Middle River (Minnesota) facts for kids
The Middle River is a cool river in northwestern Minnesota, United States. It's like a smaller helper river, called a tributary, that flows into the Snake River. The Middle River stays entirely within Marshall County as it makes its journey.
This river got its name, "Middle River," because it was right in the middle of an important old path called the Pembina Trail. Imagine it as a halfway point for travelers long ago!
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The River's Journey
The Middle River is about 96 miles (154 kilometers) long. It gathers water from an area of 324 square miles (839 square kilometers). That's a lot of land!
Where the River Starts
The river begins its journey near the town also named Middle River. From there, it generally flows towards the west. It passes by other towns like Newfolden and Argyle.
Crossing Ancient Lands
As the Middle River flows, it crosses some really old land. At Old Mill State Park, the river goes over what used to be a beach! This beach was part of a giant ancient lake called Lake Agassiz. This huge lake existed during the Ice Age, thousands of years ago.
A Straight Path to the Snake River
A big part of the Middle River's path, especially through the Red River Valley, has been made straight by people. This is called "channelization." It means engineers have changed the river's natural curves to make it flow in a straight line. For its last 10 miles (16 kilometers), the Middle River flows perfectly straight west.
Finally, the Middle River meets the Snake River. This meeting point is not far from where the Snake River itself joins the even bigger Red River of the North.
