MUSKINGUM DRAINAGE SYSTEM. 153 



MUSKINGUM RIVER, 



The Muskingum River drains the greater part of eastern Ohio and has 

 an area of about 7,740 squai-e miles. The name Muskingum is apphed 

 only to the lower portion below the junction of the Tuscarawas and 

 Walhonding rivers, a length of 109 miles. From the sources of the Wal- 

 honding and Tuscarawas to their junction is a distance of about 100 miles, 

 thus giving the basin a length of 200 miles. It is a broadl}^ branching 

 drainage system, at the north, with an exti'eme width of about 100 miles. 

 At the south it receives few tributaries, there being none of importance 

 below Zanesville. 



The following' estimates of the areas of the drainage basin are taken 

 from Porter's census report : * 



Drainage areas of Muskingum River and its trihutarries. 



Square miles. 



Walhonding River 2, 159 



Tuscarawas Kiver 2, 547 



Wills Creek - 815 



Licking River 703 



Muskingum and tributaries below Zanesville 1, 175 



Total area of Muskingum system 7, 740 



This drainage basin is mainly in the unglaciated portion of south- 

 eastern Ohio, and the greater part of it is in soft Coal Measures strata, 

 which have become greatly broken down under atmospheric and stream 

 action. On the northwest border of this watershed the hard sandstones 

 and conglomerates which underlie the Coal Measures come to the surface. 

 These, in some cases, are preserved as outlying knobs and ridges, standing 

 200 to 300 feet or more above the lowlands that surround them. The 

 most elevated parts of the watershed are found in^ these outlying knobs, 

 some of which are nearly 1,500 feet above tide. The eastern border of 

 the watershed is also high, its altitude reaching about 1,400 feet. In the 

 central portion of the watershed the uplands are but 900 to 1,000 feet and 

 the valleys 700 to 800 feet above tide. 



Many of the valleys are broad and characterized by gently sloping 

 bluffs. The old gradation plains in much of the area stand below the level 

 of the present streams. The large a.mount of gravel filling in valleys that 

 lead away from the glaciated area has built up the stream beds to such an 



1 Tenth Census of the United States, 1880, Vol. XVII, Part II, p. 466. 



