The Cedar River is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline data
The National Map
, accessed May 13, 2011

river A river is a natural flowing watercourse, usually freshwater, flowing towards an ocean, sea, lake or another river. In some cases, a river flows into the ground and becomes dry at the end of its course without reaching another body of w ...

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 to ...

and

Iowa Iowa () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States, bordered by the Mississippi River to the east and the Missouri River and Big Sioux River to the west. It is bordered by six states: Wisconsin to the northeast, Illinois to th ...

. It is a tributary of the

Iowa River The Iowa River is a tributary of the Mississippi River in the state of Iowa in the United States. It is about longU.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map , accessed May 13, 2011 and ...

, which flows to the

Mississippi River The Mississippi River is the second-longest river and chief river of the second-largest drainage system in North America, second only to the Hudson Bay drainage system. From its traditional source of Lake Itasca in northern Minnesota, it fl ...

. The Cedar River takes its name from the red cedar (''Juniperus virginiana'') trees growing there, and was originally called the Red Cedar River by the

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 ...

. The first Mississippi steamboat reached Cedar Rapids, Iowa in 1844, and during the next decade, the Red Cedar (as it was still called) was an important commercial waterway. The surrounding region is known officially as the Cedar River Valley, though it is more commonly referred to simply as the Cedar Valley. The stream is young geologically, and only in places where the glacial material has been removed is the underlying bedrock exposed.

Geography

The

headwaters The headwaters of a river or stream is the farthest place in that river or stream from its estuary or downstream confluence with another river, as measured along the course of the river. It is also known as a river's source. Definition The ...

of the Cedar River are located in

Dodge County, Minnesota Dodge County is a county in the U.S. state of Minnesota. The population was 20,867 as of the 2020 census. Its county seat is Mantorville. Dodge County is part of the Rochester, MN Metropolitan Statistical Area. History The area of presen ...

, consisting of a west fork and middle fork approximately three miles northeast of the town of Blooming Prairie, and an east fork approximately one mile south of the town of Hayfield. It then flows into Mower County, Minnesota through the

townships A township is a kind of human settlement or administrative subdivision, with its meaning varying in different countries. Although the term is occasionally associated with an urban area, that tends to be an exception to the rule. In Australia, C ...

of Udolpho,

Lansing Lansing () is the capital of the U.S. state of Michigan. It is mostly in Ingham County, although portions of the city extend west into Eaton County and north into Clinton County. The 2020 census placed the city's population at 112,644, makin ...

, Austin (where Turtle Creek and Dobbins Creek join it), and Lyle. It then flows into

Mitchell County, Iowa Mitchell County is a county located in the U.S. state of Iowa. As of the 2020 census, the population was 10,565. The county seat is Osage. It is not clear whom the county is named after: the county website mentions John Mitchell, an early surv ...

and

Floyd County, Iowa Floyd County is a county located in the U.S. state of Iowa. As of the 2020 census, the population was 15,627. The county seat is Charles City. History Floyd County was established in 1854 and was named for Sergeant Charles Floyd of the Lewis ...

with the endpoint being located in

Louisa County, Iowa Louisa County ( ) is a county located in the U.S. state of Iowa. As of the 2020 census, the population was 10,837. The county seat is Wapello. Louisa County is part of the Muscatine Micropolitan Statistical Area. History Louisa County was ...

at the town of Columbus Junction, where it joins with the

which then winds its way to the

. Despite being a tributary of the Iowa River, it appears larger than the Iowa River at their confluence point.

Palisades-Kepler State Park Palisades-Kepler State Park is a state park in Linn County, Iowa, United States, near the city of Mount Vernon. The park is located in a forested area on the bank of the Cedar River marked by bluffs and ravines. While the state created the park ...

is located on the Cedar River near Cedar Rapids. At

Conesville, Iowa Conesville is a city in Muscatine County, Iowa, United States. The population was 352 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Muscatine Micropolitan Statistical Area. History Conesville was once a depot on the Burlington, Cedar Rapids and Northe ...

, the Cedar River is approximately 5,798 cubic feet per second.

Cedar County, Iowa Cedar County is a county located in the U.S. state of Iowa. As of the 2020 census, the population was 18,505. Its county seat is Tipton. The county is named for the Cedar River, which runs through the county. Cedar County is located between t ...

is named for the river. Major cities (with populations greater than 20,000) located along the Cedar River include

Austin, Minnesota Austin is a city in, and the county seat of, Mower County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 26,174 at the 2020 census. The town was originally settled along the Cedar River and has two artificial lakes, East Side Lake and Mill Po ...

Cedar Falls, Iowa Cedar Falls is a city in Black Hawk County, Iowa, United States. As of the 2020 census, the city population was 40,713. It is home to the University of Northern Iowa, a public university. History Cedar Falls was first settled in March 1845 b ...

Waterloo, Iowa Waterloo is a city in and the county seat of Black Hawk County, Iowa, United States. As of the 2020 United States Census the population was 67,314, making it the eighth-largest city in the state. The city is part of the Waterloo – Cedar Falls ...

, and Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

Flooding

1993

In 1993, the river flooded some areas of downtown Cedar Rapids. The river crested at 19.83 feet. This was the worst flood in Iowa's recorded history, before the Cedar River flooded again in 2008.

2008

In 2008, flooding of the river caused the evacuation of around 20,000 of Cedar Rapids' residents and flooded over 1,200 blocks of the city."Mandatory evacuations in Cedar Rapids flood"
''Chicago Tribune'', June 12, 2008
/ref> Upriver, the Waterloo-Cedar Falls metropolitan area was less affected, thanks mainly to the large dikes that protect the downtowns of both cities. To the north, the flooding Cedar River collapsed Charles City's landmark suspension bridge, as well as destroying many homes and community parks.

2013

References

External links

John Page: Cedar River SeriesCedar River Environmental Group
{{authority control Rivers of Iowa Rivers of Minnesota Rivers of Dodge County, Minnesota Rivers of Mower County, Minnesota Rivers of Mitchell County, Iowa Rivers of Floyd County, Iowa Rivers of Louisa County, Iowa Rivers of Linn County, Iowa Rivers of Black Hawk County, Iowa Geography of Cedar Rapids, Iowa Tributaries of the Mississippi River