Raccoon River

Raccoon River
The Raccoon River at Van Meter
Map of the Raccoon River watershed
Location
CountryUS
StateIowa
DistrictPolk County, Iowa, Dallas County, Iowa
Physical characteristics
Source 
 • coordinates41°32′38″N 93°58′00″W / 41.54389°N 93.96667°W / 41.54389; -93.96667
 • elevation850 ft (260 m)[1]
MouthDes Moines River
 • location
Des Moines, Iowa
 • coordinates
41°34′46″N 93°36′44″W / 41.57944°N 93.61222°W / 41.57944; -93.61222
 • elevation
784 ft (239 m)[2]
Discharge 
 • locationFleur Drive, Des Moines, Iowa
 • average2,721 cu/ft. per sec.[3]
Basin features
Tributaries 
 • leftSouth Raccoon River
 • rightNorth Raccoon River

The Raccoon River is a 30.8-mile-long (49.6 km)[4] tributary of the Des Moines River in central Iowa in the United States. As measured using the longest of its three forks, its length increases to 226 miles (364 km).[4] Via the Des Moines River, it is part of the watershed of the Mississippi River. The river runs through an intensely cultivated area of croplands and livestock farming, receiving Tile drainage from slow-draining rich natural bottomland.

The Des Moines metropolitan area has been obtaining its drinking water from the Raccoon River just before it empties into the Des Moines River through water utilities since the 19th century. During the Great Flood of 1993, the Raccoon River flooded the water treatment facility of Des Moines, shutting off the city's supply of drinking water.

  1. ^ Waukee, IA, 7.5 Minute Topographic Quadrangle, USGS, 1965 (1977 rev.)
  2. ^ U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Raccoon River
  3. ^ "USGS Current Conditions for USGS 05484900 Raccoon River at Fleur Drive at des Moines, IA".
  4. ^ a b U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline data. The National Map, accessed May 26, 2011