NATURAL RESOURCES COMMISSION
Information Bulletin #4
(Second Amendment)
SUBJECT: Outstanding Rivers List for Indiana
To help identify the rivers and streams that have particular environmental or aesthetic interest, a special listing has been prepared by the Division of Outdoor Recreation of the Department of Natural Resources. The listing is a corrected and condensed version of a listing compiled by American Rivers and dated October 1990. There are about 2,000 river miles included on the listing, a figure that represents less than 9% of the estimated 24,000 total river miles in Indiana. The Natural Resources Commission has adopted the listing as an official recognition of the resource values of these waters.
A river included in the listing qualifies under one or more of the following 22 categories. An asterisk indicates that all or part of the river segment was also included in the "Roster of Indiana Waterways Declared Navigable", 15 IR 2385 (July 1992). In 2006, the commission updated this citation, and Information Bulletin #3 (Second Amendment) was posted in the Indiana Register at 20061011-IR-312060440NRA. A river designated "EUW" is an exceptional use water. A river designated "HQW" is a high quality water, and a river designated "SS" is a salmonoid stream.
1. Designated national Wild and Scenic Rivers. Rivers that Congress has included in the National Wild and Scenic System pursuant to the National Wild and Scenic River Act, Public Law 90-452.
2. National Wild and Scenic Study Rivers. Rivers that Congress has determined should be studied for possible inclusion in the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System.
3. Federally Protected Rivers other than Wild and Scenic. Rivers subject to federal legal protection other than pursuant to the National Wild and Scenic Rivers Act, such as National Rivers and Waterways and National Recreation Areas.
4. State designated Scenic Rivers. Rivers included in state river conservation systems or otherwise protected pursuant to an act of the state legislature.
5. Nationwide Rivers Inventory Rivers. The 1,524 river segments identified by the National Park Service in its 1982 "Nationwide Rivers Inventory" as qualified for consideration for inclusion in the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System.
6. Hydro Ban Rivers. Rivers on which Congress has prohibited future hydropower development.
7. Rivers Identified in State Inventories or Assessments. Outstanding rivers from state inventories or assessments, i.e., rivers identified as having statewide or greater significance.
8. Atlantic Salmon Restoration Rivers. Rivers undergoing active Atlantic salmon restoration efforts and identified by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for planned restoration.
9. Federal Public Lands Rivers. Rivers identified in U.S. Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management resource planning as potential additions to the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System.
10. State Fishing Rivers. Rivers identified by states as having outstanding fishing values, such as Blue Ribbon Trout Streams.
11. State Heritage Program Sites. Rivers identified by state natural heritage programs or similar state programs as having outstanding ecological importance.
12. Priority Aquatic Sites. Rivers identified in "Priority Aquatic Sites for Biological Diversity Conservation", published by the Nature Conservancy in 1985.
13. Canoe Trails. State-designated canoe/boating routes.
14. Outstanding Whitewater Streams. Rivers listed in the American Whitewater Affiliation's 1990 Inventory of American Whitewater.
15. Locally Protected Rivers. Rivers protected through local and private protection strategies.
16. State Park Rivers. Rivers protected by inclusion in a state park or state preserve.
17. Other Rivers. Miscellaneous rivers identified as having outstanding ecological, recreational, or scenic importance.
18. High Water Quality Rivers. "Outstanding Resources Waters" designated by states and other rivers identified by states as having outstanding water quality.
19. National Natural Landmark Rivers. Rivers designated as, or included within, National Natural Landmarks.
20. State Study Rivers. Rivers that have been formally proposed for state protection or designation.
21. BOR Western Rivers. Rivers listed in the Bureau of Outdoor Recreation's 1982 "Western U.S. Water Plan" proposal as exhibiting identified free-flowing values.
22. State legislated Wabash River Heritage Corridor.
II. LISTING OF OUTSTANDING RIVERS AND STREAMS
| | | |
| River | Significance | County | Segment |
| Bear Creek River | 11, 18, EUW | Fountain | C.R. 250W to confluence with the Wabash |
| Big Blue* | 5, 11 | Johnson, Rush, Shelby | Flatrock River to Carthage |
| Big Creek | 17 | Jefferson | East side of Jefferson Military Reservation boundary to Graham Creek |
| Big Pine Creek | 7, 11, 13, 18, 20, EUW | Warren | S.R. 18 to confluence with Wabash River |
| Big Walnut Creek | 5, 7, 11, 13, 19, 20 | Putnam | Hendricks/Putnam Co. Line to Greencastle |
| Black River | 11 | Posey | Confluence with Higginbotham Ditch to confluence with Wabash River |
| Blue* | 4, 5, 7, 11, 13 | Crawford, Harrison, Washington | Confluence of Middle Fork Blue to confluence with Ohio River |
| Blue, South Fork | 11, EUW | Washington | S.R. 135 to confluence with Blue River |
| Buck Creek* | 11 | Harrison | Headwaters to confluence with Ohio River |
| Cedar Creek | 4, 7, 11, 18, HQW | Allen, Dekalb | Dekalb C.R. 68 to St. Joseph River |
| Clifty Creek | 11, 18, EUW | Montgomery | Headwaters to confluence with Indian Creek |
| Cypress Slough Creek | 11 | Posey | Confluence with Castleberry Creek to Southwind Maritime Center |
| Deep | 13, 17 | Lake, Porter | 1 mile south of U.S. 30 to Little Calumet River |
| Driftwood | 11, 13 | Bartholomew | Atterbury Fish and Wildlife Area to Columbus |
| Eel, North | 13 | Miami, Wabash | South Whitley to Logansport |
| Elkhart | 13 | Elkhart, Noble | S.R. 13 to Island Park in Elkhart |
| Elkhart, South Branch | 7, 11, 13, 20 | Noble | C.R. 100N to U.S. 6 |
| Fall Creek | 11, 18, EUW | Warren | U.S. 41 to confluence with Big Pine Creek |
| Fawn* | 11, 13 | LaGrange, Steuben | Nevada Mills to Indiana/Michigan Line and Indiana/Michigan to Indiana/Michigan line |
| Fish Creek | 11 | Dekalb, Steuben | Ohio/Indiana line to Indiana/Ohio Line |
| Flatrock* | 13 | Bartholomew, Shelby | S.R. 9 to East Fork White River |
| Fourteen-Mile Creek* | 11 | Clark | Confluence of East and West Forks to confluence with Ohio River |
| Graham Creek | 17 | Jefferson, Jennings, Ripley | New Marion to confluence with Big Creek |
| Indian Creek* | 11 | Harrison | Floyd/Harrison Co. Line to confluence with Ohio River |
| Indian Creek | 11, 18, EUW | Montgomery | C.R. 475W to confluence with Sugar Creek |
| Indian-Kentuck Creek* | 17 | Jefferson, Ripley | Confluence with Vestal Branch to confluence with Ohio River |
| Iroquois* | 13 | Newton | S.R. 16 to Indiana/Illinois line |
| Kankakee* | 11, 13 | LaPorte, Newton, Porter | Upstream boundary of Kingsbury Fish and Wildlife Area through LaSalle State Fish and Wildlife Area to Indiana/Illinois line |
| Kilmore Creek | 17 | Clinton | U.S. 421 to confluence with South Fork Wildcat Creek |
| Laughery Creek* | 5, 9, 11 | Dearborn, Ohio, Ripley | Source just east of Morris in Ripley Co. to confluence with Ohio River |
| Little Blue* | 5, 11 | Crawford | Town of English to confluence with Ohio |
| Little Calumet East Fork | 10, 13, SS | Porter | C.R. 600E to S.R. 249 |
| Little Creek | 17 | Jefferson | Kent to Big Creek |
| Little Indian Creek | 11 | Harrison | Pfrimmer Church to confluence with Indian Creek |
| Little Mosquito | 11 | Harrison | Headwaters to confluence with Mosquito Creek |
| Little Pine Creek | 11 | Warren | Bridge SW of Green Hill to confluence with Wabash River |
| Little River* | 22 | Allen, Huntington | Source to confluence with the Wabash River |
| Lost River* | 9, 11, 19, EUW | Martin, Orange | Potato Road to confluence with East Fork White River |
| Mosquito Creek* | 11 | Harrison | Buena Vista to confluence with East Fork White River |
| Mississinewa* | 17 | Miami | Mississinewa Reservoir to confluence with Wabash River |
| Mud Pine Creek | 11, 18, EUW | Warren | S.R. 352 to confluence with Big Pine Creek |
| Muscatatuck* | 5 | Jackson, Jennings, Scott | Confluence of Graham Creek and Big Washington Creek to confluence with East Fork White River |
| Muscatatuck, Vernon | 11, 13 | Jackson, Jennings | Zenas to confluence with Muscatatuck Fork* |
| Oil Creek* | 11 | Perry | St. Croix to confluence with Ohio River |
| Otter Creek | 17 | Jennings, Ripley | Covered Bridge North of Holton to confluence with Vernon Fork Muscatatuck |
| Patoka River | 17 | Dubois, Gibson, Pike | Patoka Reservoir to confluence with Wabash River |
| Pigeon | 11, 13 | LaGrange | S.R. 327 to Indiana/Michigan Line |
| Rattlesnake Creek | 18, EUW | Fountain | C.R. 350W to confluence with Bear Creek |
| Rattlesnake Creek | 11 | Parke | C.R. 400/450S to confluence with Sugar Creek |
| Roaring Creek | 11 | Parke | 1 mile upstream of S.R. 41 to confluence with Sugar Creek |
| Sand Creek | 17, 20 | Bartholomew, Decatur, Jackson, Jennings | Confluence with Cobbs Fork to confluence East Fork of White River |
| Stinking Fork | 11 | Crawford | Headwaters to confluence with Little Blue River |
| Sugar Creek | 5, 7, 11, 13, 16, 20 | Montgomery, Parke | Darlington Covered Bridge to confluence with Wabash River |
| Sugar Creek* | 11 | Johnson, Shelby | Inclusive within Johnson and Shelby counties |
| Sugar Mill Creek | 17 | Fountain, Parke | Wallace to confluence with Sugar Creek |
| Tippecanoe | 5, 13, 16 | Carroll, Fulton, Kosciusko, Marshall, Pulaski, Tippecanoe, White | Source (Lake Tippecanoe) to Norway and from Oakdale Dam to the confluence with Wabash River |
| Turkey Fork | 11 | Crawford | I-64 to confluence with Little Blue River |
| Wabash* | 22 | Adams, Allen, Carroll, Cass, Fountain, Gibson, Huntington, Jay, Knox, Miami, Parke, Posey, Sullivan, Tippecanoe, Vermillion, Vigo, Wabash, Warren, Wells | Indiana/Ohio Line to confluence with the Ohio River including the Little River and the portage between the Little River and the Maumee River |
| West Branch Mosquito | 11 | Harrison | Headwaters to confluence with Mosquito Creek |
| White, East Fork | 5, 11, 13 | Bartholomew, Daviess, Dubois, Jackson, Lawrence, Martin, Pike | Columbus to confluence with West Fork White River |
| White, West Fork* | 5, 11, 13 | Daviess, Delaware, Gibson, Knox, Greene, Hamilton, Madison, Marion, Morgan, Owen, Randolph | Farmland to confluence with Wabash River |
| Whitewater* | 7, 11, 13, 20 | Dearborn, Fayette, Franklin | Cambridge City to Indiana/Ohio line Wayne (West Harrison, OH) |
| Wildcat Creek | 4, 7, 13, 17, 18, HQW | Carroll, Tippecanoe | S.R. 29 to confluence with Wabash River |
| Wildcat Creek, Middle | 17 | Clinton, Tippecanoe | S.R. 26 (Edna Mills) to confluence with Fork Wildcat, South Fork |
| Wildcat Creek, South | 4, 7, 11, 13, 17, 18, HQW | Clinton, Tippecanoe | U.S. 421 to confluence with Wildcat Creek Fork |
In 1993, the Natural Resources Commission adopted its "Outstanding Rivers List for Indiana". The listing was published in the Indiana Register on March 1 of that year as Information Bulletin #4 (16 IR 1677). The listing has also been specifically incorporated by reference into statutes and rules. Notably, the listing is referenced in the standards for utility line crossings within floodways, at 312 IAC 10-5-0.3, 312 IAC 10-5-0.6, and 312 IAC 10-5-2 through 312 IAC 10-5-4. See, also, the general permit for logjam removals at 312 IAC 10-5-6 and 312 IAC 10-5-7. Except where incorporated into a statute or rule, the listing is intended to provide guidance rather than to have regulatory application.
Posted: 05/30/2007 by Legislative Services Agency
DIN: 20070530-IR-312070287NRA
Composed: May 02,2024 6:48:56AM EDT
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