Iowa River
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Iowa River is a tributary of the Mississippi River in the state of Iowa in the United States. It is about 300 miles long and is open to small river craft to Iowa City, about 65 miles from its mouth. Its major tributary is the Cedar River.
It arises in two branches, the West Branch and East Branch, both of which have their headwaters in Hancock County, which join after approximately 25 miles in Belmond.
The Iowa then proceeds roughly in a southeast direction, passing through towns of Iowa Falls, through a scenic valley to Steamboat Rock, Eldora, Marshalltown, Tama, Marengo, and through the Amana Colonies in Iowa County. In Johnson County, it becomes impounded by the Coralville Dam in the Coralville Reservoir, which turns southward to the spillway. The river runs generally south and passes through Iowa City and the University of Iowa campus. A lowhead dam at Burlington Street in Iowa City is the last dam before the river's confluence with the Mississippi. South of Iowa City, it is joined by the English River, and then in Louisa County joins with the Cedar River to flow into the Mississippi.
The Iowa River is noted for recreational and commercial fishing. Game fish include largemouth and smallmouth bass, walleye, northern pike, channel and flathead catfish, crappie and other panfish. The Coralville Reservoir is commercially fished for carp and buffalo fish.
Pine Lake State Park is located on the Iowa River at Eldora.
[edit] Floods
The Iowa can flood, as currently. Its major tributary, the Cedar River can also flood, as in the June 2008 Midwest floods, or the Great Flood of 1993. The Cedar's tributaries, as with the Shell Rock River can also contribute to flooding events.
