Cannon River (Minnesota)

Cannon River
The Cannon River as seen from a snowshoe trail in Miesville Ravine Park Reserve on a winter day.
Location of mouth
Location
Country	United States
State	Minnesota
Counties	Dakota, Goodhue, Le Sueur, Rice[1]
Cities	Red Wing, Welch, Cannon Falls, Randolph, Northfield, Dundas, Faribault, Warsaw, Morristown, Waterville
Physical characteristics
Source	Shields Lake
• location	Rice County, near Shieldsville, Minnesota, United States
• coordinates	44°22′08″N 93°26′32″W / 44.3688180°N 93.4422624°W / 44.3688180; -93.4422624
• elevation	1,070 ft (330 m)
Mouth	Mississippi River
• location	Goodhue County, near Red Wing, Minnesota, United States
• coordinates	44°36′09″N 92°35′23″W / 44.602583°N 92.589771°W / 44.602583; -92.589771
Length	112 mi (180 km)
Basin size	1,460 sq mi (3,800 km2)
Discharge
• location	Welch, MN
• average	730 cu ft/s (21 m3/s).[2]
Basin features
Tributaries
• left	Trout Brook
• right	Little Cannon River, Straight River, Little Cannon River (Sabre Lake) (near Kilkenny), Belle Creek)

The Cannon River is a tributary of the Mississippi River that flows 112 miles (180 km) from Shields Lake^[3] near Shieldsville to Red Wing in the U.S. state of Minnesota, where it joins the Mississippi River. It drains a watershed approximately 1460 square miles (3,780 km²) in size. The river flows through the counties of Le Sueur, Rice, Dakota, and Goodhue.

The Cannon River has few rapids, but some can be difficult (Class II). Some have claimed lives, as has the confluence with the Little Cannon River in Cannon Falls. Canoes traversing the river must portage several dams; the low header dams are more dangerous than they appear to novices. Downed trees and logjams are extreme hazards in high water, as are low bridges. The river varies in width from 50 to 200 feet (15 to 60 m).