Pipestone Creek is a
[U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline data]
The National Map
accessed March 30, 2011 river in southwestern
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 ...
and northeastern South Dakota.
Course
Pipestone Creek has a center branch as well as branches named "North" and "South". The creek (center branch) begins about north of
Holland
Holland is a geographical regionG. Geerts & H. Heestermans, 1981, ''Groot Woordenboek der Nederlandse Taal. Deel I'', Van Dale Lexicografie, Utrecht, p 1105 and former province on the western coast of the Netherlands. From the 10th to the 16th c ...
(the high point of its watershed actually being underneath the north branch's watershed) and flows southwesterly, roughly following MN State Highway 23 for much of its early existence (also being known as County Ditch Number 1). The creek approaches the town of
Pipestone from the east, but turns northwesterly just before Highway 23 meets
U.S. Highway 75
U.S. Route 75 is a major north–south U.S. Highway that extends in the central United States. The highway's northern terminus is in Noyes, Minnesota, at the Canadian border, where it once continued as Manitoba Highway 75 on the other sid ...
, with the creek going under both highways in rapid succession. Flowing through
Pipestone National Monument
Pipestone National Monument is located in southwestern Minnesota, just north of the city of Pipestone, Minnesota. It is located along the highways of U.S. Route 75, Minnesota State Highway 23 and Minnesota State Highway 30. The quarries are sac ...
, the creek passes over Winnewissa Falls, and then enters the adjacent State DNR controlled "Pipestone Wildlike Management Area" where a small "impoundment" (dam) forms "Indian Lake". The creek continues northwesterly until turning southwesterly just east of County Road 53. On the west side of County Rd 53, and on the North side of Country Rd 5, it is joined by the North branch, and on the south side of the same road, the South branch joins. The creek continues southwesterly, and crosses the state line in
South Dakota
South Dakota (; Sioux language, Sioux: , ) is a U.S. state in the West North Central states, North Central region of the United States. It is also part of the Great Plains. South Dakota is named after the Lakota people, Lakota and Dakota peo ...
above the road known as 81st Street in Minnesota and 236th A Street in South Dakota. It does not travel far into South Dakota, but loops back into Minnesota, flowing into
Split Rock Creek
Split Rock Creek State Park is a state park of Minnesota, USA, located in Ihlen, or just south of Pipestone.
The Works Progress Administration built a dam in 1938 to create a lake, which provided an opportunity for water recreation in an area ...
within a mile of the state line, this
confluence
In geography, a confluence (also: ''conflux'') occurs where two or more flowing bodies of water join to form a single channel. A confluence can occur in several configurations: at the point where a tributary joins a larger river (main stem); o ...
about 3 miles north of
Sherman, South Dakota
Sherman is a town in Minnehaha County, South Dakota, United States. The population was 81 at the 2020 census.
The town has the name of E. A . Sherman, a Dakota Territory banker.
Geography
Sherman is located at (43.757668, -96.475695).
Accordi ...
, also being 3 miles south of
Jasper, Minnesota
Jasper is a city in Pipestone and Rock counties in the State of Minnesota. The population was 633 at the 2010 census. Most of the city lies in Pipestone County, with only a small part of the city extending into Rock County.
History
Jasper was ...
. Split Rock Creek itself is a tributary of the
Big Sioux River
The Big Sioux River is a tributary of the Missouri River in eastern South Dakota and northwestern Iowa in the United States. It flows generally southwardly for ,U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataTh ...
, which in turn flows via the
Missouri River and
Mississippi River
The Mississippi River is the second-longest river and chief river of the second-largest drainage system in North America, second only to the Hudson Bay drainage system. From its traditional source of Lake Itasca in northern Minnesota, it f ...
to the
Gulf of Mexico
The Gulf of Mexico ( es, Golfo de México) is an oceanic basin, ocean basin and a marginal sea of the Atlantic Ocean, largely surrounded by the North American continent. It is bounded on the northeast, north and northwest by the Gulf Coast of ...
.
History
The creek was named for deposits of
pipestone along its course.
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 ...
*
List of rivers of South Dakota
This is a list of rivers in the state of South Dakota in the United States.
By tributary
Minnesota River watershed
*Little Minnesota River
** Jorgenson River
* Whetstone River
*North Fork Yellow Bank River
*South Fork Yellow Bank River
*West Bran ...
References
External links
Minnesota WatershedsUSGS Geographic Names Information Service
*USGS Hydrologic Unit Map - State of Minnesota (1974)
Rivers of Minnesota
Rivers of South Dakota
Tributaries of the Mississippi River
Rivers of Pipestone County, Minnesota
Rivers of Minnehaha County, South Dakota
{{SouthDakota-river-stub