White River (Indiana)

This article is about the river in Indiana. For other rivers with that name, see White River (disambiguation).
Not to be confused with Whitewater River (Great Miami River).

White River - Indiana
Wapahani
White River at the Emrichsville Dam in Indianapolis
The forks of the White River are highlighted in blue. The green area is the basin watershed.
Location
CountryUnited States
StateIndiana
Physical characteristics
Source 
 • locationWashington Township (West Fork)
Stoney Creek Township (East Fork)
 • coordinates40°04′46″N 84°55′58″W / 40.0794906°N 84.9327413°W / 40.0794906; -84.9327413 (West Fork)
40°02′18″N 85°16′03″W / 40.038361°N 85.267389°W / 40.038361; -85.267389 (East Fork)
2nd source 
 • locationVeale Township
 • coordinates38°32′48″N 87°14′30″W / 38.546611°N 87.241556°W / 38.546611; -87.241556
MouthWabash River
 • location
Gibson County, Indiana, opposite Mount Carmel, Illinois
 • coordinates
38°24′51″N 87°44′33″W / 38.4142134°N 87.7425280°W / 38.4142134; -87.7425280
Length362 mi (583 km)
Basin size5,746 sq mi (14,880 km2)
Discharge 
 • locationMount Carmel, Illinois
 • average13,845 cu/ft. per sec.[1]
Basin features
ProgressionWabash → Ohio →
Mississippi → Gulf of Mexico

The White River is an American two-forked river that flows through central and southern Indiana and is the main tributary to the Wabash River. Via the west fork, considered to be the main stem of the river by the U.S. Board on Geographic Names,[2] the White River is 362 miles (583 km) long.[3] Indiana's capital, Indianapolis, is located on the river. The two forks meet just north of Petersburg and empty into the Wabash River at Mount Carmel, Illinois.

  1. ^ "USGS Current Conditions for USGS 03374100 WHITE RIVER AT HAZLETON, IN". waterdata.usgs.gov.
  2. ^ U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: White River
  3. ^ U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline data. The National Map, accessed May 19, 2011