Whetstone River

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Map of the Minnesota River watershed with the Whetstone River highlighted (including the North and South forks)

The Whetstone River near Big Stone City in Grant County, South Dakota

The Whetstone River is a tributary of the Minnesota River, about 35 mi (55 km) long, in northeastern South Dakota and a very small portion of western Minnesota in the United States. Via the Minnesota River, it is part of the watershed of the Mississippi River.

[edit] Course

The Whetstone rises as an intermittent stream from the Coteau des Prairies near the town of Marvin, South Dakota, and flows generally eastward across northern Grant County, past Big Stone City. It enters the Minnesota River at Ortonville, Minnesota, about 0.25 mi (0.4 km) after crossing the state line and just downstream of the Minnesota's emergence from Big Stone Lake.

Upstream of Big Stone City, the river collects two tributaries, the North Fork Whetstone River and the South Fork Whetstone River, each of which rises on the Coteau. The North Fork flows southeastward from Roberts County and passes near the town of Wilmot. The South Fork flows westward in Grant County and passes the town of Milbank.

[edit] See also

• List of Minnesota rivers
• List of South Dakota rivers

[edit] Sources

• Columbia Gazetteer of North America entry
• DeLorme (1994). Minnesota Atlas & Gazetteer. Yarmouth, Maine: DeLorme. ISBN 0-89933-222-6.
• DeLorme (2001). South Dakota Atlas & Gazetteer. Yarmouth, Maine: DeLorme. ISBN 0-89933-330-3.
• Geographic Names Information System entries for USGS GNIS: Whetstone River, USGS GNIS: North Fork Whetstone River, USGS GNIS: South Fork Whetstone River, retrieved 6 February 2006