Cottonwood River (Minnesota)
Encyclopedia
The Cottonwood River is a tributary
of the Minnesota River
, 152 miles (245 km) long, in southwestern Minnesota
in the United States
. Via the Minnesota River, it is part of the watershed
of the Mississippi River
, draining an area of 1313 square miles (3,400.7 km²) in an agricultural region. The river's name is a translation of the Sioux
name for the river, Waraju, for the cottonwood tree, which is common along prairie rivers. It has also been known historically as the Big Cottonwood River.
The Cottonwood River flows generally eastwardly throughout its course. It rises southwest of Balaton
in Rock Lake Township
in southern Lyon County
, as an intermittent stream on the Coteau des Prairies
, a morainic
plateau
dividing the Mississippi and Missouri River
watersheds. The river flows off the Coteau in a wooded valley in southeastern Lyon County, dropping 200 feet (60 m) in five miles (3 km), and enters a region of till plain
s, flowing through southern Redwood County
, the northeastern corner of Cottonwood County
, and northern Brown County
, past the communities of Sanborn
and Springfield
. It enters a wooded valley near its mouth, flowing through Flandrau State Park
and entering the Minnesota River just southeast of New Ulm
. The river was formerly dam
med to form a lake in the state park, but the dam was not rebuilt after being washed out by floods in 1965 and 1969.
Due to the northeastward slope of the Coteau des Prairies and the presence of a terminal moraine
along the northern side of the river, very few tributaries enter the Cottonwood River from the north. The largest is Sleepy Eye Creek, 51 miles (82 km) long, which flows eastwardly through Redwood and Brown Counties, past Cobden
. Tributaries from the south include Plum Creek, 35 miles (56 km) long, which flows northeastwardly through Murray
and Redwood Counties, past Walnut Grove
; and Dutch Charley Creek, 46 miles (74 km) long, which flows northeastwardly through Murray, Cottonwood, and Redwood Counties.
Approximately 84% of land in the Cottonwood River watershed is used for agriculture; the predominant crops are corn
and soybean
s. Wetland
s in the watershed have been extensively drained, and fewer than 4,000 acres (16 km²) remain.
's stream gauge
near New Ulm, 3.2 miles (5.2 km) upstream from the river's mouth, the annual mean flow of the river between 1909 and 2005 was 381 cubic feet per second (11 m³/s). The highest recorded flow during the period was 28,700 ft³/s (813 m³/s) on April 10, 1969. The lowest recorded flow was 0.5 ft³/s (0 m³/s) on November 27, 1952.
Tributary
A tributary or affluent is a stream or river that flows into a main stem river or a lake. A tributary does not flow directly into a sea or ocean...
of the Minnesota River
Minnesota River
The Minnesota River is a tributary of the Mississippi River, approximately 332 miles long, in the U.S. state of Minnesota. It drains a watershed of nearly , in Minnesota and about in South Dakota and Iowa....
, 152 miles (245 km) long, in southwestern Minnesota
Minnesota
Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Via the Minnesota River, it is part of the watershed
Drainage basin
A drainage basin is an extent or an area of land where surface water from rain and melting snow or ice converges to a single point, usually the exit of the basin, where the waters join another waterbody, such as a river, lake, reservoir, estuary, wetland, sea, or ocean...
of the Mississippi River
Mississippi River
The Mississippi River is the largest river system in North America. Flowing entirely in the United States, this river rises in western Minnesota and meanders slowly southwards for to the Mississippi River Delta at the Gulf of Mexico. With its many tributaries, the Mississippi's watershed drains...
, draining an area of 1313 square miles (3,400.7 km²) in an agricultural region. The river's name is a translation of the Sioux
Sioux language
Sioux is a Siouan language spoken by over 33,000 Sioux in the United States and Canada, making it the fifth most spoken indigenous language in the United States or Canada, behind Navajo, Cree, Inuit and Ojibwe.-Regional variation:...
name for the river, Waraju, for the cottonwood tree, which is common along prairie rivers. It has also been known historically as the Big Cottonwood River.
The Cottonwood River flows generally eastwardly throughout its course. It rises southwest of Balaton
Balaton, Minnesota
Balaton is a city in Lyon County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 643 at the 2010 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , of which, of it is land and of it is water....
in Rock Lake Township
Rock Lake Township, Minnesota
Rock Lake Township is a township in Lyon County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 282 at the 2000 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the township has a total area of 34.6 square miles , of which, 33.1 square miles of it is land and 1.5 square...
in southern Lyon County
Lyon County, Minnesota
As of the census of 2000, there were 25,425 people, 9,715 households, and 6,334 families residing in the county. The population density was 36 people per square mile . There were 10,298 housing units at an average density of 14 per square mile...
, as an intermittent stream on the Coteau des Prairies
Coteau des Prairies
The Coteau des Prairies is a plateau approximately 200 miles in length and 100 miles in width , rising from the prairie flatlands in eastern South Dakota, southwestern Minnesota, and northwestern Iowa in the United States...
, a morainic
Moraine
A moraine is any glacially formed accumulation of unconsolidated glacial debris which can occur in currently glaciated and formerly glaciated regions, such as those areas acted upon by a past glacial maximum. This debris may have been plucked off a valley floor as a glacier advanced or it may have...
plateau
Plateau
In geology and earth science, a plateau , also called a high plain or tableland, is an area of highland, usually consisting of relatively flat terrain. A highly eroded plateau is called a dissected plateau...
dividing the Mississippi and Missouri River
Missouri River
The Missouri River flows through the central United States, and is a tributary of the Mississippi River. It is the longest river in North America and drains the third largest area, though only the thirteenth largest by discharge. The Missouri's watershed encompasses most of the American Great...
watersheds. The river flows off the Coteau in a wooded valley in southeastern Lyon County, dropping 200 feet (60 m) in five miles (3 km), and enters a region of till plain
Till plain
A till plain is an extensive flat plain of glacial till that forms when a sheet of ice becomes detached from the main body of a glacier and melts in place depositing the sediments it carried. A till plain with irregular topography is referred to as a ground moraine.-See also:*Glacial till plains...
s, flowing through southern Redwood County
Redwood County, Minnesota
As of the census of 2000, there were 16,815 people, 6,674 households, and 4,524 families residing in the county. The population density was 19 people per square mile . There were 7,230 housing units at an average density of 8 per square mile...
, the northeastern corner of Cottonwood County
Cottonwood County, Minnesota
Cottonwood County is a county located in the U.S. state of Minnesota. As of 2010, the population was 11,687. Its county seat is Windom.-History:...
, and northern Brown County
Brown County, Minnesota
Brown County is a county located in the U.S. state of Minnesota. As of 2010, the population was 25,893. Its county seat is New Ulm.-Geography:...
, past the communities of Sanborn
Sanborn, Minnesota
Sanborn is a city in Redwood County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 339 at the 2010 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all of it land. The Cottonwood River flows through the city....
and Springfield
Springfield, Minnesota
As of the census of 2000, there were 2,215 people, 897 households, and 562 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,223.9 people per square mile . There were 968 housing units at an average density of 534.9 per square mile...
. It enters a wooded valley near its mouth, flowing through Flandrau State Park
Flandrau State Park
Flandrau State Park is a state park of Minnesota, USA, on the Cottonwood River adjacent to the city of New Ulm. Initially called Cottonwood River State Park, it was renamed in 1945 to honor Charles Eugene Flandrau, a leading citizen of early Minnesota who commanded defenses during the Battles of...
and entering the Minnesota River just southeast of New Ulm
New Ulm, Minnesota
New Ulm is a city in Brown County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 13,522 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Brown County....
. The river was formerly dam
Dam
A dam is a barrier that impounds water or underground streams. Dams generally serve the primary purpose of retaining water, while other structures such as floodgates or levees are used to manage or prevent water flow into specific land regions. Hydropower and pumped-storage hydroelectricity are...
med to form a lake in the state park, but the dam was not rebuilt after being washed out by floods in 1965 and 1969.
Due to the northeastward slope of the Coteau des Prairies and the presence of a terminal moraine
Terminal moraine
A terminal moraine, also called end moraine, is a moraine that forms at the end of the glacier called the snout.Terminal moraines mark the maximum advance of the glacier. An end moraine is at the present boundary of the glacier....
along the northern side of the river, very few tributaries enter the Cottonwood River from the north. The largest is Sleepy Eye Creek, 51 miles (82 km) long, which flows eastwardly through Redwood and Brown Counties, past Cobden
Cobden, Minnesota
Cobden is a city in Brown County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 36 at the 2010 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all of which consists of land.-Demographics:...
. Tributaries from the south include Plum Creek, 35 miles (56 km) long, which flows northeastwardly through Murray
Murray County, Minnesota
As of the census of 2000, there were 9,165 people, 3,722 households, and 2,601 families residing in the county. The population density was 13 people per square mile . There were 4,357 housing units at an average density of 6 per square mile...
and Redwood Counties, past Walnut Grove
Walnut Grove, Minnesota
As of the census of 2000, there were 599 people, 291 households, and 178 families residing in the city. The population density was 577.7 people per square mile . There were 341 housing units at an average density of 328.9 per square mile...
; and Dutch Charley Creek, 46 miles (74 km) long, which flows northeastwardly through Murray, Cottonwood, and Redwood Counties.
Approximately 84% of land in the Cottonwood River watershed is used for agriculture; the predominant crops are corn
Maize
Maize known in many English-speaking countries as corn or mielie/mealie, is a grain domesticated by indigenous peoples in Mesoamerica in prehistoric times. The leafy stalk produces ears which contain seeds called kernels. Though technically a grain, maize kernels are used in cooking as a vegetable...
and soybean
Soybean
The soybean or soya bean is a species of legume native to East Asia, widely grown for its edible bean which has numerous uses...
s. Wetland
Wetland
A wetland is an area of land whose soil is saturated with water either permanently or seasonally. Wetlands are categorised by their characteristic vegetation, which is adapted to these unique soil conditions....
s in the watershed have been extensively drained, and fewer than 4,000 acres (16 km²) remain.
Flow rate
At the United States Geological SurveyUnited States Geological Survey
The United States Geological Survey is a scientific agency of the United States government. The scientists of the USGS study the landscape of the United States, its natural resources, and the natural hazards that threaten it. The organization has four major science disciplines, concerning biology,...
's stream gauge
Stream gauge
A stream gauge, stream gage or gauging station is a location used by hydrologists or environmental scientists to monitor and test terrestrial bodies of water. Hydrometric measurements of water surface elevation and/or volumetric discharge are generally taken and observations of biota may also be...
near New Ulm, 3.2 miles (5.2 km) upstream from the river's mouth, the annual mean flow of the river between 1909 and 2005 was 381 cubic feet per second (11 m³/s). The highest recorded flow during the period was 28,700 ft³/s (813 m³/s) on April 10, 1969. The lowest recorded flow was 0.5 ft³/s (0 m³/s) on November 27, 1952.