Straight River (southern Minnesota)

Straight River
The Straight River in Owatonna in 2007
Location of the mouth of the Straight River in Faribault, Minnesota
Native name	Wakpá Owóthaŋna (Dakota)
Location
Country	United States
State	Minnesota
Counties	Rice, Le Sueur, Steele, Freeborn
Physical characteristics
Source
• location	Geneva Township, Freeborn County
• coordinates	43°49′58″N 93°15′46″W / 43.83278°N 93.26278°W / 43.83278; -93.26278[1]
• elevation	1,214 ft (370 m)[2]
Mouth	Cannon River
• location	Faribault Township, Rice County
• coordinates	44°18′36″N 93°16′13″W / 44.31000°N 93.27028°W / 44.31000; -93.27028[1]
• elevation	958 ft (292 m)[2]
Length	55.6 mi (89.5 km)[3]
Basin size	450 sq mi (1,200 km2)[4]
Discharge
• location	near Faribault[4]
• average	293 cu ft/s (8.3 m3/s)[4]
• minimum	10 cu ft/s (0.28 m3/s)
• maximum	6,080 cu ft/s (172 m3/s)

The Straight River is a tributary of the Cannon River, 55.6 miles (89.5 km) long,^[3] in southeastern Minnesota, United States. Via the Cannon River, it is part of the watershed of the Mississippi River, draining an area of approximately 450 square miles (1,200 km²) in an agricultural region.

Its name is a translation of Wakpá Owóthaŋna, the Dakota name for the river. Despite its name, the river flows in a winding course, though its valley is fairly straight.^[5] The river provided hydropower for flour milling operations in the 19th century.^[6]