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The Sauk River is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline data
The National Map
accessed November 29, 2012
tributary of the
Mississippi River The Mississippi River is the List of longest rivers of the United States (by main stem), second-longest river and chief river of the second-largest Drainage system (geomorphology), drainage system in North America, second only to the Hudson B ...
in central
Minnesota Minnesota () is a state in the upper midwestern region of the United States. It is the 12th largest U.S. state in area and the 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. Minnesota is home to western prairies, now given over t ...
in the
United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country Continental United States, primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., ...
. It drains small lakes in
Stearns County Stearns County is a county in the U.S. state of Minnesota. As of the 2020 census, the population was 158,292. Its county seat and largest city is St. Cloud. The county was founded in 1855. It was originally named for Isaac Ingalls Stevens, ...
. In the
Ojibwe language Ojibwe , also known as Ojibwa , Ojibway, Otchipwe,R. R. Bishop Baraga, 1878''A Theoretical and Practical Grammar of the Otchipwe Language''/ref> Ojibwemowin, or Anishinaabemowin, is an indigenous language of North America of the Algonquian la ...
it is called ''Ozaagi-ziibi'', meaning "River of the Sauks". It issues from
Lake Osakis Lake Osakis is a lake in Todd and Douglas counties in west-central Minnesota. The town of Osakis is situated on the southwest shore of the lake. Name The lake received its English name by translation from the Ojibwe ''Ozaagi-zaaga'igan'', mean ...
on the Todd County line and flows east through Guernsey Lake, Little Sauk Lake and Juergens Lake, then south through Sauk Lake and past Sauk Centre, southeast past
Melrose Melrose may refer to: Places United Kingdom * Melrose, Scottish Borders, a town in the Scottish Borders, Scotland ** Melrose Abbey, ruined monastery ** Melrose RFC, rugby club Australia * Melrose, Queensland, a locality in the South Burnett R ...
and
Richmond Richmond most often refers to: * Richmond, Virginia, the capital of Virginia, United States * Richmond, London, a part of London * Richmond, North Yorkshire, a town in England * Richmond, British Columbia, a city in Canada * Richmond, Californi ...
, then northeast through Cedar Island Lake and Zumwalde Lake, past Cold Spring and
Waite Park Waite Park is a city in Stearns County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 8,341 at the 2020 census. It is part of the St. Cloud Metropolitan Statistical Area. History Waite Park was incorporated in 1893. The city was named for He ...
to the Mississippi River north of St. Cloud. At St. Cloud, MN, the river has a mean annual discharge of 342 cubic feet per second. The rapids that occur south of the river's mouth on the Mississippi River lent their name to the nearby city of
Sauk Rapids Sauk Rapids is a city in Benton County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 13,862 at the 2020 census and is 13,896 according to 2021 census estimates, about a third of Benton County's population. It is on a set of rapids on the Mis ...
.


History

In 1847, the
Mississippi Chippewa Mississippi River Band of Chippewa Indians ( oj, Gichi-ziibiwininiwag) or simply the Mississippi Chippewa, are a historical Ojibwa Band inhabiting the headwaters of the Mississippi River and its tributaries in present-day Minnesota. According to th ...
ceded their lands about the Sauk River to the
United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country Continental United States, primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., ...
for the purpose of establishing a homeland for the Winnebagoes, who at the time were being removed out of
Wisconsin Wisconsin () is a state in the upper Midwestern United States. Wisconsin is the 25th-largest state by total area and the 20th-most populous. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake M ...
. However, due to continued skirmishes between the
Ojibwe The Ojibwe, Ojibwa, Chippewa, or Saulteaux are an Anishinaabe people in what is currently southern Canada, the northern Midwestern United States, and Northern Plains. According to the U.S. census, in the United States Ojibwe people are one of ...
(Chippewa) and the Dakota, the Winnebagoes were placed in constant danger. By their request, the United States relocated the Winnebagoes to south-central Minnesota, then to
South Dakota South Dakota (; Sioux: , ) is a U.S. state in the North Central region of the United States. It is also part of the Great Plains. South Dakota is named after the Lakota and Dakota Sioux Native American tribes, who comprise a large po ...
and finally
Nebraska Nebraska () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. It is bordered by South Dakota to the north; Iowa to the east and Missouri to the southeast, both across the Missouri River; Kansas to the south; Colorado to the sout ...
. Some of the Winnebagoes, however, returned to Wisconsin despite their removal. The river is named after the Sauk tribe, also called the Sac or
Meskwaki The Meskwaki (sometimes spelled Mesquaki), also known by the European exonyms Fox Indians or the Fox, are a Native American people. They have been closely linked to the Sauk people of the same language family. In the Meskwaki language, th ...
, some of whom had come to the area (mostly settled by Sioux or Chippewa) after the
Black Hawk War The Black Hawk War was a conflict between the United States and Native Americans led by Black Hawk, a Sauk leader. The war erupted after Black Hawk and a group of Sauks, Meskwakis (Fox), and Kickapoos, known as the "British Band", cross ...
; this tribe now has concentrations in Iowa, Kansas, and Oklahoma. The wars between the Sioux and the Chippewa, spurred on by the French fur traders who often sided with the Chippewa, resulted in the establishment of a common hunting grounds to divert conflict between the tribes. This somewhat unsuccessful "neutral" area was bordered by the Crow River on the south and the Sauk on the north. Early interventions by the white man marked the ensuing decline of Indian populations in this area. The fur traders were the first Europeans into this area, representatives of both the
Hudson's Bay Company The Hudson's Bay Company (HBC; french: Compagnie de la Baie d'Hudson) is a Canadian retail business group. A fur trading business for much of its existence, HBC now owns and operates retail stores in Canada. The company's namesake business di ...
and French interests, pursuing the fur trade as early as the late 18th century. Abundant
beaver Beavers are large, semiaquatic rodents in the genus ''Castor'' native to the temperate Northern Hemisphere. There are two extant species: the North American beaver (''Castor canadensis'') and the Eurasian beaver (''C. fiber''). Beavers a ...
and other fur types were paramount to these fur traders. The development of the
Red River Valley The Red River Valley is a region in central North America that is drained by the Red River of the North; it is part of both Canada and the United States. Forming the border between Minnesota and North Dakota when these territories were admitted ...
and points in between
Minneapolis Minneapolis () is the largest city in Minnesota, United States, and the county seat of Hennepin County. The city is abundant in water, with thirteen lakes, wetlands, the Mississippi River, creeks and waterfalls. Minneapolis has its origin ...
St. Paul Paul; grc, Παῦλος, translit=Paulos; cop, ⲡⲁⲩⲗⲟⲥ; hbo, פאולוס השליח (previously called Saul of Tarsus;; ar, بولس الطرسوسي; grc, Σαῦλος Ταρσεύς, Saũlos Tarseús; tr, Tarsuslu Pavlus; ...
and
Winnipeg Winnipeg () is the capital and largest city of the province of Manitoba in Canada. It is centred on the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine rivers, near the longitudinal centre of North America. , Winnipeg had a city population of 749 ...
provided the first push for settlement in the area. By the late 1850s numerous settlements started to develop along the Sauk River and adjacent areas. The Red River Trails required various fording points across the river, and some of these sites are still visible today upon close inspection. Waite's Crossing near the Knights of Columbus Park in St. Cloud is marked by a commemorative stone explaining the existence of an important crossing at this point. As increased settlement took place, fur trading took a backseat to agriculture and the logging industry that were becoming more important for the region. Logging of the hardwood forests soon became a vital interest, and the Sauk River provided a corridor for the passage of wood from western and central Stearns County to the rapidly developing St Cloud area. The
granite Granite () is a coarse-grained ( phaneritic) intrusive igneous rock composed mostly of quartz, alkali feldspar, and plagioclase. It forms from magma with a high content of silica and alkali metal oxides that slowly cools and solidifies un ...
industry likewise flourished with this growth, and the numerous granite outcrops along the river as well as many other sites in the county were obvious targets for exploitation of this resource. Prominent evidences of this industry still exist today along the Sauk as well as in the "Granite City" of St. Cloud. Throughout this time, the development of a substantial agricultural economy provided for the development of mills along the Sauk. The river provided another resource to the area in this manner. With the advancement of railroads to the area, the small mills along the river declined in usefulness; however, evidence of these sites exist today along the river, with a large mill still operating where the Sauk enters the Mississippi.


Water characteristics

The Sauk enters the Mississippi River on the north end of St. Cloud, just above the Sauk Rapids of the Mississippi. Numerous waterfowl can be seen in state-managed wildlife areas as the river winds along this section. The river then begins to broaden its banks and deepen its valleys as its course continues. Midway along its path, near Richmond, the river forms a "Chain of Lakes" where more than 80 miles of continuous shoreline are encountered over a river length of less than 8 miles. As the river continues, a variety of granite outcrops and small hills provide a scenic landscape along the shores. Near St Cloud, the river gradient increases and a series of rapids occur until the river joins with the Mississippi.


Vegetation

A variety of plant life is found along the Sauk River, ranging from naturally restored prairie grasslands to thick hardwood forests. The river starts in flat swamp vegetation with flora common to most Minnesota wetlands. Prairie-type grasses and flowers are then encountered on the banks and fields above the river. Near the Spring Hill County Park, a naturally restored prairie field is preserved. Oaks, elms, silver maples and willows are the most common trees through most of the valley. One of the most interesting sights along the Sauk is an elevated tamarack bog on the north bank of the river near Rockville, providing beautiful golden scenery in the fall.


Wildlife

Abundant waterfowl are found in and around two state managed wildlife areas south of Sauk Centre. The marshy swampland that borders the river is prime habitat for a variety of waterfowl. Early in the morning, it is possible to see deer feeding along the river in some wooded areas. Gray fox, red squirrels, and chipmunks are common in the wooded sections, along with an occasional woodchuck, muskrat, or beaver. There have been sightings of such less common animals as otter and mink. A variety of birdlife in the Sauk Valley makes for very interesting bird watching. The forests and grasslands are home to most of the birds native to central Minnesota. Cardinals, woodpeckers and many songbirds are common. Grouse, pheasant and partridge are some of the more popular gamebirds found near the Sauk. Birds of prey such as various hawks, owls and an occasional bald eagle can also be seen when canoeing the river. Along most of the river it is common to see great blue herons.


Fish

Because of the shallow depth of the river and the somewhat poor water quality, game fish are not abundant in the Sauk River.
Redhorse ''Moxostoma'', the redhorses or jumprocks, is a genus of North American ray-finned fish in the family Catostomidae. Species * '' Moxostoma albidum'' ( Girard, 1856) (Longlip jumprock) * ''Moxostoma anisurum'' ( Rafinesque, 1820) (Silver redho ...
and sucker are found in most parts of the river. However, in the "Chain of Lakes" area, fishing is very popular with a variety of fish being caught.
Panfish The word panfish, also spelled pan-fish or pan fish, is an American English term describing any edible freshwater fish that usually do not outgrow the size of an average frying pan. It is also commonly used by recreational anglers to refer to a ...
,
walleye The walleye (''Sander vitreus'', synonym ''Stizostedion vitreum''), also called the yellow pike or yellow pickerel, is a freshwater perciform fish native to most of Canada and to the Northern United States. It is a North American close relat ...
and northern are the most common to anglers in this area. Walleye and northern can also be found where the river enters the Mississippi. The world record
Greater redhorse The greater redhorse (''Moxostoma valenciennesi'') is a species of freshwater fish found in northeastern North America. It is the largest member of the genus ''Moxostoma'', with a maximum length of 80 cm (31.5 in). Distribution and ha ...
was caught in the Sauk in 2005.


Expeditions

In June, 2011 Todd Foster and Scott Miller paddled the entire length of the Sauk River. The trip was made to chronicle fences along the river, as well as to highlight the Friends of the Sauk River canoe library, and to promote getting outside and paddling the river. Their trip was chronicled at http://paddlethesauk.weebly.com


See also

*
List of rivers of Minnesota Minnesota has 6,564 natural rivers and streams that cumulatively flow for . The Mississippi River begins its journey from its headwaters at Lake Itasca and crosses the Iowa border downstream. It is joined by the Minnesota River at Fort Snelling ...


References


Friends of the Sauk RiverA Water Trail Guide to the Sauk River
{{authority control Rivers of Minnesota Tributaries of the Mississippi River Rivers of Stearns County, Minnesota Rivers of Todd County, Minnesota