Little Cottonwood River
| Little Cottonwood River | |
|---|---|
The Little Cottonwood River near its mouth in Cambria Township in 2007 | |
| Location | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Minnesota |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Source | |
| • location | Amboy Township, Cottonwood County |
| • coordinates | 44°02′28″N 95°11′35″W / 44.04111°N 95.19306°W |
| • elevation | 1,467 ft (447 m) |
| Mouth | Minnesota River |
• location | Cambria Township, Blue Earth County |
• coordinates | 44°15′05″N 94°19′47″W / 44.25139°N 94.32972°W |
• elevation | 787 ft (240 m) |
| Length | 82.9 mi (133.4 km) |
| Basin size | 230 mi2 (600 km2) |
| Discharge | |
| • location | Cambria Township |
| • average | 72.5 cu ft/s (2.05 m3/s) |
| • minimum | 0.1 cu ft/s (0.0028 m3/s) |
| • maximum | 3,520 cu ft/s (100 m3/s) |
The Little Cottonwood River is a tributary of the Minnesota River, 83 miles (134 km) long, in southwestern Minnesota in the United States. Via the Minnesota River, it is part of the watershed of the Mississippi River, draining an area of 230 square miles (600 km2) in an agricultural region.
The Little Cottonwood River rises south of Jeffers in Amboy Township in Cottonwood County, beginning as a drainage ditch constructed in 1997. In its upper course the stream flows swiftly in a northeastward course and passes rock outcrops, including the Jeffers Petroglyphs. It flows generally east-northeastwardly through Brown County into northwestern Blue Earth County, where it joins the Minnesota River in Cambria Township, approximately seven miles (11 km) southeast of New Ulm. For much of its lower course, it roughly parallels the Cottonwood River to the north at a distance of three to ten miles (5–15 km). The stream's watershed is narrow, with no major tributaries. Land within the watershed consists primarily of till plains; in 1990, 90% of the land was cultivated for agriculture.
Common fish in the river include black and yellow bullhead, rock bass, golden redhorse, and various species of darters and shiners.