Most of the Ohio River Basin is drained by tributaries; less than five percent of the basin runoff drains directly into the main stem. The runoff characteristics of the tributaries therefore determine the quantity of flow in the Ohio River at any time. The Corps of Engineers operates numerous reservoirs in the Ohio River Basin. Most were built for flood control purposes; many are also used to provide flow augmentation at critical periods. These reservoirs have resulted in an increase in the quantity of flow that could otherwise be expected in the dry weather months.
|
Tributary Name |
Mile Point (Miles) |
Stream Length (Miles) |
Drainage Area (Square Miles) |
|
Allegheny River (PA) |
0.0* |
325
|
11,700 |
|
Monongahela River (PA) |
0.0 |
128 |
7,400 |
|
Chartiers Creek (PA) |
2.5 |
277 |
|
|
Beaver River (PA) |
25.4 |
21 |
3,130 |
|
Raccoon Creek (PA) |
29.6 |
200 |
|
|
Little Beaver River (PA) |
39.5 |
51 |
510 |
|
Yellow Creek (OH) |
50.4 |
34 |
240 |
|
Cross Creek (OH) |
71.6 |
27 |
128 |
|
Buffalo Creek (WV) |
74.7 |
160 |
|
|
Short Creek (OH) |
81.4 |
29 |
147 |
|
Wheeling Creek (OH) |
91 |
30 |
108 |
|
Wheeling Creek (WV) |
91 |
300 |
|
|
McMahon Creek (OH) |
94.7 |
28 |
91 |
|
Grave Creek (WV) |
102.5 |
75 |
|
|
Captina Creek (OH) |
109.6 |
39 |
181 |
|
Fish Creek (WV) |
113.8 |
250 |
|
|
Sunfish Creek (OH) |
118 |
31 |
114 |
|
Fishing Creek (WV) |
128.3 |
220 |
|
|
Middle Island Creek (WV) |
154 |
560 |
|
|
Little Muskingum River (OH) |
168.3 |
70 |
315 |
|
Duck Creek (OH) |
170.7 |
52 |
228 |
|
Muskingum River (OH) |
172.2 |
112 |
8,040 |
|
Little Kanawha River (WV) |
184.6 |
160 |
2,320 |
|
Little Hocking River (OH) |
191.8 |
18 |
103 |
|
Hocking River (OH) |
199.3 |
100 |
1,190 |
|
Shade River (OH) |
210.6 |
221 |
|
|
Shady Creek (WV) |
220.6 |
115 |
|
|
Mill Creek (WV) |
231.5 |
230 |
|
|
Leading Creek (OH) |
254.2 |
30 |
151 |
|
Kanawha River (WV) |
265.7 |
97 |
12,200 |
|
Raccoon Creek (OH) |
276 |
109 |
684 |
|
Guyandotte River (WV) |
305.2 |
66 |
1,670 |
|
Symmes Creek (OH) |
308.7 |
70 |
356 |
|
Twelvepole Creek (WV) |
313.2 |
440 |
|
|
Big Sandy River (WV-KY) |
317.1 |
27 |
4,280 |
|
Little Sandy River (KY) |
336.4 |
724 |
|
|
Pine Creek (OH) |
346.9 |
48 |
185 |
|
Little Scioto River (OH) |
349 |
41 |
233 |
|
Tygarts Creek (KY) |
353.3 |
336 |
|
|
Scioto River (OH) |
356.5 |
237 |
6,510 |
|
Kinniconnic Creek (KY) |
368.1 |
253 |
|
|
Ohio Brush Creek (OH) |
388 |
57 |
435 |
|
Eagle Creek (OH) |
415.7 |
31 |
154 |
|
Whiteoak Creek (OH) |
423.9 |
49 |
234 |
|
Little Miami River (OH) |
463.5 |
90 |
1,670 |
|
Licking River (KY) |
470.2 |
320 |
3,670 |
|
Mill Creek (OH) |
472.5 |
28 |
166 |
|
Great Miami River (OH) |
491.1 |
161 |
5,400 |
|
Tanners Creek (IN) |
494.8 |
136 |
|
|
Laughery Creek (IN) |
498.7 |
39 |
350 |
|
Kentucky River (KY) |
545.8 |
255 |
6,970 |
|
Little Kentucky River (KY) |
546.5 |
35 |
147 |
|
Indian Kentucky River (IN) |
550.5 |
150 |
|
|
Silver Creek (IN) |
606.5 |
225 |
|
|
Salt River (KY) |
629.9 |
125 |
2,890 |
|
Big Indiana Creek (IN) |
657 |
253 |
|
|
Blue River (IN) |
663 |
435 |
|
|
Sinking Creek (KY) |
700.9 |
154 |
|
|
Anderson Creek (IN) |
731.5 |
234 |
|
|
Blackford Creek (KY) |
742.2 |
124 |
|
|
Little Pigeon Creek (IN) |
773 |
415 |
|
|
Green River (KY) |
784.2 |
370 |
9,230 |
|
Pigeon Creek (IN) |
792.9 |
375 |
|
|
Wabash River (IN-IL) |
848 |
474 |
33,100 |
|
Saline River (IL) |
867.3 |
27 |
1,170 |
|
Tradewater River (KY) |
873.5 |
110 |
1,000 |
|
Cumberland River (KY) |
920.4 |
693 |
17,920 |
|
Tennessee River (KY) |
934.5 |
652 |
40,910 |
|
Cache River (IL) |
975.7 |
720 |
Drainage Area Summary
Total Ohio River Basin – 203,940 square miles
Tributaries with drainage areas 1,000 square miles or more – 182,370 square miles (89.4 percent)