Rifle River is a 60.3-mile-long (97.0 km)[1] river in the U.S. state of Michigan. It rises in northeastern Ogemaw County and flows through Arenac County to enter Saginaw Bay of Lake Huron.[2] Once a logging river during the Michigan forestry boom at the turn of the 20th century, the river is now primarily used for recreation, and is a state-designated natural river. It is a popular river for canoeing, with no portages or dams and an average depth of 18 inches, to 5 feet in downtown Omer. It is also known for having one of the best White Sucker (Catostomus commersonii) runs in the state of Michigan, in the spring.
| Rifle River | |
|---|---|
_August_2021.jpg) View from Sage Lake Road in Cumming Township | |
 | |
  River mouth location within the state of Michigan | |
| Location | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Michigan |
| Counties | Ogemaw, Arenac |
| Cities | Selkirk, Omer |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Source | |
| • location | Ogemaw County |
| • coordinates | 44°23′58″N 84°01′57″W / 44.39944°N 84.03250°W |
| Mouth | Saginaw Bay |
• location | Arenac County |
• coordinates | 43°59′34″N 83°49′15″W / 43.99278°N 83.82083°W |
• elevation | 577 ft (176 m) |
| Length | 60 mi (97 km) |
| Basin size | 385 sq mi (1,000 km2) |
| Discharge | |
| • location | Saginaw Bay |
| • average | 181 cu ft/s (5.1 m3/s) |
![According to a historical map of Michigan originally published in 1831, the Rifle River may have previously been referred to as Grindstone Creek.[3]](/wiki/File:Tourist%27s_Pocket_Map_Of_Michigan_(Samuel_Augustus_Mitchell,_1835).jpg)
Canoe liveries serving the Rifle River
editSeveral private canoe operators provide equipment rental and transportation for river trips along the Rifle River.
- Whispering Pines Campground and Canoe Livery.[4]
Sterling, Michigan (Central portion of the Rifle River - Most Popular)
- Rifle River Campground & Canoe Livery[5]
- River View Campground & Canoe Livery[6]
- Whites Campground & Canoe Livery[7]
Omer, Michigan (Lower portion of the Rifle River)
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline data. The National Map Archived March 29, 2012, at the Wayback Machine, accessed November 7, 2011
- ^ "Rifle River". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior.
- ^ "Scanned Maps Collection | Map Library | MSU Libraries". lib.msu.edu.
- ^ "Whispering Pines Campground and Canoe Livery". Michigan. December 29, 2016.
- ^ "Welcome to Rifle River Campground | Rifle River Campground". www.riflerivercampground.com.
- ^ "River View Campground & Canoe Livery - Sterling MI". riverviewcampground.com.
- ^ "Whites Canoe Livery Rental and Camping on the Rifle River".
- ^ "Big Bend Campground | Standish Michigan". www.bigbendcamp.com.
- ^ "Riverbend Campground & Canoe Rental | Omer, Michigan". Retrieved October 30, 2022.
- ^ "Russell Canoes and Campgrounds". Russell Canoe Livery and Campgrounds, Inc. Retrieved October 30, 2022.
External links
edit