The Knife River is a
[U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline data]
The National Map
, accessed May 7, 2012 river of northern
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 ...
which drains a portion of
Lake
A lake is an area filled with water, localized in a basin, surrounded by land, and distinct from any river or other outlet that serves to feed or drain the lake. Lakes lie on land and are not part of the ocean, although, like the much large ...
and
Saint Louis counties into
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 ...
between
Duluth
, settlement_type = City
, nicknames = Twin Ports (with Superior), Zenith City
, motto =
, image_skyline =
, image_caption = Clockwise from top: urban Duluth skyline; Minnesota ...
and
Two Harbors.
Name
The Knife River's name is an accurate preservation of its native
Ojibwe
The Ojibwe, Ojibwa, Chippewa, or Saulteaux are an Anishinaabe people in what is currently southern Canada, the northern Midwestern United States, and Northern Plains.
According to the U.S. census, in the United States Ojibwe people are one of ...
name, ''Mokomani Zibi''.
[Gilfillan, J. A. ''Minnesota Geographical Names Derived from the Chippewa Language.'' p. 454. The Geological and Natural History Survey of Minnesota. Fifteenth Annual Report, 1886. Pioneer Press Company, St. Paul.] Its original name was probably given on account of the long, sharp stones near the mouth of the river.
[The WPA Guide to the Minnesota Arrowhead Country, p. 162. Minnesota Historical Society Press, St. Paul, 1988.]
Geography
The main branch of the Knife River flows from source to mouth,
[ flowing parallel to the shoreline from the direction of Two Harbors.][Nieber, John L., et al. ''Assessment of Streambank and Bluff Erosion in the Knife River Watershed.'' p. 6. Final Report Submitted to Minnesota Pollution Control Agency. Department of Bioproducts and Biosystems Engineering, University of Minnesota. 2008]
Retrieved July 21, 2010. It has four or five major tributaries.[LakeSuperiorStreams: Community Partnerships For Understanding Water Quality and Stormwater Impacts at the Head of the Great Lakes. University of Minnesota-Duluth, Duluth, MN 55812. ''Knife River Watershed']
Retrieved July 21, 2010. Since data began being collected in 1974, its mean annual daily discharge of water has been calculated as .[Nieber, John L., et al. ''Assessment of Streambank and Bluff Erosion in the Knife River Watershed.'' p. 5. Final Report Submitted to Minnesota Pollution Control Agency. Department of Bioproducts and Biosystems Engineering, University of Minnesota. 2008]
Retrieved July 21, 2010. A 2008 study found that about sixty percent of the sediment was coming from erosion of the streambanks, and about thirty from erosion of the river's bluffs.Knife River, Minnesota
Knife River is an unincorporated community in Lake County, Minnesota, United States; located on the North Shore of Lake Superior.
The community is located between Duluth and Two Harbors on the North Shore Scenic Drive ( County 61), at the mout ...
, located at the river's mouth.
See also
*List of rivers of Minnesota
Minnesota has 6,564 natural rivers and streams that cumulatively flow for . The Mississippi River begins its journey from its headwaters at Lake Itasca and crosses the Iowa border downstream. It is joined by the Minnesota River at Fort Snellin ...
References
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Rivers of Minnesota
Tributaries of Lake Superior
Rivers of Lake County, Minnesota
Rivers of St. Louis County, Minnesota
Northern Minnesota trout streams