Le Sueur River
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Le Sueur River | |
|---|---|
 The Le Sueur River near its mouth in South Bend Township in 2007
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| Country | United States |
| State | Minnesota |
| Length | 110.9 mi (178 km) [1] |
| Watershed | 1,089 sq mi (2,820 km²) [2] |
| Discharge at | near Rapidan |
| - average | 549 cu ft/s (16 m³/s) [3] |
| - maximum | 24,700 cu ft/s (699 m³/s) |
| - minimum | 1.6 cu ft/s (0 m³/s) |
| Source | |
| - location | Hartland Township, Freeborn County |
| - coordinates | [4] |
| - elevation | 1,279 ft (390 m) [5] |
| Mouth | Blue Earth River |
| - location | South Bend Township, Blue Earth County |
| - coordinates | [4] |
| - elevation | 774 ft (236 m) [5] |
| Major tributaries | |
| - left | Cobb River, Maple River |
 Map of the Blue Earth watershed that shows the Le Sueur River
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The Le Sueur River (luh-SOOR)[6] is a tributary of the Blue Earth River, 111 miles (178 km) long, in southern Minnesota in the United States. Via the Blue Earth and Minnesota Rivers, it is part of the watershed of the Mississippi River, draining an area of 1,089 square miles (2,280 km²). It is the largest tributary of the Blue Earth River, draining 31% of its watershed.[2]
Contents |
[edit] Course
The Le Sueur River rises in Hartland Township in northwestern Freeborn County and flows initially northwardly, through the southwestern extremity of Steele County into Waseca County, then westwardly in a winding course into Blue Earth County, passing through St. Clair. It flows into the Blue Earth River southwest of Mankato, approximately three miles (5 km) upstream of the Blue Earth's mouth at the Minnesota River.[7][8] Its largest tributaries are the Cobb and Maple Rivers, which it collects from the south approximately six and eight miles (10 km/13 km) upstream of its mouth, respectively.[7][9][10] A minor tributary of the Le Sueur River in Waseca and Steele Counties is known as the Little Le Sueur River.[7][11]
The Le Sueur River flows in most of its course on till plains and on the plain of a former glacial lake, through deeply incised ravines in its lower course. Extensions of the Big Woods, a tract of hardwoods that has since been largely converted to agricultural use, historically followed the river's riparian corridor southward. According to the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, approximately 84% of the larger watershed of the Blue Earth River is used for agricultural cultivation, primarily that of corn and soybeans.[2][9]
[edit] Flow rate
At the United States Geological Survey's stream gauge near the community of Rapidan, two miles (3 km) upstream from the river's mouth, the annual mean flow of the river between 1940 and 2005 was 549 cubic feet per second (16 m³/s). The highest recorded flow during the period was 24,700 ft³/s (699 m³/s) on April 8, 1965. The lowest recorded flow was 1.6 ft³/s (0 m³/s) on February 9, 1959.[3]
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ Le Sueur River Major Watershed. Streams within the Le Sueur River Major Watershed. Minnesota River Basin Data Center. Minnesota State University, Mankato (2000-06-06). Retrieved on 2007-06-10.
- ^ a b c Watersheds of the Minnesota River Basin. Minnesota River Basin: Blue Earth, Watonwan, and Le Sueur River Watersheds. Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (2005-12-01). Retrieved on 2007-06-10.
- ^ a b Mitton, G. B.; K. G. Guttormson, G. W. Stratton, E. S. Wakeman. Water Resources Data in Minnesota, Water Year 2005 Annual Report. Le Sueur River near Rapidan, MN. United States Geological Survey. Retrieved on 2007-06-10.
- ^ a b Geographic Names Information System entry for Le Sueur River (Feature ID #646550). Geographic Names Information System. Retrieved on 2007-06-10.
- ^ a b Google Earth elevation for GNIS coordinates. Retrieved on 2007-06-10.
- ^ The Columbia Gazetteer of North America. Le Sueur River. Columbia University Press, bartleby.com (2000, 2001). Retrieved on 2007-06-10.
- ^ a b c (1994) Minnesota Atlas & Gazetteer. Yarmouth, Me.: DeLorme, pp. 23-24, 32. ISBN 0-89933-222-6.
- ^ National Assessment Database: Assessment Data for the State of Minnesota Year 2004. Blue Earth Watershed. United States Environmental Protection Agency. Retrieved on 2007-06-10.
- ^ a b Waters, Thomas F. (2006). "The Blue Earth: Fool's Copper", The Streams and Rivers of Minnesota. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, pp. 278-287. ISBN 0-8166-0960-8.
- ^ National Assessment Database: Assessment Data for the State of Minnesota Year 2004. Le Sueur Watershed. United States Environmental Protection Agency. Retrieved on 2007-06-10.
- ^ Geographic Names Information System entry for Little Le Sueur River (Feature ID #646842). Geographic Names Information System. Retrieved on 2007-06-10.
