Cottonwood River (Minnesota): Difference between revisions
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The '''Cottonwood River''' is a [[tributary]] of the [[Minnesota River]], 152 miles (245 km) long, in southwestern [[Minnesota]] in the [[United States]]. Via the Minnesota River, it is part of the [[drainage basin|watershed]] of the [[Mississippi River]], draining an area of {{convert|1313|sqmi|km2}} in an agricultural region. The river's name is a translation of the [[Sioux language|Sioux]] name for the river, '''Waraju''', for the [[Populus deltoides|cottonwood]] tree, which is common along prairie rivers.<ref name=Waters>{{cite book| last= Waters |first= Thomas F. | title= The Streams and Rivers of Minnesota |year= 2006 |publisher= [[University of Minnesota Press]] |location=Minneapolis |isbn= 0-8166-0960-8 |pages= 288–303 |chapter= The Southwest: Rivers of the Coteau des Prairies}}</ref> It has also been known historically as the '''Big Cottonwood River'''.<ref name=GNIS/> |
The '''Cottonwood River''' is a [[tributary]] of the [[Minnesota River]], 152 miles (245 km) long, in southwestern [[Minnesota]] in the [[United States]]. Via the Minnesota River, it is part of the [[drainage basin|watershed]] of the [[Mississippi River]], draining an area of {{convert|1313|sqmi|km2}} in an agricultural region. The river's name is a translation of the [[Sioux language|Sioux]] name for the river, '''Waraju''', for the [[Populus deltoides|cottonwood]] tree, which is common along prairie rivers.<ref name=Waters>{{cite book| last= Waters |first= Thomas F. | title= The Streams and Rivers of Minnesota |year= 2006 |publisher= [[University of Minnesota Press]] |location=Minneapolis |isbn= 0-8166-0960-8 |pages= 288–303 |chapter= The Southwest: Rivers of the Coteau des Prairies}}</ref> It has also been known historically as the '''Big Cottonwood River'''.<ref name=GNIS/> |
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The Cottonwood River flows generally eastwardly throughout its course. It rises southwest of [[Balaton, Minnesota|Balaton]] in [[Rock Lake Township, Minnesota|Rock Lake Township]] in southern [[Lyon County, Minnesota|Lyon County]], as an intermittent stream on the [[Coteau des Prairies]], a [[moraine|morainic]] [[plateau]] dividing the Mississippi and [[Missouri River]] watersheds. The river flows off the Coteau in a wooded valley in southeastern Lyon County, dropping 200 feet (60 m) in five miles (3 km), and enters a region of [[till plain]]s, flowing through southern [[Redwood County, Minnesota|Redwood County]], the northeastern corner of [[Cottonwood County, Minnesota|Cottonwood County]], and northern [[Brown County, Minnesota|Brown County]], past the communities of [[Sanborn, Minnesota|Sanborn]] and [[Springfield, Minnesota|Springfield]]. It enters a wooded valley near its mouth, flowing through [[Flandrau State Park]] and entering the Minnesota River just southeast of [[New Ulm, Minnesota|New Ulm]]. The river was formerly [[dam]]med to form a lake in the state park, but the dam was not rebuilt after being washed out by floods in [[Flood of 1965|1965]] and 1969.<ref name=Waters/><ref name=MPCA>{{cite web |url= http://www.pca.state.mn.us/water/basins/mnriver/watersheds.html |title= Watersheds of the Minnesota River Basin. |pages= [http://www.pca.state.mn.us/water/basins/mnriver/watershed-cottonwood.pdf Minnesota River - Cottonwood River Watershed] |publisher= Minnesota Pollution Control Agency |date= 1 December 2005 |accessdate= 3 June 2007}}</ref><ref name=DeLorme>{{cite book| title= Minnesota Atlas & Gazetteer |year=1994 |publisher= [[DeLorme]] |location=Yarmouth, Me. |isbn= 0-89933-222-6 |pages= 20, pp. 29–31}}</ref> |
The Cottonwood River flows generally eastwardly throughout its course. It rises southwest of [[Balaton, Minnesota|Balaton]] in [[Rock Lake Township, Minnesota|Rock Lake Township]] in southern [[Lyon County, Minnesota|Lyon County]], as an intermittent stream on the [[Coteau des Prairies]], a [[moraine|morainic]] [[plateau]] dividing the Mississippi and [[Missouri River]] watersheds. The river flows off the Coteau in a wooded valley in southeastern Lyon County, dropping 200 feet (60 m) in five miles (3 km), and enters a region of [[till plain]]s, flowing through southern [[Redwood County, Minnesota|Redwood County]], the northeastern corner of [[Cottonwood County, Minnesota|Cottonwood County]], and northern [[Brown County, Minnesota|Brown County]], past the communities of [[Sanborn, Minnesota|Sanborn]] and [[Springfield, Minnesota|Springfield]]. It enters a wooded valley near its mouth, flowing through [[Flandrau State Park]] and entering the Minnesota River just southeast of [[New Ulm, Minnesota|New Ulm]]. The river was formerly [[dam]]med to form a lake in the state park, but the dam was not rebuilt after being washed out by floods in [[Flood of 1965|1965]] and 1969.<ref name=Waters/><ref name=MPCA>{{cite web |url= http://www.pca.state.mn.us/water/basins/mnriver/watersheds.html |title= Watersheds of the Minnesota River Basin. |pages= [http://www.pca.state.mn.us/water/basins/mnriver/watershed-cottonwood.pdf Minnesota River - Cottonwood River Watershed] |publisher= Minnesota Pollution Control Agency |date= 1 December 2005 |accessdate= 3 June 2007 |deadurl= yes |archiveurl= https://web.archive.org/web/20070205024044/http://www.pca.state.mn.us/water/basins/mnriver/watersheds.html |archivedate= 5 February 2007 |df= }}</ref><ref name=DeLorme>{{cite book| title= Minnesota Atlas & Gazetteer |year=1994 |publisher= [[DeLorme]] |location=Yarmouth, Me. |isbn= 0-89933-222-6 |pages= 20, pp. 29–31}}</ref> |
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Due to the northeastward slope of the Coteau des Prairies and the presence of a [[terminal moraine]] along the northern side of the river, very few tributaries enter the Cottonwood River from the north. The largest is Sleepy Eye Creek, 51 miles (82 km) long, which flows eastwardly through Redwood and Brown Counties, past [[Cobden, Minnesota|Cobden]]. Tributaries from the south include Plum Creek, 35 miles (56 km) long, which flows northeastwardly through [[Murray County, Minnesota|Murray]] and Redwood Counties, past [[Walnut Grove, Minnesota|Walnut Grove]]; and Dutch Charley Creek, 46 miles (74 km) long, which flows northeastwardly through Murray, Cottonwood, and Redwood Counties.<ref name=MSU/><ref name=Waters/><ref name=MPCA/><ref name=DeLorme/> |
Due to the northeastward slope of the Coteau des Prairies and the presence of a [[terminal moraine]] along the northern side of the river, very few tributaries enter the Cottonwood River from the north. The largest is Sleepy Eye Creek, 51 miles (82 km) long, which flows eastwardly through Redwood and Brown Counties, past [[Cobden, Minnesota|Cobden]]. Tributaries from the south include Plum Creek, 35 miles (56 km) long, which flows northeastwardly through [[Murray County, Minnesota|Murray]] and Redwood Counties, past [[Walnut Grove, Minnesota|Walnut Grove]]; and Dutch Charley Creek, 46 miles (74 km) long, which flows northeastwardly through Murray, Cottonwood, and Redwood Counties.<ref name=MSU/><ref name=Waters/><ref name=MPCA/><ref name=DeLorme/> |
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Revision as of 15:44, 13 August 2017
The Cottonwood River is a tributary of the Minnesota River, 152 miles (245 km) long, in southwestern Minnesota in the United States. Via the Minnesota River, it is part of the watershed of the Mississippi River, draining an area of 1,313 square miles (3,400 km2) in an agricultural region. The river's name is a translation of the Sioux name for the river, Waraju, for the cottonwood tree, which is common along prairie rivers.[1] It has also been known historically as the Big Cottonwood River.[2]
The Cottonwood River flows generally eastwardly throughout its course. It rises southwest of Balaton in Rock Lake Township in southern Lyon County, as an intermittent stream on the Coteau des Prairies, a morainic plateau dividing the Mississippi and Missouri River watersheds. The river flows off the Coteau in a wooded valley in southeastern Lyon County, dropping 200 feet (60 m) in five miles (3 km), and enters a region of till plains, flowing through southern Redwood County, the northeastern corner of Cottonwood County, and northern Brown County, past the communities of Sanborn and Springfield. It enters a wooded valley near its mouth, flowing through Flandrau State Park and entering the Minnesota River just southeast of New Ulm. The river was formerly dammed to form a lake in the state park, but the dam was not rebuilt after being washed out by floods in 1965 and 1969.[1][3][4]
Due to the northeastward slope of the Coteau des Prairies and the presence of a terminal moraine along the northern side of the river, very few tributaries enter the Cottonwood River from the north. The largest is Sleepy Eye Creek, 51 miles (82 km) long, which flows eastwardly through Redwood and Brown Counties, past Cobden. Tributaries from the south include Plum Creek, 35 miles (56 km) long, which flows northeastwardly through Murray and Redwood Counties, past Walnut Grove; and Dutch Charley Creek, 46 miles (74 km) long, which flows northeastwardly through Murray, Cottonwood, and Redwood Counties.[5][1][3][4]
Approximately 84% of land in the Cottonwood River watershed is used for agriculture; the predominant crops are corn and soybeans. Wetlands in the watershed have been extensively drained, and fewer than 4,000 acres (16 km²) remain.[3]
Flow rate
At the United States Geological Survey's stream gauge near New Ulm, 3.2 miles (5.2 km) upstream from the river's mouth, the annual mean flow of the river between 1909 and 2005 was 381 cubic feet per second (11 m³/s). The highest recorded flow during the period was 28,700 ft³/s (813 m³/s) on April 10, 1969. The lowest recorded flow was 0.5 ft³/s (0 m³/s) on November 27, 1952.[6]
See also
References
- ^ a b c Waters, Thomas F. (2006). "The Southwest: Rivers of the Coteau des Prairies". The Streams and Rivers of Minnesota. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press. pp. 288–303. ISBN 0-8166-0960-8.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
GNISwas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ a b c "Watersheds of the Minnesota River Basin". Minnesota Pollution Control Agency. 1 December 2005. pp. Minnesota River - Cottonwood River Watershed. Archived from the original on 5 February 2007. Retrieved 3 June 2007.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|deadurl=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help) - ^ a b Minnesota Atlas & Gazetteer. Yarmouth, Me.: DeLorme. 1994. pp. 20, pp. 29–31. ISBN 0-89933-222-6.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
MSUwas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Cite error: The named reference
USGSwas invoked but never defined (see the help page).