The Rice River is a
[U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline data]
The National Map
, accessed December 26, 2012 tributary of the
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 ...
in 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 ...
, United States. It rises in southeastern
Aitkin County
Aitkin County ( ) is a county in the U.S. state of Minnesota. As of the 2020 census, the population was 15,697. Its county seat is Aitkin. Part of the Mille Lacs Indian Reservation is in the county. The county was created in 1857 and organized ...
at the outlet of Porcupine Lake and flows generally north into Rice Lake National Wildlife Refuge, where it turns west and flows to the Mississippi northeast of
Aitkin.
The Rice River takes its name from the abundant wild rice that once fed Native Americans.
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
External links
Minnesota Watersheds*USGS Hydrologic Unit Map - State of Minnesota (1974)
Rivers of Minnesota
Tributaries of the Mississippi River
Rivers of Aitkin County, Minnesota
{{Minnesota-river-stub