Straight River (southern Minnesota)

Straight River
The Straight River in Owatonna in 2007
Straight River (southern Minnesota) is located in Minnesota
Straight River (southern Minnesota)
Location of the mouth of the Straight River in Faribault, Minnesota
Native nameWakpá Owóthaŋna (Dakota)
Location
CountryUnited States
StateMinnesota
CountiesRice, Le Sueur, Steele, Freeborn
Physical characteristics
Source 
 • locationGeneva Township, Freeborn County
 • coordinates43°49′58″N 93°15′46″W / 43.83278°N 93.26278°W / 43.83278; -93.26278[1]
 • elevation1,214 ft (370 m)[2]
MouthCannon 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]
Length55.6 mi (89.5 km)[3]
Basin size450 sq mi (1,200 km2)[4]
Discharge 
 • locationnear Faribault[4]
 • average293 cu ft/s (8.3 m3/s)[4]
 • minimum10 cu ft/s (0.28 m3/s)
 • maximum6,080 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]

  1. ^ a b "Geographic Names Information System entry for Straight River (Feature ID #652708)". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey. Retrieved 2007-06-24.
  2. ^ a b Google Earth per 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 October 4, 2012
  4. ^ a b c Mitton, G. B.; K. G. Guttormson; G. W. Stratton; E. S. Wakeman. "Water Resources Data in Minnesota, Water Year 2005 Annual Report". United States Geological Survey. pp. Straight River near Park Rapids, MN. Retrieved 2007-06-24.
  5. ^ Upham, Warren (1920). Minnesota Geographic Names: Their Origin and Historic Significance. Minnesota Historical Society. p. 534.
  6. ^ "Minnesota Department of Natural Resources Canoeing: Straight River". Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. 2007. Archived from the original on 2007-07-01. Retrieved 2007-06-17.