The Sunrise 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 St. Croix River in east–central

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 originates within the boundaries of th
Comfort Lake - Forest Lake Watershed District
near the city of Forest Lake in Washington County. It's headwaters are considered several small tributaries that flow into and contribute to Forest Lake, the longest of which is the Washington Judicial Ditch 6. From the outflow from Forest Lake, the river flows north, accepting the South Branch from the west near the city of

Wyoming Wyoming () is a U.S. state, state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It is bordered by Montana to the north and northwest, South Dakota and Nebraska to the east, Idaho to the west, Utah to the south ...

, and continues north into Mud Lake, where the West Branch, which rises in southeast

Isanti County Isanti County ( ) is a county in the east-central part of the U.S. state of Minnesota. As of the 2020 census, the population was 41,135. Its county seat is Cambridge. History The county was formed on February 13, 1857. Its name came from the I ...

and briefly enters

Anoka County Anoka County ( ) is the fourth-most-populous county in the U.S. state of Minnesota. As of the 2020 census, the population was 363,887. The county seat and namesake of the county is the city of Anoka, which is derived from the Dakota word ''an ...

, joins it near the city of

Stacy Stacy or Stacey may refer to: Places In the United States: * Stacy, California, an unincorporated community * Stacy, Kentucky * Stacy, Minnesota, a city * Stacy, Virginia, a village People * Stacy (given name) * Stacy (singer) (born 199 ...

. From Stacy it flows generally north-northwest through Chisago County to meet the St. Croix River within

Wild River State Park Wild River State Park is a state park of Minnesota, United States, curving along of the St. Croix River (Wisconsin-Minnesota), St. Croix River. This long, narrow park is shaped somewhat like a sideways 'S', with development largely concentrated ...

near the communities of

Sunrise Sunrise (or sunup) is the moment when the upper rim of the Sun appears on the horizon in the morning. The term can also refer to the entire process of the solar disk crossing the horizon and its accompanying atmospheric effects. Terminology Al ...

and Almelund. Not far upstream from its mouth, the Sunrise collects its North Branch, which rises in Isanti County and flows through the city of North Branch. Sunrise River is the English translation of the native

Ojibwe-language Ojibwe , also known as Ojibwa , Ojibway, Otchipwe,R. R. Bishop Baraga, 1878''A Theoretical and Practical Grammar of the Otchipwe Language''/ref> Ojibwemowin, or Anishinaabemowin, is an Indigenous languages of the Americas, indigenous language o ...

name. There is a dam on the Sunrise River. The Sunrise River watershed spans 381 square miles in Isanti, Pine, Chisago, Washington, and Anoka counties.

References

Rivers of Anoka County, Minnesota Rivers of Chisago County, Minnesota Rivers of Isanti County, Minnesota Rivers of Minnesota Tributaries of the St. Croix River (Wisconsin–Minnesota) {{Minnesota-river-stub

See also

References