The Wild Rice River is a tributary

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 Red River of the North

Red River of the North

The Red River is a North American river. Originating at the confluence of the Bois de Sioux and Otter Tail rivers in the United States, it flows northward through the Red River Valley and forms the border between the U.S. states of Minnesota and North Dakota before continuing into Manitoba, Canada...

 in northwestern 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...

. It is 183 miles (294.5 km) long. Via the Red River, Lake Winnipeg

Lake Winnipeg

Lake Winnipeg is a large, lake in central North America, in the province of Manitoba, Canada, with its southern tip about north of the city of Winnipeg...

 and the Nelson River

Nelson River

The Nelson River is a river of north-central North America, in the Canadian province of Manitoba. Its full length is , it has mean discharge of , and has a drainage basin of , of which is in the United States...

, 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 Hudson Bay

Hudson Bay

Hudson Bay , sometimes called Hudson's Bay, is a large body of saltwater in northeastern Canada. It drains a very large area, about , that includes parts of Ontario, Quebec, Saskatchewan, Alberta, most of Manitoba, southeastern Nunavut, as well as parts of North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota,...

. It is one of two Red River tributaries by its name, the other being the Wild Rice River

Wild Rice River (North Dakota)

The Wild Rice River is a tributary of the Red River of the North, approximately long, in southeastern North Dakota in the United States. Via the Red River, Lake Winnipeg, and the Nelson River, it is part of the watershed of Hudson Bay. The Wild Rice River drains an area of in the Red River...

 of North Dakota

North Dakota

North Dakota is a state located in the Midwestern region of the United States of America, along the Canadian border. The state is bordered by Canada to the north, Minnesota to the east, South Dakota to the south and Montana to the west. North Dakota is the 19th-largest state by area in the U.S....

.

Course

The Wild Rice flows from Mud Lake in Clearwater County

Clearwater County, Minnesota

As of the census of 2000, there were 8,423 people, 3,330 households, and 2,287 families residing in the county. The population density was 8 people per square mile . There were 4,114 housing units at an average density of 4 per square mile...

 and follows a generally westwardly course through Mahnomen

Mahnomen County, Minnesota

As of the census of 2000, there were 5,190 people, 1,969 households, and 1,366 families residing in the county. The population density was 9 people per square mile . There were 2,700 housing units at an average density of 5 per square mile...

 and Norman counties, through the White Earth Indian Reservation

White Earth Indian Reservation

The White Earth Indian Reservation is the home to the White Earth Nation, located in northwestern Minnesota. It is the largest Indian reservation in that state...

 and past the towns of Mahnomen

Mahnomen, Minnesota

As of the census of 2000, there were 1,202 people, 532 households, and 311 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,252.9 people per square mile . There were 576 housing units at an average density of 600.4 per square mile . The racial makeup of the city was 74.29% White,...

, Twin Valley

Twin Valley, Minnesota

As of the census of 2000, there were 865 people, 360 households, and 192 families residing in the city. The population density was 987.0 people per square mile . There were 399 housing units at an average density of 455.3 per square mile...

 and Hendrum

Hendrum, Minnesota

Hendrum is a city in Norman County, Minnesota, United States, in the Red River Valley between the Red River of the North and the Wild Rice River...

, and just south of Ada

Ada, Minnesota

As of the census of 2000, there were 1,657 people, 749 households, and 432 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,234.4 people per square mile . There were 835 housing units at an average density of 622.1 per square mile...

, where the nearby headwaters of the Marsh River

Marsh River

The Marsh River, located in Minnesota, is a tributary of the Red River of the North. It rises less than from the Wild Rice River, east of the city of Ada, and flows generally northwest, entering the Red River northwest of Shelly. The Marsh River flows entirely within Norman...

 sometimes act as a distributary

Distributary

A distributary, or a distributary channel, is a stream that branches off and flows away from a main stream channel. They are a common feature of river deltas. The phenomenon is known as river bifurcation. The opposite of a distributary is a tributary...

 to the Red River during periods of high water

Flood

A flood is an overflow of an expanse of water that submerges land. The EU Floods directive defines a flood as a temporary covering by water of land not normally covered by water...

. In its lower reaches through the Red River Valley

Red River Valley

The Red River Valley is a region in central North America that is drained by the Red River of the North. It is significant in the geography of North Dakota, Minnesota, and Manitoba for its relatively fertile lands and the population centers of Fargo, Moorhead, Grand Forks, and Winnipeg...

, portions of its course have been straightened and channelized.

Tributaries

The Wild Rice River's largest tributaries are the White Earth River

White Earth River (Minnesota)

The White Earth River is a tributary of the Wild Rice River of northwestern Minnesota in the United States. Via the Wild Rice River, the Red River of the North, Lake Winnipeg, and the Nelson River, it is part of the Hudson Bay watershed...

, which joins it near Mahnomen, and the South Branch Wild Rice River, which joins it in its lower course in Norman County; the South Branch rises near Ogema

Ogema, Minnesota

Ogema is a city in Becker County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 184 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 northwestern Becker County

Becker County, Minnesota

Becker County is a county located in the U.S. state of Minnesota. As of 2010, the population was 32,504. Its county seat is Detroit Lakes. A portion of the White Earth Indian Reservation extends into the county.-History:...

 and flows 61.4 miles (98.8 km) generally westwardly through Clay

Clay County, Minnesota

Clay County is a county located in the U.S. state of Minnesota. As of 2010, the population was 58,999. Its name is in honor of American statesman Henry Clay, member of the United States Senate from Kentucky and United States Secretary of State in the 19th century. Its county seat is Moorhead...

 and Norman counties, past the town of Ulen

Ulen, Minnesota

As of the census of 2000, there were 532 people, 203 households, and 120 families residing in the city. The population density was 488.9 people per square mile . There were 228 housing units at an average density of 209.5 per square mile . The racial makeup of the city was 99.25% White and 0.75%...

.