The Patoka River is a 167-mile-long (269 km) tributary of the Wabash River in southwestern Indiana in the United States . It drains a largely rural area of forested bottomland and agricultural lands among the hills north of Evansville .
15-561: It rises in the Hoosier National Forest in southeastern Orange County , approximately 10 miles (16 km) southeast of Paoli . It flows generally west, passing through Patoka Lake , where it is impounded for flood control. Downstream from the reservoir it flows in a highly meandering course, making large oxbows as it flows past sharp hilly terrain as it approaches Jasper , then westward across Pike and Gibson counties, passing through more sharp terrain. It joins
30-652: A regional office in Tell City . Prominent places within the Forest include the Lick Creek Settlement, Potts Creek Rockshelter Archeological Site , and Jacob Rickenbaugh House . Hoosier National Forest was first touched by humanity 12,000 years ago, when Native Americans in the United States hunted in the forest. Europeans reached the forest in the late 17th century, and began building villages in
45-627: A township named for the river. 38°24′02″N 87°45′01″W / 38.40056°N 87.75028°W / 38.40056; -87.75028 Hoosier National Forest The Hoosier National Forest is a property managed by the United States Forest Service in the hills of southern Indiana . Composed of four separate sections, it has a total area of 204,303 acres (827 km ; 319 sq mi). Hoosier National Forest's headquarters are located in Bedford , with
60-475: Is believed that the inability of tall oaks to grow in the area allows for this prairie vegetation to persist in such an unlikely location. In 2006 a conscious effort was made to keep the barren look to the area; previous federal efforts on renovating Hoosier National Forest meant adding nonnative species to low-growth areas. It was around Clover Lick in 1972 that Indiana decided to reintroduce wild turkeys back to Indiana, dedicating 6,000 acres (2,400 ha) for
75-641: Is named after Sarkes Tarzian who led the capital campaign to build the camp. Much of Hoosier National Forest is over karst , responsible for the many caves in southern Indiana. Included in Hoosier National Forest is the Charles C. Deam Wilderness Area , the only recognized wilderness area left in Indiana. This means that no motorized vehicles are allowed in the area, and instead mules and horses must be used to maintain hiking trails. In
90-410: Is the sole remaining fire tower out of eight that once stood within Hoosier National Forest. When built, there was a two-room house for the ranger and his dependents to live within, but it has since been destroyed. Visitors may still climb the tower but are advised to be cautious when climbing. Maumee Scout Reservation and Lake Tarzian are also located within the Hoosier National Forest. Lake Tarzian
105-694: The Clover Lick Barrens, the southern portion of Hoosier National Forest near the Ohio River , the vegetation is more typical of that found on prairies in the Great Plains . This was discovered by a botanist and biologist from the Indiana Department of Natural Resources , who later found that in the first recorded survey of the area in 2005, the land was described not as forest, but as "a mile of poor barrens and grassy hills". It
120-667: The Wabash from the east opposite Mount Carmel, Illinois , approximately 30 miles (48 km) north-northwest of Evansville. The mouth of the river is approximately 1 mile (1.6 km) downstream on the Wabash from the mouth of the White River . At Princeton, Indiana , the Patoka has a mean annual discharge of approximately 1,082 cubic feet per second. The river once included highly diverse habitat that supported mussel , crayfish , and fish communities. A 1994 survey of 66 locations on
135-571: The central portion of the National Forest, there is the 1.2 mile Hemlock Cliffs trail. The trail is noted as access to sandstone cliffs and seasonal waterfalls as well as Hemlock trees and rare wintergreen plants. All trail locations are within the state of Indiana. Chambersburg, Indiana Chambersburg is an unincorporated community in Paoli Township , Orange County , in the U.S. state of Indiana . Chambersburg
150-447: The forest. Actual lumbering began in the 19th century, with the cutting of more difficult terrain occurring after 1865. By 1910 most of the area had been cut. In the early 1930s the governor of Indiana pushed for the federal government to do something with the eroding lands that saw its residents leaving, with the act being accomplished on February 6, 1935. Within Hoosier National Forest, two miles (3 km) south of Chambersburg , lies
165-600: The former Lick Creek Settlement Site, a settlement of free blacks led by the Quaker Jonathan Lindley from around 1819 to around 1865. Pioneer Mothers Memorial Forest near Paoli contains an excellent example of virgin forest. Hemlock Cliffs Recreation Area in Crawford County contains one of the most scenic hiking trails in Indiana. Most of Thomas Hines ' Hines' Raid was within the present-day Hoosier National Forest. Hickory Ridge Lookout Tower
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#1732771850483180-513: The principal population of the Indiana crayfish ( Orconectes indianensis ). In 1994 approximately 30 miles (48 km) of the river were designated as the Patoka River National Wildlife Refuge and Management Area , managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service . The refuge contains one of the most significant bottomland hardwood forests remaining in the state. Patoka Lake is a major recreational destination in
195-508: The purpose. Also found in Hoosier National Forest is Sundance Lake, a 5.3-acre (2.1 ha) lake. Hoosier National Forest lies in parts of nine counties in southern Indiana. The trail system has almost 266 miles (428 km), and allows horseback riding and mountain bikes , along with hiking. Hikers are to yield to horses, and mountain bikers are to yield to both of them. Within the Hemlock Cliffs Valley, located within
210-520: The region and includes four state parks along its shore. The name "Patoka" is likely from the Miami-Illinois word paatohka ("Comanche"), which appears as a personal name in some historical records. Alternatively, it may be from the Munsee language word péhtakəw ("it thunders"), referring to the noisy waterfall at Jasper. Crawford , Dubois , Gibson , and Pike counties each have
225-428: The river concluded that about a third of the streams in the river's watershed were devoid of aquatic life [1] . The decline in aquatic life is believed by most biologists to be a result of acidic runoff from strip mining , as well as spills and contamination from petroleum and natural gas exploration in its watershed. The remaining freshwater crayfish population of the river comprises four extant species, including
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