The Des Moines 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 drai ...

of the

Mississippi River The Mississippi River is the List of longest rivers of the United States (by main stem), second-longest river and chief river of the second-largest Drainage system (geomorphology), drainage system in North America, second only to the Hudson B ...

in the upper

Midwestern United States The Midwestern United States, also referred to as the Midwest or the American Midwest, is one of four census regions of the United States Census Bureau (also known as "Region 2"). It occupies the northern central part of the United States. I ...

that is approximately long from its farther headwaters.U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline data
The National Map
, accessed May 26, 2011 The largest river flowing across the state of

Iowa Iowa () is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States, bordered by the Mississippi River to the east and the Missouri River and Big Sioux River to the west. It is bordered by six states: Wiscon ...

, it rises in southern

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 t ...

and flows across Iowa from northwest to southeast, passing from the

glaciated A glacier (; ) is a persistent body of dense ice that is constantly moving under its own weight. A glacier forms where the accumulation of snow exceeds its ablation over many years, often centuries. It acquires distinguishing features, such as ...

plains into the unglaciated hills near the capital city of

Des Moines Des Moines () is the capital and the most populous city in the U.S. state of Iowa. It is also the county seat of Polk County. A small part of the city extends into Warren County. It was incorporated on September 22, 1851, as Fort Des Moines ...

, named after the river, in the center of the state. The river continues to flow at a southeastern direction away from Des Moines, later flowing directly into the Mississippi River. The Des Moines River forms a short portion of Iowa's border with

Missouri Missouri is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking 21st in land area, it is bordered by eight states (tied for the most with Tennessee): Iowa to the north, Illinois, Kentucky and Tennessee to the east, Arkansas t ...

in Lee County. The Avenue of the Saints, a four-lane highway from

St. Paul, Minnesota Saint Paul (abbreviated St. Paul) is the capital of the U.S. state of Minnesota and the county seat of Ramsey County. Situated on high bluffs overlooking a bend in the Mississippi River, Saint Paul is a regional business hub and the center o ...

to St. Louis, Missouri, passes over this section; the highway is designated Route 27 in both Iowa and Missouri, and was completed in the early 21st century.

Hydrography

The Des Moines River rises in two forks. The West Fork (the main branch) rises out of Lake Shetek in Murray County in southwestern Minnesota. It flows south-southeast into Emmet County, Iowa, past Estherville. The East Fork rises out of Okamanpeedan Lake in northern Emmet County on the Iowa-Minnesota border and flows south, through Algona. The two forks join in southern Humboldt County, approximately 5 miles (8 km) south of Humboldt at Frank Gotch

State Park State parks are parks or other protected areas managed at the sub-national level within those nations which use "state" as a political subdivision. State parks are typically established by a state to preserve a location on account of its natural ...

. The combined stream flows roughly southward through

Fort Dodge Fort Dodge is a city in, and the county seat of, Webster County, Iowa, United States, along the Des Moines River. The population was 24,871 in the 2020 census, a decrease from 25,136 in 2000. Fort Dodge is a major commercial center for North Ce ...

. South of Boone it passes through the Ledges State Park. It flows through downtown Des Moines, then turns generally southeastward, flowing through Ottumwa. It forms approximately 20 miles (32 km) of the border between Iowa and Missouri before joining the Mississippi from the northwest at Keokuk. It receives the

Boone River The Boone River is a tributary of the Des Moines River in north-central Iowa in the United States. It is longU.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map, accessed May 26, 2011 and drains an ...

from the northeast approximately 20 miles (32 km) southwest of Fort Dodge. It receives the Raccoon River from the west in the city of Des Moines. Above the city of Des Moines, it is impounded to create the Saylorville Lake reservoir. About midway below Saylorville and above Ottumwa, near

Pella Pella ( el, Πέλλα) is an ancient city located in Central Macedonia, Greece. It is best-known for serving as the capital city of the ancient Greek kingdom of Macedon, and was the birthplace of Alexander the Great. On site of the ancient cit ...

, the river is impounded to create the Lake Red Rock reservoir.

History

One of the earliest French maps that depicts the Des Moines (1703) refers to it as ''"R. des Otentas,"'' which translates to "River of the Otoe"; the

Otoe Tribe The Otoe (Chiwere: Jiwére) are a Native American people of the Midwestern United States. The Otoe language, Chiwere, is part of the Siouan family and closely related to that of the related Iowa, Missouria, and Ho-Chunk tribes. Historically, t ...

lived in the interior of Iowa in the 18th century. The

Meskwaki The Meskwaki (sometimes spelled Mesquaki), also known by the European exonyms Fox Indians or the Fox, are a Native American people. They have been closely linked to the Sauk people of the same language family. In the Meskwaki language, th ...

and

Sauk people The Sauk or Sac are a group of Native Americans of the Eastern Woodlands culture group, who lived primarily in the region of what is now Green Bay, Wisconsin, when first encountered by the French in 1667. Their autonym is oθaakiiwaki, and th ...

referred to the river as "''Ke-o-shaw-qua''" (Hermit's River), from which Keosauqua, Iowa, derives its name. The

Dakota Indians The Dakota (pronounced , Dakota language: ''Dakȟóta/Dakhóta'') are a Native American tribe and First Nations band government in North America. They compose two of the three main subcultures of the Sioux people, and are typically divided into ...

, who lived near its headwaters in present-day Minnesota, referred to it as "''Inyan Shasha''" in their Siouan language. Another

Siouan Siouan or Siouan–Catawban is a language family of North America that is located primarily in the Great Plains, Ohio and Mississippi valleys and southeastern North America with a few other languages in the east. Name Authors who call the ent ...

name was "''Eah-sha-wa-pa-ta,''" or "Red Stone" river, possibly referring the bluffs at Red Rock or the reddish Sioux Quartzite bedrock near its headwaters. The origin of the name ''Des Moines'' is obscure. Early

French French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...

explorers named it ''La Rivière des Moines'', literally meaning "River of the Monks." The name may have referred to early

Trappist The Trappists, officially known as the Order of Cistercians of the Strict Observance ( la, Ordo Cisterciensis Strictioris Observantiae, abbreviated as OCSO) and originally named the Order of Reformed Cistercians of Our Lady of La Trappe, are a ...

monks who built huts near the mouth of the river at the Mississippi.

William Bright William O. Bright (August 13, 1928 – October 15, 2006) was an American linguist and toponymist who specialized in Native American and South Asian languages and descriptive linguistics. Biography Bright earned a bachelor's degree in lingui ...

writes that ''Moines'' was an abbreviation used by the French for ''Moingouena'' or ''

Moingona The Moingona or Moingwena ( mia, mooyiinkweena) were a historic Miami-Illinois tribe. They may have been close allies of or perhaps part of the Peoria. They were assimilated by that tribe and lost their separate identity about 1700. Today their de ...

'', an Algonquian subgroup of the Illinois people. The Native American term was ''/mooyiinkweena/'', a derogatory name applied to the Moingouena by the

Peoria people The Peoria, also Peouaroua, are a Native American people. They are enrolled in the federally recognized Peoria Tribe of Indians of Oklahoma headquartered in Miami, Oklahoma. The Peoria people are descendants of the Illinois Confederation. The ...

, a closely related subgroup. The meaning of the native word, according to an early French writer, is ''visage plein d'ordure'', or in plain English, "shit-face", from ''mooy-'', "shit", ''-iinkwee'', "face", and ''-na'', "indefinite actor". The 1718 Guillaume Delisle map (pictured) labels it as ''"le Moingona R."'' During the mid-19th century, the river supported the main commercial transportation by water across Iowa. River traffic began to be superseded by the

railroad Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport that transfers passengers and goods on wheeled vehicles running on rails, which are incorporated in tracks. In contrast to road transport, where the vehicles run on a prep ...

s constructed from the 1860s.

Flooding

Flood at Fort Des Moines in 1851 - History of Iowa

Catastrophic flooding occurred along the Des Moines River during the Great Flood of 1851, nearly destroying the new town of

. Residents had never previously experienced a major flood, and river towns lacked levees and substantial bridges that could withstand flooding. In 1851, 74.5 in (191.5 cm) of rain fell in Iowa, a record that holds to this day. The worst flooding occurred May to June in the Des Moines River Basin. Major flooding in 1851 occurred in Bentonsport, Croton, Bonaparte,

, Eddyville, Farmington, Iowaville, Keosauqua, Muscatine, Oskaloosa, Ottumwa, Red Rock, and

Rochester Rochester may refer to: Places Australia * Rochester, Victoria Canada * Rochester, Alberta United Kingdom *Rochester, Kent ** City of Rochester-upon-Medway (1982–1998), district council area ** History of Rochester, Kent ** HM Prison ...

. The river has a history of seasonal flooding. For example, in May 1944 the Riverview Park had just opened for the season on May 19, 1944. At around dawn on May 23, the

levee A levee (), dike (American English), dyke (Commonwealth English), embankment, floodbank, or stop bank is a structure that is usually earthen and that often runs parallel to the course of a river in its floodplain or along low-lying coastli ...

began to collapse. The river was too much to hold back. Quickly the breach in the levee grew to nearly wide, and the river water quickly enveloped all of the park and the surrounding area.Riverview Park Flood
The Great Flood of 1993 on the river and its tributary the Raccoon, in the summer of 1993, forced the evacuation of much of the city of Des Moines and nearby communities. In another period of flooding, on June 13, 2008, officials issued a voluntary evacuation order for much of downtown and other areas bordering the Des Moines River. The river had reached flood stage in many locations, and Mayor Frank Cownie said the evacuations were an attempt "to err on the side of citizens and residents."

Cities and towns

* Algona, Iowa (East Fork) * Armstrong, Iowa (East Fork) * Bonaparte, Iowa *

Bradgate, Iowa Bradgate is a city in Humboldt County, Iowa, United States, at the conjunction of Sections 5, 6, 7, and 8 of Avery Township, and rests near the banks of the West Fork of the Des Moines River. The population was 75 in the 2020 census, a decline fr ...

(West Fork) *

Chillicothe, Iowa Chillicothe () is a city in Wapello County, Iowa, United States. The population was 76 at the 2020 census. History Chillicothe was laid out in 1849 and was incorporated in 1881. The word "Chillicothe" is derived from the ancient Shawnee Indian ...

* Currie, Minnesota *

Dakota City, Iowa Dakota City is a city in and the county seat of Humboldt County, Iowa, United States. The population was 759 at the time of the 2020 census. Dakota City shares its western border with the much larger city of Humboldt. It is the least populous c ...

(East Fork) *

Des Moines, Iowa Des Moines () is the capital and the most populous city in the U.S. state of Iowa. It is also the county seat of Polk County. A small part of the city extends into Warren County. It was incorporated on September 22, 1851, as Fort Des Moine ...

Douds, Iowa Douds is a census-designated place (CDP) in Van Buren County, Iowa, United States. The population was 156 at the 2020 census. History Douds was platted in 1866 by brothers Eliab and David Doud. It was originally called Doud's Station. Douds wa ...

Eddyville, Iowa Eddyville is a city in Mahaska, Monroe, and Wapello counties in the U.S. state of Iowa. The population was 970 at the time of the 2020 census. History ''Circa'' 1839, a Sauk village was established on this site following the end of the Black ...

* Eldon, Iowa * Emmetsburg, Iowa (West Fork) * Estherville, Iowa (West Fork) *

Farmington, Iowa Farmington is a city in Van Buren County, Iowa, United States. The population was 579 at the time of the 2020 census. History Farmington was laid out in 1839. It was named after Farmington, Connecticut. The town was incorporated on January 11 ...

* Fort Dodge, Iowa * Fraser, Iowa *

Graettinger, Iowa Graettinger is a city in Palo Alto County, Iowa, United States. The population was 832 at the time of the 2020 census. History Graettinger got its start in the 1880s, following construction of the Burlington, Cedar Rapids and Northern Railway th ...

(West Fork) * Humboldt, Iowa (West Fork) *

Irvington, Iowa Irvington is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Irvington Township, Kossuth County, Iowa, United States. As of the 2010 census it had a population of 38. History "Old" Irvington was founded in 1856. When the North ...

(East Fork) * Jackson, Minnesota * Johnston, Iowa *

Keokuk, Iowa Keokuk is a city in and a county seat of Lee County, Iowa, United States, along with Fort Madison. It is Iowa's southernmost city. The population was 9,900 at the time of the 2020 census. The city is named after the Sauk chief Keokuk, who is ...

* Keosauqua, Iowa *

Leando, Iowa Leando is a census-designated place (CDP) in Van Buren County, Iowa, United States. The population was 135 at the 2000 census. Geography Leando is located at (40.832867, -92.085573). According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has ...

Lehigh, Iowa Lehigh is a city in Webster County, Iowa, United States. The population was 395 at the time of the 2020 census. Located in a valley, Lehigh is divided in two by the Des Moines River, unusual for such a small town. Originally the two halves of ...

Livermore, Iowa Livermore is a city in Humboldt County, Iowa, United States. The population was 381 at the time of the 2020 census. Livermore is the hometown of former University of Iowa and NFL tight end Dallas Clark. History Livermore was founded in 1879. Th ...

(East Fork) *

Ottumwa, Iowa Ottumwa ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Wapello County, Iowa, United States. The population was 25,529 at the time of the 2020 U.S. Census. Located in the state's southeastern section, the city is split into northern and southern halves ...

Petersburg, Minnesota Petersburg is an unincorporated community in Petersburg Township, Jackson County, 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 popu ...

(West Fork) *

Rutland, Iowa Rutland is a city in Humboldt County, Iowa, United States. The population was 113 at the time of the 2020 census. History Rutland was platted in 1869. It was named after Rutland, Vermont. Rutland was formerly serviced by Iowa Highway 367, whic ...

(West Fork) *

St. Joseph, Iowa St. Joseph is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Riverdale Township, Kossuth County, Iowa, United States. As of the 2010 census the population was 61. Geography The community is located in southern Kossuth County ...

(East Fork) * Windom, Minnesota

Variant names

According to the

Geographic Names Information System The Geographic Names Information System (GNIS) is a database of name and locative information about more than two million physical and cultural features throughout the United States and its territories, Antarctica, and the associated states of ...

, the Des Moines River has also been known as: *La Riviere des Moins *Le Moine River *Monk River *Nadouessioux River *Outontantes River *River Demoin *River of the Maskoutens *River of the Peouareas

References and notes

External links

Hydrography

History

Flooding

Cities and towns

Variant names

See also

References and notes

External links