| Shade River | |
|---|---|
 The East Branch of the Shade River in Chester Township in 2006 | |
 Map of the Shade River and its watershed | |
| Location | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Ohio |
| County | Meigs |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Source | West Branch Shade River |
| - location | Scipio Township, Meigs County |
| - coordinates | 39°11′28″N82°09′24″W / 39.19111°N 82.15667°W [1] |
| - length | 20.8 mi (33.5 km) |
| - elevation | 853 ft (260 m) [2] |
| 2nd source | Middle Branch Shade River |
| - location | Athens Township, Athens County |
| - coordinates | 39°18′33″N82°04′52″W / 39.30917°N 82.08111°W [3] |
| - length | 28.5 mi (45.9 km) |
| - elevation | 950 ft (290 m) [2] |
| Source confluence | |
| - location | Chester Township, Meigs County |
| - coordinates | 39°05′58″N81°55′21″W / 39.09944°N 81.92250°W [4] |
| - elevation | 574 ft (175 m) [2] |
| Mouth | Ohio River |
- location | Olive Township, Meigs County |
- coordinates | 39°04′03″N81°48′49″W / 39.06750°N 81.81361°W Coordinates: 39°04′03″N81°48′49″W / 39.06750°N 81.81361°W [4] |
- elevation | 561 ft (171 m) [5] |
| Length | 17.4 mi (28.0 km) [6] |
| Basin size | 221 sq mi (570 km2) [6] |
| Discharge | |
| - location | near Chester [7] |
| - average | 174 cu ft/s (4.9 m3/s) [7] |
| - minimum | 0.00 cu ft/s (0 m3/s) |
| - maximum | 15,600 cu ft/s (440 m3/s) |
| Basin features | |
| Tributaries | |
| - left | East Branch Shade River |
The Shade River is a tributary of the Ohio River in southeastern Ohio in the United States. Via the Ohio River, it is part of the watershed of the Mississippi River, draining an area of 221 square miles (570 km2) on the unglaciated portion of the Allegheny Plateau. The Shade River is 17.4 miles (28.0 km) long, or 38.2 miles (61.5 km) including its west branch. [6]
A tributary or affluent is a stream or river that flows into a larger stream or main stem river or a lake. A tributary does not flow directly into a sea or ocean. Tributaries and the main stem river drain the surrounding drainage basin of its surface water and groundwater, leading the water out into an ocean.
The Ohio River, which flows southwesterly from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, to Cairo, Illinois, is the largest tributary, by volume, of the Mississippi River in the United States. At the confluence, the Ohio is considerably bigger than the Mississippi and, thus from a hydrological perspective, is the main stream of the whole river system.
The United States of America (USA), commonly known as the United States or America, is a country composed of 50 states, a federal district, five major self-governing territories, and various possessions. At 3.8 million square miles, the United States is the world's third or fourth largest country by total area and is slightly smaller than the entire continent of Europe's 3.9 million square miles. With a population of over 327 million people, the U.S. is the third most populous country. The capital is Washington, D.C., and the largest city by population is New York City. Forty-eight states and the capital's federal district are contiguous in North America between Canada and Mexico. The State of Alaska is in the northwest corner of North America, bordered by Canada to the east and across the Bering Strait from Russia to the west. The State of Hawaii is an archipelago in the mid-Pacific Ocean. The U.S. territories are scattered about the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea, stretching across nine official time zones. The extremely diverse geography, climate, and wildlife of the United States make it one of the world's 17 megadiverse countries.
Contents
The Shade River flows predominantly as three streams, its east, middle, and west branches. It is formed by the confluence of its middle and west branches, and collects its east branch shortly thereafter: [8]
- The West Branch Shade River rises in Scipio Township in Meigs County, at an elevation of 853 feet (260 m), and flows east-southeastwardly through Bedford and Chester Townships. [1] [8] The West Branch is 20.8 miles (33.5 km) long and drains an area of 71.3 square miles (185 km2). [6]
- The Middle Branch Shade River rises southeast of the city of Athens in Athens Township in Athens County, at an elevation of 950 feet (290 m), and flows southeastwardly through Alexander, Lodi, and Carthage Townships in Athens County; and Bedford, Orange, and Chester Townships in Meigs County. [3] [8] The Middle Branch is 28.5 miles (45.9 km) long and drains an area of 57.6 square miles (149 km2). [6]
- The East Branch Shade River rises in Lodi Township in Athens County, at an elevation of 916 feet (279 m), and flows south-southeastwardly through Carthage Township in Athens County, and Orange and Chester Townships in Meigs County. [2] [8] [9] The East Branch is 21.9 miles (35.2 km) long and drains an area of 54.9 square miles (142 km2). [6]
Scipio Township is one of the twelve townships of Meigs County, Ohio, United States. The 2000 census found 1,050 people in the township.
Meigs County is a county located in the U.S. state of Ohio. As of the 2010 census, the population was 23,770. Its county seat is Pomeroy. The county is named for Return J. Meigs, Jr., the fourth Governor of Ohio.
Bedford Township is one of the twelve townships of Meigs County, Ohio, United States. The 2000 census found 1,212 people in the township.
From the confluence of the middle and west branches in Chester Township, the Shade River flows generally eastwardly, past the community of Chester. It collects its east branch from the north at the community of Keno, and enters the Ohio River in Olive Township, approximately one mile (2 km) south of the community of Long Bottom. [8]
Chester is an unincorporated community in central Chester Township, Meigs County, Ohio, United States. It lies along the Shade River at the intersection of State Routes 7 and 248. Although it is unincorporated, it has a post office, with the ZIP code of 45720.
Olive Township is one of the twelve townships of Meigs County, Ohio, United States. The 2000 census found 1,874 people in the township.
Long Bottom is an unincorporated community in southern Olive Township, Meigs County, Ohio, United States. Although it is unincorporated, it has a post office, with the ZIP code of 45743.
According to the Geographic Names Information System, the Shade River has also been known historically as "Shade Creek" and as "Devils Hole Creek." [4]
The Geographic Names Information System (GNIS) is a database that contains name and locative information about more than two million physical and cultural features located throughout the United States of America and its territories. It is a type of gazetteer. GNIS was developed by the United States Geological Survey in cooperation with the United States Board on Geographic Names (BGN) to promote the standardization of feature names.
