Paw Paw River
Encyclopedia
The Paw Paw River is located in the U.S. state
of Michigan
in the southwest portion of the lower peninsula. It is formed by the confluence of the north and south branches at 42°15′17"N 85°55′36"W in Waverly Township
in the northeast of Van Buren County
. It flows approximately 61.8 miles (99.5 km) through Van Buren County and Berrien County
until joining the St. Joseph River
just above its mouth on Lake Michigan
at Benton Harbor
.
fruit that grew abundantly along the river's banks.
(commonly known as the Golden Swamp Warbler
), as well as the endangered Mitchell Satyr butterfly
. Other rare species include the Massasauga rattlesnake and the spotted turtle
.
In November 2003, The Nature Conservancy
announced the purchase of 139 acres (0.6 km²) in the Paw Paw Prairie
Fen
, located in the East Branch of the river near Mattawan. The Sarett Nature Center owns 800 acres (3.2 km²) of along the river in Berrien County, just north of Benton Harbor.
The Paw Paw River has 39 species of fish including walleye
, bass
, bluegill
, black crappie, and northern pike
. The mainstem is a coolwater stream as evidenced by the presence of burbot and mottled sculpin, it also contains hornyhead chub, common shiner, johnny darter, and walleye. Several riparian wetlands provide excellent habitat for northern pike. The fish community near the mouth is influenced by its proximity to Lake Michigan, and Steelhead trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) are stocked there. Potamodromous trout and salmon have access to most of the river system, and are shore-fished in the fall upstream of Hartford
. There are 24 registered dams within the Paw Paw River sub-watershed, but these dams are all low head or on small tributaries, so potamodromous trout and salmon can migrate into its headwaters at Campbell Creek.
.
Tributaries of the main branch include:
North branch tributaries include:
The north branch headwaters arise in springs near the Wolf Lake State Fish Hatchery.
South branch tributaries include:
The south branch headwaters arise in Decatur Township
in eastern Van Buren County.
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
in the southwest portion of the lower peninsula. It is formed by the confluence of the north and south branches at 42°15′17"N 85°55′36"W in Waverly Township
Waverly Township, Van Buren County, Michigan
Waverly Township is a civil township of Van Buren County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 2,467 at the 2000 census.-Geography:...
in the northeast of Van Buren County
Van Buren County, Michigan
-Parks, preserves, natural areas:* Dunes Parkway, an 84 acre preserve of dunes in Covert Township* Jeptha Lake Fen Preserve, a 49 acre preserve in Columbia Township...
. It flows approximately 61.8 miles (99.5 km) through Van Buren County and Berrien County
Berrien County, Michigan
Berrien County is a county located in the extreme southwest of the U.S. state of Michigan. It is included in the Niles-Benton Harbor, Michigan Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of the 2010 census, the population was 156,813. The county seat is St. Joseph....
until joining the St. Joseph River
St. Joseph River (Lake Michigan)
The St. Joseph River is a river, approximately long, in southern Michigan and northern Indiana in the United States. It drains a primarily rural farming area in the watershed of Lake Michigan...
just above its mouth on Lake Michigan
Lake Michigan
Lake Michigan is one of the five Great Lakes of North America and the only one located entirely within the United States. It is the second largest of the Great Lakes by volume and the third largest by surface area, after Lake Superior and Lake Huron...
at Benton Harbor
Benton Harbor, Michigan
Benton Harbor is a city in Berrien County in the U.S. state of Michigan which is located west of Kalamazoo. The population was 10,038 at the 2010 census. It is the lesser populated of the two principal cities included in the Niles-Benton Harbor, Michigan Metropolitan Statistical Area, which has a...
.
History
Native Americans named the Paw Paw River after the paw pawAsimina triloba
Asimina triloba, the pawpaw, paw paw, paw-paw, or common pawpaw, is a species of Asimina in the same plant family as the custard-apple, cherimoya, sweetsop, ylang-ylang and soursop...
fruit that grew abundantly along the river's banks.
Ecology and conservation
The watershed includes rare Great Lakes marshes and floodplain forests, which serve as habitats for migratory birds such as the Prothonotary WarblerProthonotary Warbler
The Prothonotary Warbler is a small songbird of the New World warbler family. It is the only member of the genus Protonotaria....
(commonly known as the Golden Swamp Warbler
New World warbler
The New World warblers or wood-warblers are a group of small, often colorful, passerine birds restricted to the New World. They are not related to the Old World warblers or the Australian warblers....
), as well as the endangered Mitchell Satyr butterfly
Butterfly
A butterfly is a mainly day-flying insect of the order Lepidoptera, which includes the butterflies and moths. Like other holometabolous insects, the butterfly's life cycle consists of four parts: egg, larva, pupa and adult. Most species are diurnal. Butterflies have large, often brightly coloured...
. Other rare species include the Massasauga rattlesnake and the spotted turtle
Spotted Turtle
The Spotted turtle , the only current species of Clemmys, is a small, semi-aquatic turtle that reaches a carapace length of upon adulthood. Their broad, smooth, low dark-colored upper shell, or carapace, ranges in its exact colour from black to a bluish black with a number of yellow tiny round spots...
.
In November 2003, The Nature Conservancy
The Nature Conservancy
The Nature Conservancy is a US charitable environmental organization that works to preserve the plants, animals, and natural communities that represent the diversity of life on Earth by protecting the lands and waters they need to survive....
announced the purchase of 139 acres (0.6 km²) in the Paw Paw Prairie
Prairie
Prairies are considered part of the temperate grasslands, savannas, and shrublands biome by ecologists, based on similar temperate climates, moderate rainfall, and grasses, herbs, and shrubs, rather than trees, as the dominant vegetation type...
Fen
Fen
A fen is a type of wetland fed by mineral-rich surface water or groundwater. Fens are characterised by their water chemistry, which is neutral or alkaline, with relatively high dissolved mineral levels but few other plant nutrients...
, located in the East Branch of the river near Mattawan. The Sarett Nature Center owns 800 acres (3.2 km²) of along the river in Berrien County, just north of Benton Harbor.
The Paw Paw River has 39 species of fish including walleye
Walleye
Walleye is a freshwater perciform fish native to most of Canada and to the northern United States. It is a North American close relative of the European pikeperch...
, bass
Bass (fish)
Bass is a name shared by many different species of popular gamefish. The term encompasses both freshwater and marine species. All belong to the large order Perciformes, or perch-like fishes, and in fact the word bass comes from Middle English bars, meaning "perch."-Types of basses:*The temperate...
, bluegill
Bluegill
The Bluegill is a species of freshwater fish sometimes referred to as bream, brim, or copper nose. It is a member of the sunfish family Centrarchidae of the order Perciformes.-Range and distribution:...
, black crappie, and northern pike
Northern Pike
The northern pike , is a species of carnivorous fish of the genus Esox...
. The mainstem is a coolwater stream as evidenced by the presence of burbot and mottled sculpin, it also contains hornyhead chub, common shiner, johnny darter, and walleye. Several riparian wetlands provide excellent habitat for northern pike. The fish community near the mouth is influenced by its proximity to Lake Michigan, and Steelhead trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) are stocked there. Potamodromous trout and salmon have access to most of the river system, and are shore-fished in the fall upstream of Hartford
Hartford, Michigan
Hartford is a city in Van Buren County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 2,476 at the 2000 census. The city is located within Hartford Township, but is politically independent.-Geography:...
. There are 24 registered dams within the Paw Paw River sub-watershed, but these dams are all low head or on small tributaries, so potamodromous trout and salmon can migrate into its headwaters at Campbell Creek.
Watershed
The watershed covers about 445 square miles (1,152.5 km²), mostly in Van Buren County, and also drains a tiny portion of Kalamazoo CountyKalamazoo County, Michigan
-Air Service:*The Kalamazoo & Battle Creek Metro Area is served by Kalamazoo/Battle Creek International Airport.-Interstates:* I-94* I-94 Business Loop-US highways:* US-131* BUS US 131-Michigan State Trunklines:* M-43* M-89* M-96...
.
Tributaries of the main branch include:
- Sand Creek and Blue Creek in Benton TownshipBenton Charter Township, MichiganBenton Charter Township is a charter township of Berrien County in the U.S. state of Michigan. At the 2000 census, the township population was 16,404.-Communities:...
- Ryno Drain in ColomaColoma, MichiganColoma is a city in Berrien County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 1,595 at the 2000 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all land....
- Mill Creek near WatervlietWatervliet, MichiganWatervliet is a city in Berrien County in the U.S. state of Michigan. Watervliet is also in the Charter Township of Watervliet. The population was 1,843 at the 2000 census.-Geography:...
- Paw Paw LakePaw Paw LakePaw Paw Lake is a lake in Coloma Township and Watervliet Township in Berrien County, Michigan.-History:Paw Paw Lake was the site of a tourist area in the early 20th Century. An 1894 Chicago newspaper article was the catalyst in making the shore a resort area, and a rail line extension from nearby...
and Little Paw Paw Lake (in Berrien County) near Watervliet - Pine Creek between HartfordHartford, MichiganHartford is a city in Van Buren County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 2,476 at the 2000 census. The city is located within Hartford Township, but is politically independent.-Geography:...
and Watervliet - Mud Lake Drain between Hartford and Watervliet
- Hog Creek near Hartford
- Brush Creek near LawrenceLawrence, MichiganLawrence is a village in Van Buren County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 1,059 at the 2000 census. The village is located within Lawrence Township. Home of noted journalist Paul Garrod and the annual Ox Roast and Homecoming festival. Area recognized Farmer's Market runs...
- Carter Creek between Paw PawPaw Paw, MichiganPaw Paw is a village in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the village population was 3,363. It is the county seat of Van Buren County.-Overview:...
and Lawrence
North branch tributaries include:
- Brandywine Creek
- Hayden Creek
- Ritter Creek
- Todd Drain
- Campbell Creek
The north branch headwaters arise in springs near the Wolf Lake State Fish Hatchery.
South branch tributaries include:
- The east branch is about 8.5 miles (14 km) long and arises from two main sources: Paw Paw Lake (in Kalamazoo County) and Mattawan Creek in the village of MattawanMattawan, MichiganMattawan is a village suburb of Kalamazoo, in Antwerp Township, Van Buren County of the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the village population was 2,536.-History:...
. It joins the South Branch in the city of Paw Paw. - Three Mile Lake Drain, south of Paw Paw
- Eagle Lake Drain, south of Paw Paw
- Lawton Drain, east of LawtonLawton, MichiganLawton is a village in Van Buren County of the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the village population was 1,859.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of , all land.-Demographics:...
The south branch headwaters arise in Decatur Township
Decatur Township, Michigan
Decatur Township is a civil township of Van Buren County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 3,916 at the 2000 census. The village of Decatur is located within the township...
in eastern Van Buren County.