The table below summarizes the main characteristics of each
of these major watersheds.
|
Watershed
|
Size
(square mile)
|
Headwater Elevation
(feet)
|
Flow Direction
|
Main Branch Length
(mile)
|
Flows Into
|
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Belews Creek
|
26
|
720
|
Northwest
|
9
|
Big River
|
Upper Big River
|
125
|
North
|
Meramec River
| ||
Lower Big River
|
72
|
North
|
Meramec River
| ||
Glaize Creek
|
33
|
850
|
Souteast
|
10
|
Mississippi River
|
Heads Creed
|
32
|
800
|
Northwest
|
8
|
Big River
|
Joachim Creek
|
125
|
780
|
North
|
34
|
Mississippi River
|
Lower Meramec River
|
44
|
Meramec River
| |||
Lower Mississippi River
|
32
|
Mississippi River
| |||
Plattin Creek
|
62
|
590
|
Northeast
|
18
|
Mississippi River
|
Rock Creek
|
30
|
800
|
Southeast
|
12
|
Mississippi River
|
Sandy Creek
|
45
|
740
|
East
|
14
|
Joachim Creek
|
Upper Meramec River
|
35
|
Meramec River
| |||
The entire drainage area for Big River is 955 square miles of
which 197 square miles is in Jefferson County. The entire length of
Big River is 138 miles of which approximately 65 miles is in Jefferson
County.
|
Further along the course, a second (2nd) order stream may join
another second (2nd) order stream to form a third (3rd) order stream
and so on.
|
When a first (1st) order stream joins a second (2nd) order stream,
the resulting stream remains a second (2nd) order stream. A third
(3rd) order stream is only formed if two (2) second (2nd) order streams
come together. A fourth (4th) order stream is formed when two (2)
third (3rd) order streams flow together and on it goes.
|