The Middle River is a
tributary
A tributary, or affluent, is a stream or river that flows into a larger stream or main stem (or parent) river or a lake. A tributary does not flow directly into a sea or ocean. Tributaries and the main stem river drain the surrounding drainage ...
of the
Snake River
The Snake River is a major river of the greater Pacific Northwest region in the United States. At long, it is the largest tributary of the Columbia River, in turn, the largest North American river that empties into the Pacific Ocean. The Snake ...
in northwestern
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
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
. It flows for its entire length in
Marshall County.
Middle River was so named from its location at the midpoint of the
Pembina Trail The Pembina Trail was a 19th century trail used by Métis and European settlers to travel between Fort Garry and Fort Pembina in what is today the Canadian province of Manitoba and U.S. state of North Dakota. The trail followed the west bank of the ...
.
Course
The Middle River is long
[U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline data]
The National Map
, accessed June 8, 2011 and drains an area of . It rises near the town of
Middle River and flows generally westwardly past the towns of
Newfolden and
Argyle. At
Old Mill State Park
Old Mill State Park is a small Minnesota state park on the Middle River between Argyle and Newfolden on an ancient beach of glacial Lake Agassiz in Marshall County in the northwestern part of the state.
It is a park.
History
The park area ...
the river crosses an old beach of glacial
Lake Agassiz
Lake Agassiz was a large glacial lake in central North America. Fed by glacial meltwater at the end of the last glacial period, its area was larger than all of the modern Great Lakes combined.
First postulated in 1823 by William H. Keating, it ...
. Much of the Middle River's lower course through the
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 part of both Canada and the United States. Forming the border between Minnesota and North Dakota when these territories were admitted ...
has been straightened and
channelized; for approximately its final , the Middle has been routed to flow due west in a straight line. It joins the Snake River not far upstream of that river's confluence with the
Red River of the North
The Red River (french: rivière Rouge or ) is a river in the north-central United States and central Canada. Originating at the confluence of the Bois de Sioux and Otter Tail rivers between the U.S. states of Minnesota and North Dakota, it fl ...
.
See also
*
List of Minnesota rivers
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 Snelling, ...
*
List of longest streams of Minnesota
Out of the 6,564 streams that flow through the U.S. State of Minnesota, there are 114 streams that are at least 30 miles long. The second longest river in the United States, the Mississippi River, originates in Minnesota before flowing south t ...
References
External links
Old Mill State Park website
Rivers of Minnesota
Rivers of Marshall County, Minnesota
Tributaries of Hudson Bay
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