Straight River (southern Minnesota)

The Straight River in Owatonna (2007)

The Straight River is a 73 km long tributary of the Cannon River in the southeast of the U.S. state of Minnesota. About the Cannon River, it is part of the watershed of the Mississippi River and drains an area with an area of ​​1165 km ² in an agricultural region.

The name is a translation of Owatonna, the name of the river in Sioux languages ​​and in German means a straight river. Despite its name, the opposite river runs strong in turns, although his valley runs almost straight. During the 19th century, the river was used to power grain mills.

Geography

The origin of the Straight River is north of Geneva in Geneva Township adopted in the north of Freeborn County, although the headwaters has been altered by the installation of drainage ditches. The Straight River flows northward through the Steele County to the south of Rice County's into it, to the cities of Owatonna and Medford over, to its confluence with the Cannon River in Faribault.

The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources has the Straight River classified as a route for canoeing. It flows generally farmland and his narrow riverbed is forested, mostly of elm, willow, poplar and maple. In its course, there are occasional flat spots and in Clinton Township Falls in the north of Steele County exist rapids. Fish species in the Straight River are pike, sunfish, smallmouth bass and carp.

Among the most important tributaries of the Straight Rivers include Turtle Creek, Maple Creek, which joins in Owatonna, the Waseca Springing Crane Creek, which flows north of Owatonna in the Straight River and Medford Creek.

Runoff

Through the United States Geological Survey, a level is operated above of Faribault. Here averaged 1966-2005 river discharge 8 m³ / s The highest value was 172 m³ / s on June 12, 2004 and the lowest value was observed s on 27 October 1976, about 0.3 m³ /.