Little Minnesota River facts for kids
The Little Minnesota River is a river that flows for about 71 miles (115 kilometers) through parts of South Dakota and Minnesota in the United States. It's like a smaller stream that feeds into the much larger Minnesota River. Because of this connection, its waters eventually join the mighty Mississippi River! All the land that drains water into a river system is called its watershed.
The River's Journey
The Little Minnesota River begins its journey in Marshall County, South Dakota, in an area called the Coteau des Prairies. This is near a town called Veblen. From there, it flows mostly southeast through Roberts County. Along the way, it picks up water from two smaller streams: Standfast Creek and the Jorgenson River.
As the river gets close to the Minnesota state line, it passes very near Lake Traverse. Interestingly, Lake Traverse is part of a different watershed that leads to Hudson Bay in Canada! The Little Minnesota River and Lake Traverse are separated by a very low ridge of land called a continental divide. This means water on one side flows to the Mississippi, and water on the other side flows to Hudson Bay.
The river then enters Minnesota at a town called Browns Valley. Soon after, it flows into Big Stone Lake. The Minnesota River then flows out of Big Stone Lake, continuing its journey.
A Look Back in Time: The Traverse Gap
The area between Lake Traverse and Big Stone Lake is known as the Traverse Gap. This special valley was carved out a very long time ago, at the end of the last ice age. A huge ancient river, called Glacial River Warren, flowed through here. This giant river was draining a massive prehistoric lake called Lake Agassiz. Today, the flat land where Lake Agassiz used to be is known as the Red River Valley.
River Flow
Near the town of Peever, South Dakota, the Little Minnesota River usually carries about 63 cubic feet of water every second. That's like 63 boxes, each a foot long on all sides, flowing past you every second!
