Ocqueoc River

Ocqueoc River

River Road over the Ocqueoc River.
Basin
Main source Bismarck Township, Presque Isle County, Michigan
River mouth Lake Huron at Ocqueoc Township, Presque Isle County, Michigan
Mouth elevation 584 feet (178 m)[1]
Size 94,394 acres (382.00 km2)[2]
Country United States
Physiognomy
Length 34 miles (55 km)[3]
Tributaries
  • Left:
  • Silver Creek, Little Ocqueoc River, Indian Creek

The Ocqueoc River (pronounced Ah-key-ock) is stream in Presque Isle County in the northeastern part of the lower peninsula in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is 34.2 miles (55.0 km) long[3] and encompasses a watershed of approximately 94,394 acres (382.00 km2).[2]

The word Ocqueoc comes from a French term meaning "crooked waters",[4] which aptly describes the winding Ocqueoc River.

Description and course

The Ocqueoc River is the largest river entirely within Presque Isle County and drains several lakes, including Ocqueoc Lake, and receives a few tributaries, the largest being the Little Ocqueoc River and Silver Creek. The Ocqueoc River's source is in southern Bismarck Township at 45°13′15″N 83°55′45″W / 45.22083°N 83.92917°W / 45.22083; -83.92917 approximately 10 miles (16 km) southeast of the village of Millersburg, which with a population 263 people at the 2000 Census is the largest community in the watershed.[5]

Ocqueoc Falls[6] are the largest waterfalls in the Lower Peninsula of Michigan with a drop of about 5 feet (1.5 m). The falls and the Ocqueoc Falls Bicentennial Pathway, which offers groomed winter trails and summer hiking trails, are a tourist attraction of Presque Isle County. The Ocqueoc River is one of the few rivers in the Lower Peninsula to flow north.[7]

The Ocqueoc River flows through a limestone karst region, and some of its tributaries, notably the Little Ocqueoc, are not continuous on the surface but flow through subterranean systems for part of their course. The upper reaches of the river's watershed is swampy with cedar, tamarack, balsam, poplar, aspen and black ash common. The warmer upper ranges have more warm-water fish including sunfish, pike and bass, while the lower cooler part of the river has salmon and trout.[8] Smelt dipping is a style of fishing used near the mouth of the Ocqueoc.

Drainage basin

Ocqueoc Falls in winter

The Ocqueoc River drainage basin includes all or portions of the following townships and municipalities in Presque Isle County:

Bismarck Township

A very small portion of the watershed is located in northern Montmorency County but contains no surface water.[2]

Named tributaries

Named waterbodies with direct surface flow into the Ocqueoc River system, from the mouth:

References

  1. ↑ U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Ocqueoc River
  2. 1 2 3 Ocqueoc River Watershed Management Plan, 2005, Ocqueoc River Watershed Commission, Accessed 22 August 2010
  3. 1 2 U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline data. The National Map, accessed November 21, 2011
  4. ↑ Romig, Walter (1986) [1973]. Michigan Place Names. Detroit, Michigan: Wayne State University Press. ISBN 0-8143-1838-X.
  5. ↑ "The Ocqueoc River Watershed- an Introduction", Bearinger Township, Presque Isle County, Michigan, December, 2008
  6. ↑ "Ocqueoc Falls", Michigan Interactive
  7. ↑ Area Attractions, Onaway Area Chamber of Commerce
  8. ↑ Biological Survey of the Ocqueoc River, MI/DEQ/SWQ-96/017, Michigan Department of Environment Quality, April 1996
  9. ↑ U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Ocqueoc Lake
  10. ↑ U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Orchard Lake
  11. ↑ U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Mud Lake
  12. ↑ U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Silver Creek
  13. ↑ U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Little Ocqueoc River
  14. ↑ U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Fox Creek
  15. ↑ U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Indian Creek
  16. ↑ U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Upper Barnhart Lake
  17. ↑ U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: McIntosh Lake
  18. ↑ U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Lower Barnhart Lake
  19. ↑ U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Mud Lake
  20. ↑ U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Lake Nettie
  21. ↑ U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Bullhead Lake
  22. ↑ U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Lake Ann
  23. ↑ U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Horseshoe Lake
  24. ↑ U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Lake Emma
  25. ↑ U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Moores Lake
  26. ↑ U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Marl Bed Lake

External links

Coordinates: 45°29′24″N 84°04′27″W / 45.49000°N 84.07417°W / 45.49000; -84.07417

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