View source for Maumee River

{{short description|River in Indiana and Ohio, United States}}
{{Distinguish|Miami River (disambiguation){{!}}Miami River}}
{{Infobox river
| name              = Maumee River
| image             = Maumee River at Mary Jane Thurston State Park in Grand Rapids, Ohio.jpg
| image_caption     = The Maumee River at [[Grand Rapids, Ohio]]
| image_size        = 300px
| map               = Maumeerivermap.png
| map_size          = 300px
| map_caption       = Map of the Maumee River [[Drainage basin|watershed]]
| map_alt           = refer to caption
| subdivision_type1  = Country
| subdivision_name1  = [[United States]]
| subdivision_type2  = States
| subdivision_name2  = [[Indiana]], [[Ohio]]
| subdivision_type3  = Cities and towns
| subdivision_name3  = [[Fort Wayne, Indiana]]; [[New Haven, Indiana]]; [[Antwerp, Ohio]]; [[Cecil, Ohio]]; [[Defiance, Ohio]]; [[Florida, Ohio]]; [[Napoleon, Ohio]]; [[Grand Rapids, Ohio]]; [[Waterville, Ohio]]; [[Maumee, Ohio]]; [[Perrysburg, Ohio]]; [[Rossford, Ohio]]; [[Toledo, Ohio]]; [[Oregon, Ohio]]
| progression       = Northeast
| source1_location  = [[Fort Wayne, Indiana|Fort Wayne]] by the confluence of the [[St. Joseph River (Maumee River)|St. Joseph]] and [[St. Marys River (Indiana)|St. Marys]]
| source1_coordinates= {{coord|41.0827778|-85.1322222|region:US-OH|format=dms|name=Maumee River origin}}
| mouth_location    = [[Lake Erie]] at [[Toledo, OH|Toledo]]
| mouth_coordinates = {{coord|41.6994444|-83.46|region:US-OH|format=dms|name=Maumee River mouth|display=inline,title}}
| length            = {{convert|137|mi}}
| source1_elevation = {{convert|750|ft|m|abbr=on}}
| mouth_elevation   = {{convert|571|ft|m|abbr=on}}
| discharge1_avg    = {{convert|5,297|cuft/s|m3/s|abbr=on}}
| basin_size        = {{convert|6,354|sqmi|km2|abbr=on}}
}}
{{GeoGroup}}

The '''Maumee River''' (pronounced {{IPAc-en|m|ɔː|ˈ|m|iː|}})<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/maumee |title=Maumee – Definition and More from the Free Merriam-Webster Dictionary |publisher=Merriam-webster.com |access-date=November 1, 2012}}</ref> ({{langx|sjw|Hotaawathiipi}};<ref>{{cite web| title = Shawnees Webpage| work = Shawnee's Reservation| access-date = 2013-04-26| year = 1997| url = http://reocities.com/SouthBeach/Cove/8286/speach.html| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20130502054932/http://reocities.com/SouthBeach/Cove/8286/speach.html| archive-date = 2013-05-02| url-status = dead}}</ref> {{langx|mia|Taawaawa siipiiwi}})<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://myaamiadictionary.org/dictionary2015/search/search.php?search=river&stem=stem&inflected=inflected&sentences=sentences&command=command&language=both&website=t |title=Myaamiaatawaakani {{!}} Myaamia Dictionary |access-date=2017-04-22 |archive-date=2017-08-30 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170830003624/https://myaamiadictionary.org/dictionary2015/search/search.php?search=river&stem=stem&inflected=inflected&sentences=sentences&command=command&language=both&website=t |url-status=dead }}</ref> is a [[river]] running in the [[Midwestern United States]] from northeastern [[Indiana]] into northwestern [[Ohio]] and [[Lake Erie]]. It is formed at the confluence of the [[St. Joseph River (Maumee River)|St. Joseph]] and [[St. Marys River (Indiana)|St. Marys]] rivers, where [[Fort Wayne, Indiana]], has developed, and meanders northeastwardly for {{convert|137|mi}}<ref name=NHD>U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline data. [http://viewer.nationalmap.gov/viewer/ The National Map] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120329155652/http://viewer.nationalmap.gov/viewer/ |date=2012-03-29 }}, accessed May 19, 2011</ref> through an [[agriculture|agricultural]] region of [[glacial moraines]] before flowing into the [[Maumee Bay]] of Lake Erie. The city of [[Toledo, Ohio|Toledo]] is located at the mouth of the Maumee. The Maumee was designated an Ohio State Scenic River on July&nbsp;18, 1974. The Maumee watershed is Ohio's breadbasket; it is two-thirds farmland, mostly corn and soybeans. It is the largest watershed of any of the rivers feeding the [[Great Lakes]],<ref name="epa"/> and supplies five percent of Lake Erie's water.<ref name="Wines"/>

==History==
[[File:An Island in the Maumee River, Toledo, Ohio - DPLA - 906e65182c693266c05a36cafb7196b5 (page 1).jpg|alt=An Island in the Maumee River, Toledo, Ohio, 1909|thumb|An Island in the Maumee River, Toledo, Ohio, 1909]]
[[File:Sheet's Island, Maumee River, Maumee, Ohio - DPLA - 004c7f0a61ebd0fa8e92828c440cd084 (page 1).jpg|alt=Sheet's Island, Maumee River, Maumee, Ohio, 1900s|thumb|Sheet's Island, Maumee River, Maumee, Ohio, 1900s]]
[[File:Huffman Island, Maumee River - DPLA - d94d560feb25a90c3bf4359d6afef802 (page 1).jpg|alt=Huffman Island, Maumee River, Toledo, Ohio, 1907|thumb|Huffman Island, Maumee River, Toledo, Ohio, 1907]]
[[File:Ice Gorge on the Maumee, at Cherry Street Bridge, Toledo, Ohio - DPLA - f881fd1e0e84d68bf8c3035b37a826d1 (page 1).jpg|alt=Ice Buildup on Maumee River at Cherry Street Bridge in Toledo, Ohio, 1924|thumb|Ice Buildup on Maumee River at Cherry Street Bridge in Toledo, Ohio, 1924]]
Historically the river was also known as the ''Miami'' in United States treaties with [[Native Americans in the United States|Native Americans]].  As early as 1671, French colonists called the river {{lang|fr|Miami du Lac}} 'Miami of the Lake' (in contrast to the ''Miami of the Ohio'' or the [[Great Miami River]], called {{lang|mia|Ahsenisiipi}} in the [[Miami-Illinois language]]). ''Maumee'' is an [[anglicized]] spelling of the [[Ottawa (tribe)|Ottawa or Odawa]] name for the [[Miami tribe]], {{lang|otw|Maamii}}. The Odawa had a village at the mouth of the Maumee River and occupied other territory in northwestern Ohio, including along its tributary, the Blanchard River.<ref>{{cite book
|title=The Fry Site: Archaeological and Ethnohistorical Perspectives on the Maumee River Ottawa of Northwest Ohio
|series=Volume 2 of Laboratory of Archaeology Publications: Occasional Monographs
|author=David M. Stothers, Patrick M. Tucker
|publisher=LuLu Press
|location=Morrisville, North Carolina
|year=2006
|isbn=1430304294
|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=jFB8y6XD7noC&q=village+mouth+Maumee+River&pg=PA193}}</ref>

The [[Battle of Fallen Timbers]], the final battle of the [[Northwest Indian War]], was fought {{convert|3/4|mi|km|abbr=on}} north of the banks of the Maumee River. After this decisive victory for General [[Anthony Wayne]], in 1795 Native Americans ceded a [[Twelve Mile Square Reservation|twelve-mile square]] tract around [[Perrysburg, Ohio|Perrysburg]] and [[Maumee, Ohio|Maumee]] to the United States by the [[Treaty of Greenville]].<ref>{{USStat|7|49}} – Text of Treaty of Greenville [[Library of Congress]]</ref> They ceded additional lands, north of the river and downstream of Defiance, in the 1807 [[Treaty of Detroit]].<ref>{{USStat|7|105}} – Text of Treaty of Detroit [[Library of Congress]]</ref> They ceded the remainder of the Maumee River valley in the 1817 [[Treaty of Fort Meigs]].<ref>{{USStat|7|160}} – Text of Treaty of Fort Meigs [[Library of Congress]]</ref>

Prior to the development of [[canal]]s, [[portage]]s between the rivers were important trade routes. U.S. forces built [[fort]]s such as [[Fort Loramie]], [[Fort Recovery]], and [[Fort Defiance (Ohio)|Fort Defiance]] along these routes.  In honor of General Wayne's victory on the banks of the Maumee, the primary bridge crossing the river near downtown Toledo is named the Anthony Wayne Suspension Bridge.

A dispute over control of part of the Maumee River region led to the so-called [[Toledo War]] between Ohio and the [[Michigan Territory]].

Agricultural practices along the Maumee River have contributed in the 21st century to high [[phosphate]] levels in Lake Erie. This has triggered [[Eutrophication|algae blooms]] in the lake.<ref name="Wines">{{cite news|last=Wines|first=Michael|title=Spring Rain, Then Foul Algae in Ailing Lake Erie|work=The New York Times|page=1|date=15 March 2013|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/15/science/earth/algae-blooms-threaten-lake-erie.html}}</ref> The drinking water from the city of Toledo was made unsafe for consumption for nearly a week in August 2014 because of such algae blooms.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://weather.com/news/news/toledo-ohio-water-algae-lake-erie-20140802|title=Toledo, Ohio Water Supply Contaminated by Algae From Lake Erie|newspaper=The Weather Channel|access-date=2016-12-16}}</ref>

==Natural history==
[[File:GreatBlackSwampMap.png|left|thumb|The general extent of the Great Black Swamp prior to the 19th century]]
The Maumee River watershed was once part of the [[Great Black Swamp]], a remnant of [[Glacial Lake Maumee]], the [[Proglacial lake|proglacial]] ancestor of Lake Erie. The {{convert|1,500|sqmi|adj=on}} swamp was a vast network of forests, wetlands, and grasslands, a rich habitat for numerous species of birds, mammals, fish and flora.  During the 19th&nbsp;century, European-American settlers struggled to drain the swamp and to convert the land to farmland; they dramatically altered the habitat, reducing areas where species could flourish.

==Transportation==
The mouth of the river at Toledo and Lake Erie is wide and supports considerable commercial traffic, including [[Petroleum|oil]], [[grain]], [[iron ore]]<ref>{{Cite web |title=2024 Annual Report |url=https://www.toledoport.org/2024-annual-report |access-date=2025-09-22 |website=Port Authority |language=en-US}}</ref>, and [[coal]].  About {{convert|12|mi}} upstream, in the town of Perrysburg, Ohio, the river becomes much shallower and today supports only recreational navigation above that point.  The [[Miami and Erie Canal]] was built parallel to and north of the Maumee between Toledo and Defiance, Ohio, to enable extended transportation of shipped goods. The canal entered the river at a "slackwater" created by Independence Dam. It exited the river at Defiance and was built to the south, ending at [[Cincinnati]], Ohio. While abandoned for commercial use, portions of the canal's [[towpath]] are maintained for recreational use in both Lucas and Henry counties. A restored section of canal, including a canal lock, is operated at [[Providence Metropark]], where visitors can ride an authentic canal boat.

The [[Wabash and Erie Canal]] was constructed on the south side of the river, continuing southwest from Defiance to Fort Wayne, Indiana, crossing the "summit" to the [[Wabash River]] valley (in Miami-Illinois the Wabash River was known as ''Waapaahšiki siipiiwi'').  Both canals were important pre-railway transportation methods in the 1840–60 period.

==Watershed==
The Maumee has the largest [[drainage basin|watershed]] of any [[Great Lakes]] river,<ref name="epa">{{cite web|title=Maumee River Area of Concern|url=http://epa.gov/glnpo/aoc/maumee.html|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120708104300/http://epa.gov/glnpo/aoc/maumee.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=July 8, 2012|access-date=14 October 2011}}</ref> with {{convert|8316|sqmi}}.  This area includes a portion of southern [[Michigan]].  In addition to its source [[tributary|tributaries]] – the [[St. Joseph River (Maumee River tributary)|St. Joseph River]] (in Miami-Illinois: ''Kociihsasiipi'') and [[St. Marys River (Indiana and Ohio)|St. Marys]] (in Miami-Illinois: ''Nameewa siipiiwi''), which were captured by [[stream capture|river piracy]], the Maumee's principal tributaries are the [[Auglaize River]] and the [[Tiffin River]], which join it at Defiance from the south and north, respectively.

== Environmental conditions ==

=== Great Lakes Area of Concern ===

Due to environmental contamination, a portion of the river was designated a [[Great Lakes Areas of Concern|Great Lakes Area of Concern]] (AOC) under the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement of 1987. The Maumee covers 8,316 square miles and has the largest drainage area of any Great Lakes river.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url=https://www.epa.gov/great-lakes-aocs/about-maumee-river-aoc|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190112052826/https://www.epa.gov/great-lakes-aocs/about-maumee-river-aoc|url-status=dead|archive-date=January 12, 2019|title=About Maumee River AOC|last=United States Environmental Protection Agency|date=2015-03-27|website=US EPA|language=en|access-date=2019-10-08}}</ref> The Maumee AOC is contained within 775 square miles of the river and includes several creeks.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.epa.gov/great-lakes-aocs/maumee-aoc-boundary-map|title=Maumee River AOC Boundary Map|last=United States Environmental Protection Agency|date=2015-04-01|website=US EPA|language=en|access-date=2019-10-08}}</ref> The environmental problems were caused by sediment contamination and agricultural runoff. The runoff caused large amounts of [[phosphorus]] to enter the river, eventually leading to manmade [[eutrophication]] in Lake Erie.<ref name=":0" /> Sediments at the site contained high levels of [[polychlorinated biphenyl]]s (PCBs) and [[heavy metals]], which came from old dumps, contaminated industrial sites, [[Combined sewer|combined sewer overflows]] and disposal of [[Dredging|dredged materials]].<ref name=":0" />

A 2006 remedial action plan for the AOC identified 10 "beneficial use impairments" caused by the pollution:

*'''Added costs to industry and agriculture''',<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|url=https://www.epa.gov/great-lakes-aocs/bui-descriptions|title=BUI Descriptions|last=United States Environmental Protection Agency|date=2019-07-10|website=US EPA|language=en|access-date=2019-10-08}}</ref> which was removed in 2015 due to no additional costs required to treat the water prior to agricultural and industrial use<ref name=":2">{{Cite web|url=https://www.epa.gov/sites/default/files/2015-04/documents/maumee-aoc-stage2plan.pdf|title=Maumee Area of Concern Stage 2 Watershed Restoration Plan|last=United States Environmental Protection Agency}}</ref>
*'''Restrictions on fish and wildlife consumption'''<ref name=":1" /> due to [[Polychlorinated biphenyl|PCBs]] and [[heavy metals]] in [[sediment]]s<ref name=":2" />
*'''[[Eutrophication]] or undesirable [[algae]]''',<ref name=":1" /> which causes persistent water quality problems, such as nuisance [[algal bloom]]s, decreased water clarity and decrease of dissolved oxygen in bottom waters<ref name=":2" />
*'''Degradation of fish and wildlife populations'''<ref name=":1" /> These levels are set based on what would be expected from the amount and quality of suitable physical, chemical and biological habitat present in the AOC.<ref name=":2" />
*'''Beach closings'''<ref name=":1" /> due to the potential for high bacteria levels caused by [[Combined sewer|combined sewer overflows]]<ref name=":2" />
*'''Fish tumors or other deformities'''<ref name=":1" /> are caused by pollutants such as petroleum products and [[Polychlorinated biphenyl|PCBs]] in the sediment and water.<ref name=":2" />
*'''Degradation of aesthetics'''<ref name=":1" /> Materials and events that might cause this include oil slicks, surface scum, combined sewer overflows, excessive dust or [[algal bloom]]s.<ref name=":2" />
*'''Degradation of [[benthos]]''',<ref name=":1" /> which was first documented in the 1950s and has been attributed to waste deposited old dumps, contaminated industrial sites, disposal of [[Dredging|dredged]] materials and [[Combined sewer|combined sewer overflows]]<ref name=":2" />
*'''Restriction on [[dredging]] activities'''<ref name=":1" /> Contaminants in sediment can get stirred up and reintroduced to the water column during dredging activities, which remove sediment and debris from the bottom of a lake or river.<ref name=":2" />
*'''Loss of fish and wildlife habitat'''<ref name=":1" /> Restoration actions include removing stream barriers, enhancing shoreline complexity, removing invasive species or restoring [[wetland]]s.<ref name=":2" />

==Islands==

[[Image:Three Rivers, Fort Wayne, Indiana.JPG|thumb|The St. Marys River (left) and St. Joseph River (right) converge to form the Maumee River (foreground) in Fort Wayne, Indiana.]]
[[File:Missionary Island, Maumee River.jpg|thumb|Aerial view of (from largest to smallest) Missionary, Indian, Butler, Woodcock, and Grave Islands.]]

There are several small islands in the section of the Maumee River in northwest Ohio. The names of the islands are:<ref>[http://www.metroparkstoledo.com/metroparks/explore/display.asp?id=89&subj=explore Sidecut Metropark History] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070911224052/http://www.metroparkstoledo.com/metroparks/explore/display.asp?id=89&subj=explore |date=2007-09-11 }}</ref>

* Indian Island – near Farnsworth Park west of [[Toledo, Ohio|Toledo]]
* Woodcock Island – just west of Indian Island, adjacent to Missionary Island
* Missionary Island –  near Farnsworth Park west of Toledo
* Granger Island – near [[Waterville, Ohio]]
* Butler Island – near Farnsworth Metropark, adjacent to Missionary Island's North East side
* Grave Island – adjacent to Missionary Island on its south side, opposite of Butler Island
* Otter Island –  five miles downstream of [[Grand Rapids, Ohio|Grand Rapids]]
* Hedges Island – located south side of Otter Island
* Millers Island – three miles downstream of [[Grand Rapids, Ohio|Grand Rapids]]
* Caseys Island – west of Millers Island
* Sheets Island – close to Caseys Island
* Fox Island – two miles downstream of [[Grand Rapids, Ohio|Grand Rapids]]
* Number 3 Island – two miles east of [[Grand Rapids, Ohio|Grand Rapids]]
* Howard Island – near Grand Rapids Park, in [[Grand Rapids, Ohio|Grand Rapids]]
* Buttonwood Island – located north of Howard Island
* Bluegrass Island – part of Side Cut Metropark
* Ewing Island – the largest island in the Maumee River, formerly McKee's Island, part of Audubon Islands State Nature Preserve
* Grape Island – immediately west of Ewing Island, part of Audubon Islands State Nature Preserve
* Marengo Island – near [[Maumee, Ohio]]
* Horseshoe Island – near Walbridge Park in Toledo
* Clark Island – near Walbridge Park in Toledo
* Corbutt Island – in Toledo
* Grassy Island – at the mouth of Grassy Creek at Rossford, Ohio.
* Girty's Island – two miles downstream of [[Florida, Ohio]]
* Sand Island – one mile upstream of [[Florida, Ohio]]
* Preston Island – near Defiance, Ohio
* Little Sisters Island – near Rossford, Ohio

==Walleye run==
According to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, the annual [[walleye]] run up the Maumee River is one of the largest migrations of riverbound walleye east of the Mississippi. The [[Fish migration|migration]] of the walleye normally starts in early March and runs through the end of April. Although the first week of April is "historically" the peak of the migration, it varies according to environmental conditions. When river flows rise due to snow melt-off and the river water temperature reaches {{convert|40|to|50|F|C}}, the migration begins.  Walleye come to spawn from the western end of [[Lake Erie]] and the [[Detroit River]] and [[Lake Saint Clair (North America)|Lake St. Clair]] in Michigan. The most popular method of fishing for the migrating walleye is by wading out into the river and casting.

==Cities and towns along the river==
{{Main|List of cities and towns along the Maumee River}}
[[File:Veterans' Glass City Skyway 1.jpg|right|thumb|The [[Veterans' Glass City Skyway]] in Toledo, Ohio]]
[[File:Skyline of Toledo, Ohio.jpg|right|thumb|Toledo, Ohio]]
[[File:Grandrapidsohio3.jpg|right|thumb|The river in Grand Rapids, Ohio]]
* [[Fort Wayne, Indiana]]
* [[New Haven, Indiana]]
* [[Woodburn, Indiana]]
* [[Antwerp, Ohio]]
* [[Cecil, Ohio]]
* [[Defiance, Ohio]]
* [[Florida, Ohio]]
* [[Napoleon, Ohio]]
* [[Grand Rapids, Ohio]]
* [[Waterville, Ohio]]
* [[Maumee, Ohio]]
* [[Perrysburg, Ohio]]
* [[Rossford, Ohio]]
* [[Toledo, Ohio]]
* [[Oregon, Ohio]]

==See also==
* [[List of Indiana rivers]]
* [[List of rivers of Ohio]]
* {{USS|Maumee}} – list of ships named for the river

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Further reading==
* Arthur Benke & Colbert Cushing, ''Rivers of North America''. [[Academic Press|Elsevier Academic Press]], 2005. {{ISBN|0-12-088253-1}}

==External links==
{{NIE Poster|Maumee}}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20070628200649/http://www.maumeevalleyheritagecorridor.org/ Maumee Valley Heritage Corridor]
* [http://www.mrbc.org Maumee River Basin Commission] (Indiana)
* {{GNIS|1084017|Maumee River}}
* [https://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=maumee+river,+maumee,+Ohio&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=55.279921,102.832031&ie=UTF8&ll=41.605624,-83.584585&spn=0.051599,0.100422&z=14&om=1 Google Map of the Maumee River]

{{Protected areas of Ohio}}
{{Toledo}}

{{authority control}}

[[Category:Rivers of Indiana]]
[[Category:Rivers of Ohio]]
[[Category:Tributaries of Lake Erie]]
[[Category:Rivers of Defiance County, Ohio]]
[[Category:Rivers of Lucas County, Ohio]]
[[Category:Rivers of Allen County, Indiana]]
[[Category:Rivers of Paulding County, Ohio]]
[[Category:Rivers of Wood County, Ohio]]
[[Category:Rivers of Henry County, Ohio]]