lehman Lake: Water from these lakes and small streams flows into Little Portage Lake from the right.
  • Honey Creek: This creek flows into Little Portage Lake from the left.
  • Portage Lake Swamp: This swamp is also connected to Little Portage Lake.