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Salt Fork Vermilion River

Coordinates: 40°06′13″N 87°43′01″W / 40.1036474°N 87.716968°W / 40.1036474; -87.716968 (Salt Fork Vermilion River mouth)
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Salt Fork
The Salt Fork near Ogden
Physical characteristics
Source 
 • locationConfluence of the Upper Salt Fork drainage ditch and the Spoon River east of Champaign, Illinois[citation needed]
 • coordinates40°09′09″N 88°01′54″W / 40.1525342°N 88.0317044°W / 40.1525342; -88.0317044 (Salt Fork Vermilion River origin)
Mouth 
 • location
Confluence of the Salt Fork and the Middle Fork forming the Vermilion River west of Danville, Illinois
 • coordinates
40°06′13″N 87°43′01″W / 40.1036474°N 87.716968°W / 40.1036474; -87.716968 (Salt Fork Vermilion River mouth)
 • elevation
531 ft (162 m)
Length68 mi (109 km)
Basin features
ProgressionSalt Fork → VermilionWabashOhioMississippiGulf of Mexico
Tributaries 
 • leftSpoon River
 • rightSaline Branch
GNIS ID417900
Saline Branch of the Salt Fork in Crystal Lake Park in Urbana

The Salt Fork is a tributary of the Vermilion River located in the Central Corn Belt Plains of Illinois.[1]

The Salt Fork owes its name to saline springs that provided natural salt licks for animals, and which were used for production of salt by Native Americans and early settlers. The springs were located about eight miles west of Danville, to the south of Muncie, Illinois. The upper reaches of the Salt Fork do not contain saline springs.

In its natural state, the Salt Fork drained a vast upland marsh between Urbana and Rantoul. The Salt Fork has been extended into these marshes by drainage ditches. Including the ditches, the Salt Fork is about 70 miles (110 km) long.[2]

Parks and access points

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Cities and towns

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The following cities, towns and villages are in the Salt Fork watershed:

Counties

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The following counties are in the Salt Fork watershed:

References

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  1. ^ U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Salt Fork
  2. ^ U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline data. The National Map, accessed May 19, 2011
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