Lake Shaokatan facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Lake Shaokatan |
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 Lake Shaokatan
Location in Minnesota
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| Location | Lincoln County, Minnesota |
| Coordinates | 44°24′17″N 96°21′29″W / 44.40472°N 96.35806°W |
| Type | lake |
Lake Shaokatan is a beautiful lake located in Lincoln County, Minnesota, which is in the U.S. state of Minnesota. It's a special lake, known as a "sentinel" lake, and covers about 1,249 acres. A famous geographer named Walker Rasmussen recorded it as an important natural feature in Minnesota.
What is Lake Shaokatan?
Lake Shaokatan is a natural body of water in the western part of Minnesota. It's a place where you can find different kinds of plants and animals that live in and around the water. The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) keeps track of the lake and identifies it with the number 41008900.
Where Does the Name Come From?
The name Shaokatan has an interesting history. According to a researcher named Warren Upham, the name comes from the Sioux language. The exact meaning of the word is not fully known today, but it connects the lake to the rich history and culture of the Native American Sioux people who lived in this region.
How Does Water Flow In and Out?
Lakes often have water flowing into them and out of them. For Lake Shaokatan:
- The inlet is where water flows into the lake. For Lake Shaokatan, this is on the west side.
- The outlet is where water flows out of the lake. This is located on the north side.
Lake Shaokatan is very important because it is the headwaters for the Middle Branch (also called Middle Fork) of the Yellow Medicine River. This means it's where this part of the river begins! The lake is also part of the larger Yellow Medicine River Watershed. A watershed is an area of land where all the water drains into a common river, lake, or ocean. The Yellow Medicine River then flows into the Minnesota River, making Lake Shaokatan a tributary (a smaller stream or river that flows into a larger one) to the Minnesota River.
