Elm River (Illinois)
Encyclopedia
The Elm River is a 29 miles (46.7 km) tributary
of the Little Wabash River
in southeastern Illinois
in the United States
. Via the Little Wabash, Wabash
and Ohio
rivers, it is part of the watershed
of the Mississippi River
.
The Elm flows for its entire length in Wayne County. It is formed by the confluence of Elm Creek and Raccoon Creek, which flow from Clay County
, and thence flows generally southeastwardly to its confluence with the Little Wabash. Portions of the stream's lower course have been channelized and re-routed to drainage ditch
es.
The Raccoon Creek Power Plant, a combustion turbine generator (CTG)-type Ameren
power plant, is located on Raccoon Creek in Clay County.
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Tributary
A tributary or affluent is a stream or river that flows into a main stem river or a lake. A tributary does not flow directly into a sea or ocean...
of the Little Wabash River
Little Wabash River
The Little Wabash River is a tributary of the Wabash River in east-central and southeastern Illinois in the United States. Via the Wabash and Ohio rivers, it is part of the watershed of the Mississippi River.-Course:...
in southeastern Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Via the Little Wabash, Wabash
Wabash River
The Wabash River is a river in the Midwestern United States that flows southwest from northwest Ohio near Fort Recovery across northern Indiana to southern Illinois, where it forms the Illinois-Indiana border before draining into the Ohio River, of which it is the largest northern tributary...
and Ohio
Ohio River
The Ohio River is the largest tributary, by volume, of the Mississippi River. At the confluence, the Ohio is even bigger than the Mississippi and, thus, is hydrologically the main stream of the whole river system, including the Allegheny River further upstream...
rivers, it is part of the watershed
Drainage basin
A drainage basin is an extent or an area of land where surface water from rain and melting snow or ice converges to a single point, usually the exit of the basin, where the waters join another waterbody, such as a river, lake, reservoir, estuary, wetland, sea, or ocean...
of the Mississippi River
Mississippi River
The Mississippi River is the largest river system in North America. Flowing entirely in the United States, this river rises in western Minnesota and meanders slowly southwards for to the Mississippi River Delta at the Gulf of Mexico. With its many tributaries, the Mississippi's watershed drains...
.
The Elm flows for its entire length in Wayne County. It is formed by the confluence of Elm Creek and Raccoon Creek, which flow from Clay County
Clay County, Illinois
Clay County is a county located in the U.S. state of Illinois. In 1950, the U.S. Census Bureau placed the mean center of U.S. population in Clay County. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 13,815, which is a decrease of 5.1% from 14,560 in 2000...
, and thence flows generally southeastwardly to its confluence with the Little Wabash. Portions of the stream's lower course have been channelized and re-routed to drainage ditch
Ditch
A ditch is usually defined as a small to moderate depression created to channel water.In Anglo-Saxon, the word dïc already existed and was pronounced 'deek' in northern England and 'deetch' in the south. The origins of the word lie in digging a trench and forming the upcast soil into a bank...
es.
The Raccoon Creek Power Plant, a combustion turbine generator (CTG)-type Ameren
Ameren
Ameren Corporation was created December 31, 1997 by the merger of Missouri's Union Electric Company and the neighboring Central Illinois Public Service Company . It is now a holding company for several power companies and energy companies. The company is based in St...
power plant, is located on Raccoon Creek in Clay County.
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