Portage River (Ohio)
Encyclopedia
Approximately 41.5 miles (66.8 km) in length, the Portage River meanders across Ottawa
, Sandusky
, and Wood
counties in northwest Ohio
before it empties into Lake Erie
at Port Clinton
. It most likely derives its name from early explorers who were forced to portage
or carry their canoes and boats around the river's intermittent shallows and rapids.
Native Americans
were the first to use the river as a food source and for transportation. In 1782, a trader wrote to a merchant in Detroit, "it is expected there will be two French
traders at or near Little Island or the Portash River." In 1850 the Ohio legislature passed the first of several laws mandating the draining of the Great Black Swamp
into the Portage and Maumee
rivers. This led to the creation of many of the tributaries, streams, and ditches feeding the Portage River.
Drainage system changes have caused the Portage River to shift the location of its mouth at least twice in the past three hundred years. Maps recorded in 1754 show the mouth near the present location of Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge
. Prior to that, the river emptied into Lake Erie near West Harbor.
Despite its shallow depth, the river is relatively clean, reaching 76 percent of Ohio EPA
standards. Environmental concerns include nonpoint pollution sources
, inappropriate land use, and sewage discharge. Due to PCB
contamination, the Ohio EPA recommends no more than one meal per month of channel catfish
and common carp
caught in the Portage River.
Ottawa County, Ohio
Ottawa County is a county located in the state of Ohio, United States. As of the 2010 census, the population was 41,428. Its county seat is Port Clinton and is named either for the Ottawa Indians who lived there, or for an Indian word meaning "trader"....
, Sandusky
Sandusky County, Ohio
Sandusky County is a county in the U.S. state of Ohio. As of the 2010 census, the population was 60,944. Its county seat is Fremont and it is named for a native word meaning "water" ....
, and Wood
Wood County, Ohio
Wood County is a county located in the state of Ohio, United States. As of the 2010 census, the population was 125,488. Its county seat is Bowling Green. The county was named for Captain Eleazer D. Wood, the engineer for General William Henry Harrison's army, who built Fort Meigs in the War of 1812...
counties in northwest Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
before it empties into 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...
at Port Clinton
Port Clinton, Ohio
Port Clinton is a city in and the county seat of Ottawa County, Ohio, United States. The population was 6,056 at the 2010 census. The city has been nicknamed the "Walleye Capital of the World."...
. It most likely derives its name from early explorers who were forced to portage
Portage
Portage or portaging refers to the practice of carrying watercraft or cargo over land to avoid river obstacles, or between two bodies of water. A place where this carrying occurs is also called a portage; a person doing the carrying is called a porter.The English word portage is derived from the...
or carry their canoes and boats around the river's intermittent shallows and rapids.
Native Americans
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
were the first to use the river as a food source and for transportation. In 1782, a trader wrote to a merchant in Detroit, "it is expected there will be two French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
traders at or near Little Island or the Portash River." In 1850 the Ohio legislature passed the first of several laws mandating the draining of the Great Black Swamp
Great Black Swamp
The Great Black Swamp, or simply Black Swamp, was a glacially caused wetland in northwest Ohio, United States, extending into extreme northeastern Indiana, that existed from the end of the Wisconsin glaciation until the late 19th century...
into the Portage and Maumee
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...
rivers. This led to the creation of many of the tributaries, streams, and ditches feeding the Portage River.
Drainage system changes have caused the Portage River to shift the location of its mouth at least twice in the past three hundred years. Maps recorded in 1754 show the mouth near the present location of Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge
Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge Complex
Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge Complex is a National Wildlife Refuge complex in the state of Ohio.-Refuges within the complex:* Cedar Point National Wildlife Refuge* Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge* West Sister Island National Wildlife Refuge-Reference:...
. Prior to that, the river emptied into Lake Erie near West Harbor.
Despite its shallow depth, the river is relatively clean, reaching 76 percent of Ohio EPA
Ohio Environmental Protection Agency
The Ohio Environmental Protection Agency is a government agency in the state of Ohio charged with maintaining environmental quality. It was created on October 23, 1972 when previously separate environmental programs where combined into a single department.-Mission statement:"To protect the...
standards. Environmental concerns include nonpoint pollution sources
Nonpoint source pollution
Nonpoint source pollution refers to both water and air pollution from diffuse sources. Nonpoint source water pollution affects a water body from sources such as polluted runoff from agricultural areas draining into a river, or wind-borne debris blowing out to sea. Nonpoint source air pollution...
, inappropriate land use, and sewage discharge. Due to PCB
Polychlorinated biphenyl
Polychlorinated biphenyls are a class of organic compounds with 2 to 10 chlorine atoms attached to biphenyl, which is a molecule composed of two benzene rings. The chemical formula for PCBs is C12H10-xClx...
contamination, the Ohio EPA recommends no more than one meal per month of channel catfish
Channel catfish
Channel catfish, Ictalurus punctatus, is North America's most numerous catfish species. It is the official fish of Missouri, Iowa, Nebraska, Kansas, and Tennessee, and is informally referred to as a "channel cat". In the United States they are the most fished catfish species with approximately 8...
and common carp
Common carp
The Common carp is a widespread freshwater fish of eutrophic waters in lakes and large rivers in Europe and Asia. The wild populations are considered vulnerable to extinction, but the species has also been domesticated and introduced into environments worldwide, and is often considered an invasive...
caught in the Portage River.