Winnebago River facts for kids
The Winnebago River is a cool waterway, about 72 miles (116 kilometers) long, located in northern Iowa. It's like a smaller stream that flows into a bigger one called the Shell Rock River. The Shell Rock River then joins the Cedar River, and all that water eventually makes its way to the Iowa River and then the mighty Mississippi River!
The Winnebago River starts in Winnebago County, Iowa, near a town called Leland. From there, it flows south through Forest City, then turns east and southeast, passing through Mason City. Finally, it meets the Shell Rock River near Rockford. Some of the small streams that feed the Winnebago River even start up north in southern Minnesota.
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What's in a Name?
For a long time, the Winnebago River was actually known by a different name: Lime Creek. But things changed because of a famous musical!
From Creek to River
A very well-known musical called The Music Man was created by Meredith Willson, who grew up in Mason City. The story in the musical takes place in a made-up "River City," which many people believe was inspired by Mason City. Because of the musical's popularity, the people living there felt that their "creek" should really be called a "river."
So, in 1961, a group called the United States Board on Geographic Names officially decided to change the name from Lime Creek to the Winnebago River. And that's how it got its current name!
River Flow and Water Levels
Rivers are always moving, and we can measure how much water flows through them.
How Much Water Flows?
Near Mason City, the Winnebago River usually carries about 330 cubic feet of water every second. Imagine a box that's 3 feet long, 3 feet wide, and 3 feet tall – that's about 27 cubic feet. So, 330 cubic feet per second is a lot of water moving by!
The Big Flood of 2008
In 2008, the Winnebago River experienced a huge flood. The water level reached 18.74 feet, which was the highest it had ever been in recorded history! This peak happened on June 8, 2008.
The main reason for this big flood was a lot of rain. Between May 29 and June 12 of that year, the area around the river received a massive amount of rainfall. Iowa, on average, got about 9.03 inches of rain during those two weeks. Normally, the state only gets about 2.45 inches during that same time!
The flood caused a lot of damage. In Cerro Gordo County, where Mason City is located, about 77 homes were damaged. The total cost of the damage in Cerro Gordo County was estimated to be around $3 million. Across the larger Cedar River and Iowa River areas, the total damage from the floods was over $495 million. The counties hit hardest were Linn and Johnson counties.
