Shell River (Minnesota)

For other uses, see Shell River (disambiguation).
Shell River
The Shell River in Straight River Township in 2007
Shell River (Minnesota) is located in Minnesota
Shell River (Minnesota)
Location of the mouth of the Shell River in Crow Wing Lake Township
Location
CountryUnited States
StateMinnesota
Physical characteristics
SourceShell Lake
 • locationCarsonville Township, Becker County
 • coordinates46°56′50″N 95°24′39″W / 46.94722°N 95.41083°W / 46.94722; -95.41083[1]
 • elevation1,519 ft (463 m)[2]
MouthCrow Wing River
 • location
Crow Wing Lake Township, Hubbard County
 • coordinates
46°48′26″N 94°53′16″W / 46.80722°N 94.88778°W / 46.80722; -94.88778[1]
 • elevation
1,362 ft (415 m)[2]
Length47.8 mi (76.9 km)[3]
Discharge 
 • locationat mouth[4]
 • average250 cu ft/s (7.1 m3/s)[4]
Basin features
Tributaries 
 • leftFish Hook River
 • rightBlueberry River

The Shell River is a 47.8-mile-long (76.9 km)[3] tributary of the Crow Wing River in north-central Minnesota in the United States. Via the Crow Wing River, it is part of the watershed of the Mississippi River, draining a rural region.

The river was named for mussel and clam shells found along the river and along Shell Lake, its origin.[5]

  1. ^ a b "Geographic Names Information System entry for Shell River (Feature ID #651945)". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey. Retrieved 2007-06-24.
  2. ^ a b Google Earth elevation for GNIS coordinates. Retrieved on 2007-06-24.
  3. ^ a b U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline data. The National Map, accessed December 26, 2012
  4. ^ a b Waters, Thomas F. (2006). "The Crow Wing: Oxcart to Canoe". The Streams and Rivers of Minnesota. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press. pp. 184–194. ISBN 0-8166-0960-8.
  5. ^ Upham, Warren. "Minnesota Place Names: A Geographical Encyclopedia". Minnesota Historical Society. pp. Wadena County: Shell River Township. Archived from the original on 2007-06-20. Retrieved 2007-06-24.