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{{about|Salt Creek, the tributary of the [[East Arm Little Calumet River]]|Salt Creek|Salt Creek (disambiguation)}}

{{Infobox river
| name = Salt Creek
| name_native =
| name_native_lang =
| name_other = Little Salt Creek
| name_etymology =

| image = Salt Creek upstream from Route 6 Bridge 2011-08-07.JPG
| image_caption = Salt Creek looking upstream from [[U.S. Route 6 in Indiana|Route 6]] Bridge, just east of [[Indiana State Road 149|SR 149]], near South Haven, Indiana.
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| subdivision_type1 = Country
| subdivision_name1 = [[United States]]
| subdivision_type2 = State
| subdivision_name2 = [[Indiana]]
| subdivision_type3 = Region
| subdivision_name3 = [[Porter County, Indiana|Porter County]]
| subdivision_type4 =
| subdivision_name4 =
| subdivision_type5 = Cities
| subdivision_name5 = [[Burns Harbor, Indiana|Burns Harbor]], [[Portage, Indiana|Portage]], [[South Haven, Indiana|South Haven]], [[Valparaiso, Indiana|Valparaiso]]

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| source1 =
| source1_location = [[Porter County, Indiana]], [[United States]]
| source1_coordinates= {{coord|41|25|21|N|087|01|27|W|display=inline}}<ref name=gnis >{{gnis|451863|Salt Creek}}</ref>
| source1_elevation = {{convert|720|ft|abbr=on}}
| mouth = [[East Arm Little Calumet River]]
| mouth_location = [[Burns Harbor, Indiana|Burns Harbor]], [[Porter County, Indiana]]
| mouth_coordinates = {{coord|41|36|41|N|087|09|01|W|display=inline,title}}<ref name=gnis/>
| mouth_elevation = {{convert|591|ft|abbr=on}}<ref name=gnis/>
| progression =
| river_system =
| basin_size =
| tributaries_left = Block Ditch, Clark Ditch, Squirrel Creek (Indiana), Robbins Ditch
| tributaries_right = Beauty Creek, Pepper Creek (Indiana), Butternut Springs, Damon Run, Gustafson Ditch
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}}

'''Salt Creek''' is a {{convert|24.0|mi|km|adj=mid|-long}}<ref name=NHD>U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline data. [http://viewer.nationalmap.gov/viewer/ The National Map], accessed May 19, 2011</ref> tributary of the [[East Arm Little Calumet River]] that begins south of [[Valparaiso, Indiana|Valparaiso]] in [[Porter County, Indiana]] and flows north until it joins the East Arm Little Calumet River just before it exits to [[Lake Michigan]] via the [[Port of Indiana|Port of Indiana-Burns Waterway]].<ref name=gnis/>
[[File:Salt Creek Watershed USGS 2002.jpg|thumb|250px |Map of Salt Creek Watershed]]

==History==
In the 1936 centennial history of [[Liberty Township, Porter County, Indiana|Liberty Township]], the nineteenth century Salt Creek watershed is described: "As the years passed the land has been drained by various ditch projects and the forests have bowed before the axes of the pioneers and their descendants. These two factors have contributed to a gradual shrinking of the size of the streams and lakes. Any one doubting this has but to observe the difference between the banks of our creeks and the present streams or study old maps of the township showing the great millponds which have disappeared. Such maps published as late as 1876 show a great expanse of water in the northwest, spreading over acres of land which are now the fertile fields of August Hockelberg, Daly Brothers and Julius Turk. Anyone looking at Salt Creek, now even in time of flood, can hardly realize that there was once a project for boats to steam down Salt Creek to convey grain and lumber to Chicago by way of the Calumet river."<ref name=Vidette>{{cite news |title=Liberty High School History of Liberty Township |newspaper=The Vidette-Messenger |location=Valparaiso, Porter County, Indiana |date=1836-08-18 |pages=19–20 |url=http://inportercounty.org/Data/PorterCountyCentennial/Sec3-19-20_LibertyTwpHistory.html |access-date=2011-05-07 }}</ref>

The Salt Creek watershed was criss-crossed historically by important [[Indigenous peoples of the Americas|Indian]] trails. The "[[Potawatomi|Pottawatomie]] Trail" was the north end of a major path from the [[Wabash River]] to Lake Michigan and after entering Porter County, and passing east of what is now [[Valparaiso, Indiana|Valparaiso]], this trail followed the crest of the moraine between Coffee Creek and Salt Creek and ended at the beach.<ref name=Vidette/>

==Watershed and course==
The Salt Creek watershed covers 19% of Porter County and {{convert|49573|acre}}, including the communities of Valparaiso, [[South Haven, Indiana|South Haven]], [[Portage, Indiana|Portage]] and [[Burns Harbor, Indiana]].<ref name=SCWMP>{{cite report |title=Salt Creek Watershed Management Plan |publisher=Save the Dunes Conservation Fund |year=2006 |url=http://www.savedunes.org/water_program/water_program/?target=Salt%20Creek/Salt%20Creek%20.html |access-date=2011-05-03 }}</ref>

The watershed begins in the physiographic unit known as the Valparaiso Morainal Area. The [[Valparaiso Moraine]], located south of the [[Lacustrine Plain]], is an arc-shaped moraine complex that parallels the southern shore of Lake Michigan. The moraine divides LaPorte and Porter County into northern and southern drainage areas. The area north drains into Lake Michigan; south of the moraine water drains to the [[Kankakee River]]. Numerous kettle lakes sit on the moraine.

==Ecology==
Many rare species in the Salt Creek watershed are found in Samuelson Fen and related habitats at Imagination Glen Park in Portage. Surveys of the 33 acre (13 hectare) fen have found 201 species of plants, the vast majority being native species, including state threatened [[Hypericum calycinum|great Saint John’s-wort]] (''Hypericum pyramidatum'') and [[forget-me-not|smaller forget-me-not]] (''Myosotis laxa''), and more than 400 insect species, including the Indiana rare [[Baltimore checkerspot]] butterfly (''Euphydryas phaeton'') and [[Euphyes dion|sedge skipper]] butterfly (''Euphyes dion'') and state threatened [[Poanes viator|big broad-winged skipper]] butterfly (''Poanes viator viator'') and [[Hadena|starry campion]] moth (''Hadena ectypa''). A threatened species is a species that is likely to become endangered in the near future.<ref name=SCWMP/>

Wetlands, including a [[fen]], in the Salt Creek headwaters should also be investigated further since the uncommon bog species [[tamarack]] (''Larix laricina'') has been observed there. The state threatened [[Cranberry|small cranberry]] (''Vaccinium oxycoccos'') has been found at another wetland in the Salt Creek headwaters. Although they are no longer on the Indiana list of endangered species, both the [[American badger]] (''Taxidea taxus'') and [[bobcat]] (''Lynx rufus'') have been found within the Salt Creek watershed in recent years. These two species were on Indiana’s original endangered species list established in 1969, but have since improved their populations statewide and were removed from the list in July 2005. They are now protected as nongame species that cannot be hunted or trapped intentionally.<ref name=SCWMP/>

[[North American beaver|Beaver]] (''Castor canadensis'') were hunted for their fur since the era of the French trappers only to be extirpated from Indiana by 1900. 1935 re-introductions of [[Wisconsin]] and [[Michigan]] beaver into Indiana were successful and the aquatic herbivorous mammal was spotted in the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore beginning in 1968. Whitaker reported a beaver colony in Salt Creek in 1994 as well as beaver sign in the lower portions of the Little Calumet River.<ref name=Mammals>{{cite journal |title=Mammals of the Grand Calumet River Region |author=John O. Whitaker |journal=Proceedings of the Indiana Academy of Science |volume=108/109 |pages=122–144 |date=1999 |url=http://www.indianaacademyofscience.org/Documents/Proceedings/V108-109/PIAS_v108_v109_p122-144.aspx |access-date=2011-05-09 |url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120323180143/http://www.indianaacademyofscience.org/Documents/Proceedings/V108-109/PIAS_v108_v109_p122-144.aspx |archive-date=2012-03-23 }}</ref> Beaver create wetlands which remove sediment and pathogens and increase trout and salmon abundance as their ponds make ideal fish-rearing habitat. Research in the western United States, found that extensive loss of beaver ponds resulted in an 89% reduction in [[coho salmon]] (''Oncorhynchus kisutch'') smolt summer production and an almost equally detrimental 86% reduction in critical winter habitat [[carrying capacity]].<ref name=Stillaguamish>{{cite journal |title=The Importance of Beaver Ponds to Coho Salmon Production in the Stillaguamish River Basin, Washington, USA |author1=M. M. Pollock |author2=G. R. Pess |author3=T. J. Beechie |journal=North American Journal of Fisheries Management |volume=24 |pages=749–760 |year=2004 |url=http://duff.ess.washington.edu/grg/publications/pdfs/Pollock.pdf |access-date=2011-05-09 }}</ref> Contrary to popular myth, most beaver dams do not pose barriers to trout and salmon migration, although they may be restricted seasonally during periods of low stream flows.<ref name=Pollock>{{cite journal |title=Hydrologic and geomorphic effects of beaver dams and their influence on fishes |first1=Michael M. |last1=Pollock |author2=Morgan Heim |author3=Danielle Werner |journal=American Fisheries Society Symposium |volume=37 |year=2003 |pages=213–233 |url=http://www.albergstein.com/cao/Best%20Available%20Science/Fish/Beaver%20dam%20effects%20paper%20final.pdf |access-date=2011-05-09 |url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110707103342/http://www.albergstein.com/cao/Best%20Available%20Science/Fish/Beaver%20dam%20effects%20paper%20final.pdf |archive-date=2011-07-07 }}</ref>

==Pollution and conservation==
Portions of lower Salt Creek are now protected by [[Indiana Dunes National Park]]. In the uppermost watershed, the [[Save the Dunes]] non-profit environmental organization won a $607,000 [[United States Environmental Protection Agency]] grant to naturalize the Thorgren detention basin, a joint project with the city of Valparaiso, that will improve local streams, provide wildlife habitat and ultimately protect Lake Michigan waters. The grass and cement lined 2-acre detention basin will be restored with wetland plants which filter sediment, pollutants, fertilizer and bacteria so that it not only catches flood waters but also improves water quality. From there the water drains into Smith Ditch, then makes its way into Sager’s Lake, Salt Creek, Little Calumet River, and then Lake Michigan.<ref>{{cite news |title=Back to nature for detention pond |author=Karen Caffarini |newspaper=Chicago Post-Tribune |date=2011-10-09 |url=http://posttrib.suntimes.com/8084666-537/back-to-nature-for-detention-pond.html |access-date=2011-10-21 }}</ref>

==Recreation==
Salt Creek, along with the [[East Arm Little Calumet River|Little Calumet River]] and [[Trail Creek (Lake Michigan)|Trail Creek]], is stocked by the [[Indiana Department of Natural Resources]] with [[steelhead trout]] (''Oncorhynchus mykiss''), [[Chinook salmon]] (''Oncorhynchus tshawytscha''), and [[coho salmon]] (''Oncorhynchus kisutch''). These fish are non-native [[potamodromous]] [[salmonids]] from the West Coast which run up from Lake Michigan to the creeks where they were stocked in an attempt to spawn, although Indiana's creeks are too warm for significant salmonid reproduction, requiring regular re-stocking.<ref>{{cite journal |title=Hot Lake Michigan Summer Skamania |magazine=Indiana Game & Fish |author=Tom Berg |url=http://www.indianagameandfish.com/fishing/salmon-steelhead-fishing/IN_0705_02/index.html |access-date=2011-05-09 |url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110402014351/http://www.indianagameandfish.com/fishing/salmon-steelhead-fishing/IN_0705_02/index.html |archive-date=2011-04-02 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Stocking Schedule |publisher=Indiana Department of Natural Resources |url=http://www.in.gov/dnr/fishwild/3626.htm |access-date=2011-05-09 }}</ref>

==See also==
*[[List of rivers of Indiana]]
*[[Calumet River]]
*[[Indiana Dunes National Park]]
*[[History of the Indiana Dunes]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* {{gnis|451863|Salt Creek - Geographic Names Information System}}
* [http://www.savedunes.org/ Saves the Dunes non-profit conservation organization]
* [http://www.nwipa.org/index.html Northwest Indiana Paddling Association]

{{authority control}}

[[Category:Rivers of Indiana]]
[[Category:Rivers of Porter County, Indiana]]

Salt Creek (Little Calumet River tributary) - Revision history

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