The Big Eau Pleine River is a river in the
U.S. state
In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its sover ...
of
Wisconsin
Wisconsin () is a state in the upper Midwestern United States. Wisconsin is the 25th-largest state by total area and the 20th-most populous. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake M ...
. It is a tributary of the
Wisconsin River
The Wisconsin River is a tributary of the Mississippi River in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. At approximately 430 miles (692 km) long, it is the state's longest river. The river's name, first recorded in 1673 by Jacques Marquette as "Meskousi ...
as the Big Eau Pleine River originates in southern
Taylor County near
Stetsonville and flows into
Marathon County
Marathon County is a county located in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of the 2020 census, the population was 138,013. Marathon County's seat is Wausau. It was founded in 1850, created from a portion of Portage County. At that time the coun ...
. The Big Eau Pleine River flows by
Stratford then to the large Big Eau Pleine Reservoir before it converges into the
Wisconsin River
The Wisconsin River is a tributary of the Mississippi River in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. At approximately 430 miles (692 km) long, it is the state's longest river. The river's name, first recorded in 1673 by Jacques Marquette as "Meskousi ...
at
Lake DuBay
Lake DuBay is a reservoir on the Wisconsin River in Marathon and Portage Counties in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. The lake covers an area of and has a maximum depth of . A dam on the lake is used to generate hydroelectric power. The community of ...
. The Little Eau Pleine River, which flows from
Clark County through Marathon County and into
Portage County, is not a tributary of the Big Eau Pleine.
Etymology
''Eau Pleine'' is derived from the French phrase meaning "full water" or "stock river". In the Menominee language it is known as ''Sīpiah-Sōpomāhtek'', which means "Soft Maple River".
References
Rivers of Wisconsin
Rivers of Taylor County, Wisconsin
Rivers of Marathon County, Wisconsin
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