Lake Itasca

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Lake Itasca
The source of the Mississippi River on the edge of Lake Itasca
Coordinates	47°13′05 N°95′12
Lake type	glacial
Primary sources	Nicolett Creek, Elk Lake outlet stream
Primary outflows	Mississippi River
Basin countries	USA
Surface area	1.8 square miles (4.7 km²)
Average depth	20-35 feet (6-11 m)
Surface elevation	1,475 feet (450 m)
Islands	Schoolcraft Island

Lake Itasca is a small glacial lake, approximately 1.8 square miles (4.7 km²) in area, in the Lake District of northwestern Minnesota in the United States. It is the source of the Mississippi River. The lake is located in southeastern Clearwater County within Itasca State Park. It has an average depth of 20-35 feet (6-11 m), and is 1,475 ft (450 m) above sea level.

The Mississippi River starts its 2,340 mi (3,770 km) journey to the Gulf of Mexico at the lake. Henry Schoolcraft identified Lake Itasca as the river's source in 1832. He had been part of a previous expedition in 1820 led by General Lewis Cass that had named nearby Cass Lake (which is downstream from Itasca) as the source of the river. Schoolcraft coined the lake's name, which is a shortened version of the Latin phrase veritas caput, meaning "true head". Most likely Schoolcraft shortened the name to make it sound more authentically like an Ojibwe word. The Ojibwe name for "Lake Itasca" is Omashkoozo-zaaga'igan (Elk Lake).

The channel of the Mississippi as it emerges from the lake was actually moved in the 1930s by the Civilian Conservation Corps, as part of project to create a more pleasant experience for visitors. The project included the draining of the surrounding swamp, the digging of a new channel, and the installation of a man-made rock rapids. Wading across the rapids in bare feet – walking across the Mississippi River – is a popular recreational activity for summer tourists.

Lake Itasca and Elk Lake

The western arm of the lake is fed by two small streams on its south end. Nicolett Creek, which is considered too small to be considered as the headwaters, starts in a nearby spring. Another small stream leads into Itasca from Elk Lake, which in turn is fed by two other streams. In 1887 Williard Glazier promoted a campaign to consider Elk Lake, which he called Glazier Lake, as the true source of the Mississippi. These streams, however, are generally considered too small to be categorized as the headwaters of the river.

The decision was decided by Jacob V. Brower, a land surveyor and president of the Minnesota Historical Society who after spending five months exploring the lakes ruled that the lakes and streams further south of Lake Itasca were not the true source of the Mississippi. Brower was to aggressively campaign to save from the lake from logging. On April 21, 1891, the Minnesota Legislature officially made it a state park by a margin of one vote. Brower is now called the "Father of Lake Itasca" and the visitor center is named in his honor.