Maumee Torrent
Encyclopedia
The Maumee Torrent was a catastrophic draining of Glacial Lake Maumee
, the ancestor of present-day Lake Erie
, that occurred during the late Wisconsin glaciation
. It happened when the waters of Lake Maumee, possibly in response to an advance of the ice front at the eastern end of the lake, overtopped a "sag
" or low spot in the Fort Wayne Moraine
, which was a deposit of glacial debris that acted as a natural dam at the site of present-day Fort Wayne, Indiana
. This unleashed a massive flow of water that scoured a one- to two-mile-wide outlet running southwest to the Wabash River
known as the "Wabash-Erie Channel", which probably followed the course of earlier, less massive drainage. The channel or "sluiceway," now dry except for a small stream called the Little River
(also sometimes called the "Little Wabash River"), is the largest topographical
feature in Allen County, Indiana
. As much as 30 feet of fine sand, silt and organic sediments were deposited in the channel before drainage reversed and was captured by the present-day Maumee River
. U.S. Route 24
between Fort Wayne and Huntington
follows the channel.
Glacial Lake Maumee
Glacial Lake Maumee was a proglacial lake that was an ancestor of present-day Lake Erie. It formed about 14,000 years ago. As the Erie Lobe of the Wisconsin Glacier retreated at the end of the last ice age, it left meltwater in a previously-existing depressional area that was the valley of an...
, the ancestor of present-day Lake Erie
Lake Erie
Lake Erie is the fourth largest lake of the five Great Lakes in North America, and the tenth largest globally. It is the southernmost, shallowest, and smallest by volume of the Great Lakes and therefore also has the shortest average water residence time. It is bounded on the north by the...
, that occurred during the late Wisconsin glaciation
Wisconsin glaciation
The last glacial period was the most recent glacial period within the current ice age occurring during the last years of the Pleistocene, from approximately 110,000 to 10,000 years ago....
. It happened when the waters of Lake Maumee, possibly in response to an advance of the ice front at the eastern end of the lake, overtopped a "sag
Sag (geology)
In geology a sag, or trough, is a depressed, persistent, low area; the opposite of an arch, or ridge, a raised, persistent, high area. The terms sag and arch were used historically to describe very large features, for example, characterizing North America as two arches with a sag between them.Also,...
" or low spot in the Fort Wayne Moraine
Moraine
A moraine is any glacially formed accumulation of unconsolidated glacial debris which can occur in currently glaciated and formerly glaciated regions, such as those areas acted upon by a past glacial maximum. This debris may have been plucked off a valley floor as a glacier advanced or it may have...
, which was a deposit of glacial debris that acted as a natural dam at the site of present-day Fort Wayne, Indiana
Fort Wayne, Indiana
Fort Wayne is a city in the US state of Indiana and the county seat of Allen County. The population was 253,691 at the 2010 Census making it the 74th largest city in the United States and the second largest in Indiana...
. This unleashed a massive flow of water that scoured a one- to two-mile-wide outlet running southwest to the Wabash River
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...
known as the "Wabash-Erie Channel", which probably followed the course of earlier, less massive drainage. The channel or "sluiceway," now dry except for a small stream called the Little River
Little River (Indiana)
The Little River is a stream in Allen and Huntington counties in northeastern Indiana. A tributary of the Wabash River, it is sometimes called the "Little Wabash", which may cause it to be confused with the Little Wabash River of Illinois....
(also sometimes called the "Little Wabash River"), is the largest topographical
Topography
Topography is the study of Earth's surface shape and features or those ofplanets, moons, and asteroids...
feature in Allen County, Indiana
Allen County, Indiana
As of the census of 2000, there were 331,849 people, 128,745 households, and 86,259 families residing in the county. The population density was 505 people per square mile . There were 138,905 housing units at an average density of 211 per square mile...
. As much as 30 feet of fine sand, silt and organic sediments were deposited in the channel before drainage reversed and was captured by the present-day Maumee River
Maumee River
The Maumee River is a river in northwestern Ohio and northeastern Indiana in the United States. It is formed at Fort Wayne, Indiana by the confluence of the St. Joseph and St. Marys rivers, and meanders northeastwardly for through an agricultural region of glacial moraines before flowing into the...
. U.S. Route 24
U.S. Route 24
U.S. Route 24 is one of the original United States highways of 1926. It originally ran from Pontiac, Michigan, in the east to Kansas City, Missouri, in the west. Today, the highway's eastern terminus is west of Clarkston, Michigan, at an intersection with I-75 and its western terminus is near...
between Fort Wayne and Huntington
Huntington, Indiana
Huntington, known as the "Lime City", is a small city in and the county seat of Huntington County, Indiana, United States. It is in Huntington Township and Union Township...
follows the channel.