Wabash River - Course

Course

Between the start of the river and Fort Recovery, the current is swift and the water remains very shallow and follows a poorly defined channel. The depth and low bridge clearances make the section nearly impassible by boat except in the most ideal conditions. At mile five, the river is dammed, creating Lake Wabash. At mile seven and mile nine, two tributaries give the river a significant boost in volume and at mile eleven the river flows past Fort Recovery. Two more tributaries add to the river's volume between Fort Recovery and Macedon at mile eighteen, making the river navigable for the remainder of its course. The river continues to flow northward passing the town of Wabash at mile twenty-three and then cutting sharply west, crossing into Indiana at mile twenty-eight.

Upon entering Indiana, there are many sharp turns in the river that frequently lead to log jams that can block the river. Because of the many turns in the river, the state created several separate canal channels to shorten the journey between the state line and Fort Wayne as part of the Wabash and Erie Canal project during the 1830s. The subsequent abandonment of the canals allowed the river to shift courses several times resulting in the formation of many cut-offs and coves with no outlet, giving the river a maze-like quality in the first seventeen mile (27 km) stretch as it enters Indiana.

At mile forty-five, the river becomes straighter with few sharp bends. An additional seventeen tributaries raise the depth of the river considerably making it navigable for larger vessels. At mile fifty-nine, the river passes through Ouabache State Park where it begins to widen and become more shallow. The white limestone river bottom can sometimes be seen in the area, whereas it is not visible due to pollution elsewhere downstream. As the river exits the park and flows towards the town of Bluffton near mile sixty-six, it widens further, becoming more shallow; only a narrow channel is navigable by larger vessels. The river remains shallow and somewhat rocky with minor rapids until mile seventy-one near the town of Murray. There the river becomes calm and deeper until mile eighty-one due to the dam and levee at the town of Markle. The lock that was formerly at the site is abandoned and a narrow washout is the over means to bypass the dam. In the rocky washout the river level drops four feet, making it one of the most dangerous points on the river. Boaters are advised exit the river and reembark on the other side of the dam rather than traverse the washout.

At mile eighty-nine, the large Huntington Dam blocks the river. Built by the Army Corps of Engineers to make a reservoir, the dam creates the J. Edward Roush Lake. The lake is surrounded by park land and recreation areas and is about five miles (8 km) in length and a mile wide at its widest point. The mile-long stretch after the Huntington Dam is rarely navigable. No lock connects the two sections of the river, and the water is often very shallow. A second smaller dam at mile ninety-one presents a dangerous hazard, leading the section between it and the Huntington Dam to be closed to boaters.

At mile ninety-three the river is joined by its first major tributary, the Little River. The town of Huntington sits at the confluence of the two rivers. The tributary dramatically increases the volume of water in the Wabash at this point, and because of the dams on the Wabash, it often carries more water than the Wabash. Additional minor tributaries raise the water level between Huntington and the town of Wabash. As the river passes Wabash and moved towards Peru, it splits creating a series of islands; sandbars are common in the stretch. The river joins back into a single channel at Peru, and flows through one of its most gentle stretches until reaching Logansport where the river again splits into multiple channels with islands dividing them. Some of the channels are narrow and rocky, while the larger channels are navigable. Between Logansport and Delphi, at mile 176, is one of the only remaining stretches of the Wabash and Erie canal. It can be accessed at Delphi. Just past Delphi, the Wabash's second major tributary, the Tippecanoe River, joins the river. The confluence of the two rivers is part of Prophetstown State Park, the site of the 1811 Battle of Tippecanoe. The joining of the Tippecanoe raises the level of the Wabash dramatically. At this point, most large power boats can easily navigate the river at cruising speed.

The river passes the city of Lafayette at mile 210 and gradually begins to end its westward flow, beginning a wide turn to the south. At mile 241, at the town of Covington, the river begins flowing due south. The river is deep at this point, but there are several gravel bars between Covington and Terre Haute. Terre Haute, beginning at mile 300, is among the largest cities in Indiana, and the largest along the Wabash. Although navigable by large ships in the past, the remainder of the river becomes shallow in places due to erosion and silt. The river gradually widens moving south. It borders Illinois beginning at mile 316, and serves as a state boundary line with Indiana for the remainder of its course.

At Darwin, a farmer's cooperative operates the Wabash's only ferry service. It is used to take heavy farm equipment across the river. South of Darwin, beginning at mile 410 a large bluff gradually rises, eventually towering two-hundred feet over the river. The area is one of the most remote through with the river, and it generally open land. The area becomes populous again as it nears the city of Vincennes at mile 441; founded by the French about 1720, it is the oldest European settlement in Indiana, and amongst the oldest in the American Midwest. The city is sited on a strategic bend in the river which allowed it to control river traffic.

Past Vincennes, the Wabash is joined by its largest tributary, the White River, again dramatically increasing its size. During low water, there are rapids at the confluence, caused by an old canal lock that was abandoned after flooding. From the confluence to the Ohio, the river zig-zags. The largest cut-off from the river is at Grayville. A 1985 flood caused the river to change course, disconnecting a two mile (3 km) long stretch of the river and creating a lake. A short distance farther is the historic town of New Harmony, a settlement created by utopians during 1810s.

At mile 460, the river again splits into several channels and passes through the Grand Chain of Rocks. The area features sandy beaches and the largest islands in the river, some a mile in length. At mile 491 the Wabash drains into the Ohio River.

• Wabash River historical marker in Mercer County just south of Fort Recovery.

• Wabash River in Limberlost Recreation Area, south of Berne, Indiana.

• The Wabash River at Lafayette, Indiana, showing the Myers Pedestrian Bridge, and the Amtrak station. The river flows from left to right (north to south). This stretch is notable for large, sandy deposits.

• Natural-colour satellite image of the Wabash-Ohio confluence.