Black River (Alcona County)

Black River
Basin
River mouth	Lake Huron 581 ft (177 m)[1]
Countries	United States

Black River is a 15.5-mile-long (24.9 km)^[2] river in Alcona County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The main branch rises in northern Harrisville Township at 44°40′46″N 83°22′15″W / 44.67944°N 83.37083°W^[1] and flows north through Haynes Township and Alcona Township and empties into Lake Huron at 44°48′58″N 83°17′57″W / 44.81611°N 83.29917°W^[1] at the unincorporated community of Black River.

The north branch rises in Sanborn Township in southern Alpena County at 44°52′07″N 83°22′06″W / 44.86861°N 83.36833°W.^[3] A large portion of its drainage basin is known as the Black River Swamp.^[4] The north branch joins the main branch in Alcona Township approximately 1.5 miles (2.4 km) from the mouth at 44°48′23″N 83°19′33″W / 44.80639°N 83.32583°W.^[3]

Tributaries (from the mouth):

• North Branch Black River^[3]
  • Potvin Lake^[5]
  • Gauthier Creek^[6]
  • DeRocher Creek^[7]
  • Butternut Creek^[8]
    • Liston Creek^[9]
• Silver Creek^[10]
• Haynes Creek^[11]

During the lumber boom, the town was formerly the local headquarters for Russell A. Alger's lumber company. The house on Lake Shore Road (just north of the bridge on the west side) was removed in 2009; although Alger Street runs adjacent to the river.^[12]

References

1. "Black River". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey.
2. U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline data. The National Map, accessed November 21, 2011
3. "North Branch Black River". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey.
4. "Black River Swamp". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey.
5. "Potvin Lake". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey.
6. "Gauthier Creek". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey.
7. "DeRocher Creek". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey.
8. "Butternut Creek". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey.
9. "Liston Creek". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey.
10. "Silver Creek". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey.
11. "Haynes Creek". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey.
12. Bunting, Robert L.; McGreevy, Robert (Illustrator) (October 31, 2007). Into oblivion: the lives and times leading up to the final voyage of the steamship Marine City from the ghost town of Alcona, Michigan on Lake Huron, 1880 (Hardcover) (1st ed.). Oxford, Mich: Black River Trading Company, LTD. ISBN 0979749204. ISBN 978-0979749209.