The Pecatonica River is a tributary of the
Rock River, long,
[U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline data]
The National Map
accessed May 13, 2011 in southern
Wisconsin
Wisconsin () is a state in the upper Midwestern United States. Wisconsin is the 25th-largest state by total area and the 20th-most populous. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake M ...
and northern
Illinois
Illinois ( ) is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolitan areas include, Peoria and Rock ...
in the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country Continental United States, primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., ...
.
The word Pecatonica is an anglicization of two
Algonquian language words: ''Bekaa'' (or ''Pekaa'' in some dialects), which means "slow", and ''niba'', which means "water", forming the conjunction ''Bekaaniba'' or "Slow Water".
It rises in the hills of southwest Wisconsin, in southwest
Iowa County, west of
Cobb. It flows south, then southeast, past
Calamine
Calamine, also known as calamine lotion, is a medication used to treat mild itchiness. This includes from sunburn, insect bites, poison ivy, poison oak, and other mild skin conditions. It may also help dry out skin irritation. It is applied ...
and
Darlington
Darlington is a market town in the Borough of Darlington, County Durham, England. The River Skerne flows through the town; it is a tributary of the River Tees. The Tees itself flows south of the town.
In the 19th century, Darlington underw ...
. In southeast
Lafayette County it receives the
East Branch Pecatonica River
The East Branch Pecatonica River is a tributary of the Pecatonica River, approximately long,U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map , accessed May 13, 2011 in southwest Wisconsin in the ...
, approximately north of the state line. It flows south-southeast into Illinois, past
Freeport, where it turns east, then east-northeast, receiving the
Sugar River near
Shirland
Shirland is a former pit village in Derbyshire, England. Together with the neighbouring villages of Higham, Stretton and Stonebroom, it forms part of the civil parish of Shirland and Higham, which had a population of 4,802 at the 2011 Cens ...
in northern
Winnebago County, south of the state line. It joins the Rock at
Rockton, approximately north of
Rockford.
Illinois parks and preserves
The Winnebago County Forest Preserve District owns and operates six preserve along the river in Winnebago County. The river is the chief attraction of the
Pecatonica Wetlands Forest Preserve The Pecatonica Wetlands Forest Preserve is a park located on the Pecatonica River in western Winnebago County in the U.S. state of Illinois. The nearest municipality is the village of Pecatonica.
Description
The Winnebago County Forest Preserv ...
and the Crooked River Forest Preserve off
U.S. Highway 20 near
Pecatonica, Illinois. These forest preserves contain
oxbow __NOTOC__
An oxbow is a U-shaped metal pole (or larger wooden frame) that fits the underside and the sides of the neck of an ox or bullock. A bow pin holds it in place.
The term " oxbow" is widely used to refer to a U-shaped meander in a rive ...
, wetlands, and bottomland forest. The river also flows past the Pecatonica River Forest Preserve off
Illinois Route 70 near Pecatonica. The forest preserve contains a bottomland forest and has been designated an
Illinois Nature Preserve. The Trask Bridge Forest Preserve and the Two Rivers Forest Preserve at the confluence of the
Sugar River and Pecatonica River provide public boat launches, picnic areas, and fishing opportunities. At the mouth of the Pecatonica is the Macktown Forest Preserve on
Illinois Route 75 near Rockton, the site of the
ghost town
Ghost Town(s) or Ghosttown may refer to:
* Ghost town, a town that has been abandoned
Film and television
* ''Ghost Town'' (1936 film), an American Western film by Harry L. Fraser
* ''Ghost Town'' (1956 film), an American Western film by All ...
of Macktown or Pe-Katonic.
The Natural Land Institute of
Rockford, Illinois
Rockford is a city in Winnebago County, Illinois, located in the far northern part of the state. Situated on the banks of the Rock River, Rockford is the county seat of Winnebago County (a small portion of the city is located in Ogle County). ...
owns and operates two privately owned preserves in Winnebago County. The Pecatonica Woodlands Preserve contains bottomland forest, oxbow pond, wetland, and sedge meadow habitats. The Nygren Wetland Preserve, located at the confluence of the Pecatonica River and the
Rock River, has been restored from farmland to prairie, oak savanna, wetland, and oxbow pond.
Wisconsin parks and preserves
The river is the focus of the Pecatonica River Woods State Natural Area near
Mineral Point in Iowa County, owned by the
Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (WDNR) is a government agency of the U.S. state of Wisconsin charged with conserving and managing Wisconsin's natural resources. The Wisconsin Natural Resources Board has the authority to set policy ...
and designated as a natural area in 1992. The Pecatonica River Woods SNA was listed on the basis of possessing a diverse range of forest ecosystems, from southern dry, through
mesic, to
floodplain
A floodplain or flood plain or bottomlands is an area of land adjacent to a river which stretches from the banks of its channel to the base of the enclosing valley walls, and which experiences flooding during periods of high discharge.Goudi ...
. The Weir White Oaks State Natural Area, a privately owned preserve managed by the Wisconsin DNR, contains high-quality old growth upland forest and was designated a state natural area in 2002.
The Blackhawk Memorial Park is owned and operated by Lafayette County.
Flooding
The Pecatonica River has flooded seven times since May 2017. Flood cleanup cost the city of
Freeport, Illinois
Freeport is the county seat and largest city of Stephenson County, Illinois, United States. The population was 23,973 at the 2020 census, and the mayor of Freeport is Jodi Miller, elected in 2017. Freeport is known for hosting the second Linc ...
more than $1.5 million.
The March 2019 flood crest of 22.4 feet at
Martintown, Wisconsin set a new record. The Pecatonica River
flooded again in October 2019, along with other Chicago area rivers including the Fox River and the Rock River.
A
USGS
The United States Geological Survey (USGS), formerly simply known as the Geological Survey, is a scientific agency of the United States government. The scientists of the USGS study the landscape of the United States, its natural resources, ...
monitoring station is located at Freeport.
See also
*
List of Illinois rivers
*
List of Wisconsin rivers
References
External links
Macktown Forest PreservePecatonica River Forest PreservePecatonica Wetlands Forest PreservePecatonica River Woods State Natural Area
{{authority control
Rivers of Illinois
Rivers of Wisconsin
Rivers of Stephenson County, Illinois
Rivers of Winnebago County, Illinois
Rivers of Iowa County, Wisconsin
Rivers of Lafayette County, Wisconsin