Straight River (southern Minnesota)
| Straight River | |
|---|---|
The Straight River in Owatonna in 2007 | |
Location of the mouth of the Straight River in Faribault, Minnesota | |
| Native name | Wakpá Owóthaŋna (Dakota) |
| Location | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Minnesota |
| Counties | Rice, Le Sueur, Steele, Freeborn |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Source | |
| • location | Geneva Township, Freeborn County |
| • coordinates | 43°49′58″N 93°15′46″W / 43.83278°N 93.26278°W |
| • elevation | 1,214 ft (370 m) |
| Mouth | Cannon River |
• location | Faribault Township, Rice County |
• coordinates | 44°18′36″N 93°16′13″W / 44.31000°N 93.27028°W |
• elevation | 958 ft (292 m) |
| Length | 55.6 mi (89.5 km) |
| Basin size | 450 mi2 (1,200 km2) |
| Discharge | |
| • location | near Faribault |
| • average | 293 cu ft/s (8.3 m3/s) |
| • minimum | 10 cu ft/s (0.28 m3/s) |
| • maximum | 6,080 cu ft/s (172 m3/s) |
The Straight River (Dakota: Wakpá Owóthaŋna) is a tributary of the Cannon River, 55.6 miles (89.5 km) long, in southeastern Minnesota, United States. Via the Cannon River, it is part of the watershed of the Mississippi River, draining an area of approximately 450 square miles (1,200 km2) in an agricultural region.
Its name is a translation of Wakpá Owóthaŋna, the Dakota name for the river. Despite its name, the river flows in a winding course, though its valley is fairly straight. The river provided hydropower for flour milling operations in the 19th century.