The Prairie River Watershed (PRW) is located in the south central portion of Michigan’s Lower Peninsula near the State of Indiana border.  It encompasses 116,668.95 acres (182.30 square miles) of land that drain approximately 145 miles of rivers and streams in two states and three counties.  The majority of the watershed is located in Branch and St. Joseph Counties, Michigan with the southern portion extending into Steuben County, Indiana, which contains Lake Pleasant and Barton Lake.

The headwaters of the Prairie River are located in the lakes of Kinderhook Township, just three miles north of the Michigan-Indiana border.  It flows westerly through Branch County into St. Joseph County, eventually converging with the St. Joseph River-Lake Michigan south of Three Rivers, MI.

Prairie River Watershed Management Plan