other habitat alterations attributed to agricultural runoff, hydrologic/habitat modification and resource extraction. The North and Middle forks of the Saline River system have a degraded Indiana crayfish population due to threats to water quality from pollution, coal mining, oil extraction, siltation, stream channelization. and clearing. The Saline River watershed is located in southern Illinois and flows in an easterly direction encompassing over . The watershed covers land within Hamilton, White, Franklin, Williamson, Gallatin, Johnson, Pope, Hardin, and Saline Counties. The mainly agricultural landscape has many small streams, creeks, and man-made lakes that flow into the Saline River which eventually enters the Ohio River where it is wide. The Lake of Egypt, an impoundment on the upper end of the South Fork Saline River, is the largest lake in the watershed, and covers . The population of the watershed is mostly rural, but there are many small cities and villages found throughout the area then passes through the eastern section of the Shawnee National Forest. The largest population centers are the cities of Harrisburg (pop. 9,628), Eldorado (pop. 4,416), McLeansboro (pop. 2,945), and Carrier Mills (pop. 1,886). Agriculture, mining, and manufacturing are the major components of the regional economy. The cities of Equality and Harrisburg, Illinois were built on sandstone bluffs overlooking the Saline River Middle Fork Valley. Cities and counties The following cities and towns are drained by the Saline River: South Fork Carrier Mills Goreville Lakeview Stonefort New Burnside Middle Fork Eldorado Equality Galatia Harrisburg Raleigh North Fork McLeansboro Norris City The watershed includes all or part of the following counties: Franklin County Hardin County Johnson County Saline County White County Hamilton County Williamson County Gallatin County Pope County See also List of rivers of Illinois Tuttle Bottoms Monster Watersheds of Illinois References External links Prairie Rivers Network Surfing the Saline River with USEPA Real Time USGS Stream Flow Illinois Department of Natural Resources Fact Sheet Rivers of Illinois Tributaries of the Ohio River Bodies of water of Saline County, Illinois Bodies of water of Williamson County, Illinois