Rivers that Meet the Ohio

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Some of the rivers that meet the Ohio

Allegheny River rises in north central Pennsylvania, flows northwesterly into New York, then back southwesterly to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, uniting with the Monongahela River to form the Ohio.

Beaver River is formed by junction of Shenango and Mahoning Rivers 3 miles south of New Castle, Pennsylvania, flows southwesterly to the Ohio River at Rochester, Pennsylvania.

Big Sandy River is formed at Louisa, Kentucky, flows northerly, empties into the Ohio River at Catlettsburg, Kentucky.

Cumberland River is formed by the junction of Poor and Clover Forks in the southeastern part of Kentucky, flows southwesterly into Tennessee, northwesterly into Kentucky, empties into the Ohio River near Smithland, Kentucky.

Green River rises in Casey county, Kentucky, flows westerly to the Ohio River 8 miles above Evansville, Indiana.

Guyandotte River rises in southern West Virginia, flows northwesterly to the Ohio River at Huntington, West Virginia.

Hocking River has its source 35 miles southeast of Columbus, Ohio, flows southeasterly, enters the Ohio River at Hockingport, Ohio.

Kanawha River is formed by the confluence of the New and Gauley Rivers in southwestern West Virginia, flows northwesterly to the Ohio at Point Pleasant, West Virginia.

Kentucky River is formed by the junction of its North and Middle Forks 4 miles east of Beattyville, Kentucky, flows northwesterly to the Ohio River at Carrolton, Kentucky.

Muskingum River

Scioto River - Portsmouth, the seat of justice of Scioto county, stands on a peninsula formed by the confluence of the Scioto with the Ohio.

Shade River - Below Marietta

Source: unknown Check map to see if more rivers meet the Ohio. Info from Ohio History Center, Columbus, Ohio

IR Nov. 11, 1852 - Ohio River.

The Allegheny sources of the Ohio are near the borders of Lake Erie, 700 feet above the level of the lake and 1,330 feet above the level of the sea; and boats may start within seven miles of the lake and float securely down to the Gulf of Mexico, 2,400 miles - also in another quarter the sources are, we believe, in Potter county, Pa., somewhere near Coudersport. Steamboats have ascended to Olena, 250 miles above Pittsburgh, and 2,400 miles from the mouth of the Mississippi. Coudersport is 40 miles above Olear, from which point to Pittsburg the fall of the river is 950 feet. From Pittsburgh to Cincinnati, the fall of the river is 267 feet, of which fall 225 feet is between Pittsburgh and Portsmouth, and 42 feet thence to Cincinnati. The entire fall of the river from Pittsburgh to the mouth (Cairo) is only about 400 feet. The average fall from Pittsburgh to Cairo is not quite seven inches per mile, the section from Portsmouth to Cincinnati not quite five inches per mile. Low water at Pittsburgh is 134 feet above the level of Lake Erie; at Wheeling 55 feet - and the level of the river is the same as that of the Lake at a point between Marietta and Parkersburgh. The velocity of the current taken just above Wheeling when the water was 2-15 feet deep on the Wheeling but, was about 3.5 of a mile per hour; at 8 feet deep, about 2 miles per hour; at 15 feet deep, about 3 miles per hour; at 31 1/4 feet deep, about 4 3/4 miles per hour. At the same place 1 foot deep discharged 102,000,000 cubic feet in 24 hours; 5 feet deep discharged 864,000,000 cubic feet in the same time; 10 feet deep, 2,754,000,000 cubic feet, and 36 feet deep, 22,500,000,000.

• The foregoing facts are drawn from an article in the “Smithsonian Contributions to Knowledge,” and are the result of investigations and observations by Charles Ellet, Jr., Civil Engineer.