The Pere Marquette River is a river in Michigan in the United States. The main stream of this river is long,U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline data. The National Map, accessed November 21, 2011 running from Lake County south of Baldwin into the Pere Marquette Lake, and from there into Lake Michigan.
This river is named after the French Roman Catholic missionary Jacques Marquette, who explored the Great Lakes and Mississippi River areas during the mid-17th century. He died in the vicinity of the river in spring 1675 on his way from Chicago to the French fort at Mackinaw.
National Wild and Scenic River designation The upper portion of the Pere Marquette runs approximately from the forks of the Little South and Middle Branches downstream to highway M-37. In 1978, of the river was designated a National Scenic River. This section begins near Baldwin at the junction of the Little South and Middle Branches and continues until the river meets U.S. Highway 31 in Scottville.Pere Marquette River , National Wild & Scenic Rivers
Sport fishing The Pere Marquette River is designated a Blue Ribbon fishery.Michigan's Blue Ribbon Trout Streams
Wildlife This river's original native fish was the Grayling, but due to deforestation after the great Chicago Fire, they disappeared from the river. It was then stocked with rainbow trout in 1876. In 1884, the Baldwin River, a major tributary, became the first American river to ever be stocked with European brown trout fish, which were imported from Germany, and is why they are referred to by some as German brown trout.Brown Trout , Michigan Sea Grant program
Other animal species living along this river Chinook salmon, successfully introduced in the 1960s Coho salmon Steelhead Brook trout Western chorus frog Bullfrog Crayfish Northern leopard frog Mudpuppy Eastern tiger salamander and several other species of salamander Northern water snake Copper-bellied water snake Common snapping turtle Red-eared slider Five-lined skink Muskrat Mink Beaver Weasel Wood duck New Zealand mud snail, an invasive species North American river otter
Crossings +List of Bridge CrossingsRouteTypeCityCountyLocationUS RouteLudingtonMasonUS RouteSouth Main StreetCity StreetScottvilleSouth Custer RoadCity StreetSouth Reek RoadCounty RoadSouth Walhalla RoadCounty RoadSouth Landon RoadCounty RoadSouth Branch RoadCounty RoadLakeW 56th StreetCounty RoadMichigan Highway
References
External links
Pere Marquette River Michigan Department of Natural Resources