The name Miami was originally the designation of the tribe who bore the name of "Tewightewee." In the Ottawa language, it signified "mother" and the Shawanoese called the river Shi,me,a,mee,sepe or "Big Miamie River." The settlers who constructed flatboats in Piqua knew the dangerously swift and crooked channels downstream from Troy as the "Ninety-nine Islands." The Miami Valley was also known for its lush vegetation, abundant water resources, Ohio-Erie canal, and rich archeological past. Today, the valley is known for its water supply, recreation, industries, productive farmland, and high quality tributaries. Originating upstream from Indian Lake, the Great Miami River flows southwest to its confluence with the Ohio River west of Cincinnati, OH. The Great Miami is one of the 10 major rivers in Ohio. In the state, it is one of six major rivers that drain to the Ohio River (the other four major rivers drain to Lake Erie).

The Great Miami River is 170.3 miles in length and drains an area of 5385 square miles. The longest tributary is the Stillwater River, which flows a distance of 67.2 miles in Ohio. There are a total of 285 named streams in the Great Miami River watershed, 14 known endangered stream species, 114 fish species, 37 mussel species, and 297 aquatic macroinvertebrate taxa. A population of over 1.3 million people resides in the Great Miami watershed (source: Ohio Department of Natural Resources, A guide to Ohio Streams, 2001).

Information Provided by the Friends of the Great Miami.