The Split Rock River is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline data
The National Map
accessed May 7, 2012 river of

Minnesota Minnesota () is a state in the upper midwestern region of the United States. It is the 12th largest U.S. state in area and the 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. Minnesota is home to western prairies, now given over to ...

, in the United States. It drains a small

watershed Watershed is a hydrological term, which has been adopted in other fields in a more or less figurative sense. It may refer to: Hydrology * Drainage divide, the line that separates neighbouring drainage basins * Drainage basin, called a "watershe ...

of about on the North Shore of

Lake Superior Lake Superior in central North America is the largest freshwater lake in the world by surface areaThe Caspian Sea is the largest lake, but is saline, not freshwater. and the third-largest by volume, holding 10% of the world's surface fresh wa ...

. The name was used as early as 1825 and is believed to refer either to the steep-walled gorge carved by the river or to two cliffs east of the river mouth that appear split apart. An indigenous name for the river was ''Gininwabiho-zibi'', meaning "War Eagle Iron River." The river's lower course flows through

Split Rock Lighthouse State Park Split Rock Lighthouse State Park is a state park of Minnesota on the North Shore of Lake Superior. It is best known for the picturesque Split Rock Lighthouse, one of the most photographed lighthouses in the United States. Built by the United S ...

, and the

Superior Hiking Trail The Superior Hiking Trail, also known as the SHT, is a long hiking trail in northeastern Minnesota that follows the rocky ridges overlooking Lake Superior for most of its length. The trail travels through forests of birch, aspen, pine, fir, and ...

ascends and descends both banks. There is a separate stream called Split Rock Creek nearby.

Geography

The East and West Split Rock River branches arise in wetlands near Legler Lake. The branches join upstream from its mouth. Over the next the river drops in elevation, then drops over the next mile. Only in its final mile does the river level out and slow before emptying into Lake Superior. There are ten waterfalls on the river, although because they can only be reached by a moderate hike on the Superior Hiking Trail they are lightly visited.

History

From 1899 to 1906 the river basin was logged of its

red Red is the color at the long wavelength end of the visible spectrum of light, next to orange and opposite violet. It has a dominant wavelength of approximately 625–740 nanometres. It is a primary color in the RGB color model and a secondar ...

and white pines. The logging operation included the town of

Splitrock, Minnesota Splitrock is an abandoned townsite in Beaver Bay Township, Lake County, Minnesota, United States; located at the mouth of the Split Rock River. It was inhabited from 1899 to 1906 as a company town to house workers for a logging operation. T ...

, at the river mouth and a rail line to carry lumber down to the lakeshore. During the

Mataafa Storm The Mataafa Storm of 1905, was a storm that occurred on the Great Lakes on November 27–28, 1905. The system moved across the Great Basin with moderate depth on November 26 and November 27, then east-northeastward across the Great Lakes on Novemb ...

of November 28, 1905, seven ships were wrecked within a dozen miles of the Split Rock River, including the steel

steamboat A steamboat is a boat that is marine propulsion, propelled primarily by marine steam engine, steam power, typically driving propellers or Paddle steamer, paddlewheels. Steamboats sometimes use the ship prefix, prefix designation SS, S.S. or S/S ...

William Edenborn William C. Edenborn (1848–1926) was an inventor, steel industrialist, and railroad magnate. He patented the design for a machine for inexpensive manufacture of barbed wire. Edenborn founded the Louisiana Railway and Navigation Company, which o ...

'' right at its mouth. This prompted the construction of the

Split Rock Lighthouse Split Rock Lighthouse is a lighthouse located southwest of Silver Bay, Minnesota, USA on the North Shore (Lake Superior), North Shore of Lake Superior. The structure was designed by lighthouse engineer Ralph Russell Tinkham and was completed in 19 ...

on a nearby cliff.

References

Minnesota Watersheds
*USGS Hydrologic Unit Map - State of Minnesota (1974) {{authority control Rivers of Lake County, Minnesota Rivers of Minnesota Tributaries of Lake Superior Northern Minnesota trout streams