Waukegan River

The Waukegan River, a small river in Lake County, Illinois, is a member of the very small class of Illinois rivers that flow into Lake Michigan. It drains part of the city of Waukegan, Illinois, including the city's historic downtown area. The river's drainage area comprises 7,785.63 acres. The drainage is managed by the city of Waukegan.[1][2][3]

Waukegan River
Physical characteristics
Source 
 • locationWaukegan, Illinois
 • coordinates42°20′55″N 87°50′35″W
 • elevation623 ft (190 m)
Mouth 
 • location
Confluence with Lake Michigan, Waukegan, Illinois
 • coordinates
42°21′20″N 87°49′32″W
 • elevation
577 ft (176 m)
Length3 mi (4.8 km)
Basin features
ProgressionWaukegan River → Lake Michigan → Great Lakes → Saint Lawrence Seaway → Gulf of Saint Lawrence
GNIS ID420651

Geological features associated with the end of the Wisconsin glaciation ensured that most of that portion of Illinois that drains into the St. Lawrence River is covered in water. Only a thin strip of land on the extreme northeastern coast of Illinois naturally drains into Lake Michigan and from thence to Canada. The Waukegan River, a river of less than three miles in length, drains part of this ribbon-like strip. Only a short distance away, the western neighborhoods of Waukegan drain into the Des Plaines River, which flows in a completely different direction.[1][2]

The mouth of the river is marked by Waukegan Harbor Light.

References
  1. "Waukegan County Watershed: Lake County, Illinois" (PDF). Lake County, Illinois. Retrieved 2015-05-13.
  2. Illinois Atlas and Gazetteer. Freeport, Maine: DeLorme Mapping. 1991. ISBN 0-89933-213-7.
  3. U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Waukegan River


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