The river was named after René Bréhant de Galinée, a French missionary, mapmaker and explorer. The name was changed to Galien by legislative action in 1829.
Ecology
The Galien River passes through Warren Woods State Park which supports the last climax beech-maple forest in the state of Michigan. The Galien River watershed supports the state's largest breeding population of yellow-throated warblers, and a substantial population of breeding cerulean warblers. Also supports a high diversity of bottomland forest obligate bird species. Designated coldwater streams in the watershed include: the main stem of the Galien River, east branch Galien River, Blue Jay Creek, south branch Galien River, and a portion of Spring Creek.
Watershed
The watershed encompasses approximately in portions of La Porte County, Indiana, and Berrien County, Michigan. The main branch of the Galien rises from the outflow of Dayton Lake in the northwest corner of Bertrand Township and flows west to the village of Galien, Michigan. It then flows northwest into Weesaw Township and north to near New Troy, where it is joined by the East Branch and begins to flow west and then southwest to New Buffalo. Agriculture is the dominant land use in the watershed and the majority of the water bodies have been dredged or channelized to facilitate the rapid conveyance of water from the relatively flat landscape. Tributaries :
South Branch Galien River, rises just north of the stateline with Indiana and flows mostly north until joining the main branch north of New Buffalo
* Squaw Creek, rises south of New Buffalo and flows north around the east side of town
* Galena River, rises in LaPorte County, Indiana, near Springville
Kirktown Creek, rises in Lake Township and flows mostly south into the main branch west of New Troy
East Branch Galien River, rises in the northwest corner of Buchanan Township and flows mostly west and south into the main branch southeast of New Troy
* Judy Lake Drain, rises from the outflow of several lakes in western Buchanan Township
Blue Jay Creek, rises in southeast Weesaw Township and flows northwest to the main branch in eastern Weesaw
Dowling Creek, rises on the southern edge of Galien Township, near the Indiana border where LaPorte and St. Jospeph counties meet.
