The Embarrass River is a
[U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline data]
The National Map
, accessed May 7, 2012 tributary of the
Saint Louis River in northern
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 List of U.S. states and territories by population, 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. Minne ...
, United States. It rises just west of the city of
Babbitt and flows southwest, turning briefly south to thread a gap between the Embarrass Mountains to the east and the
Mesabi Range
The Mesabi Iron Range is a mining district in northeastern Minnesota following an elongate trend containing large deposits of iron ore. It is the largest of four major iron ranges in the region collectively known as the Iron Range of Minnesot ...
to the west. The river flows into the Saint Louis River southeast of
Eveleth. During the fur-trading days and the era of exploration, the river was part of a historic trade route from Lower Canada via
Lake Superior
Lake Superior in central North America is the largest freshwater lake in the world by surface areaThe Caspian Sea is the largest lake, but is saline, not freshwater. and the third-largest by volume, holding 10% of the world's surface fresh w ...
, across the Height of Land, and down the Rainy River to Lake Winnipeg to the ''pays d'en haut''—the fur-bearing regions of the Canadian northwest.
The river was so named on account of the many obstacles in the rivers to canoeists.
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 Snellin ...
*
List of longest streams of Minnesota
References
Minnesota Watersheds*USGS Hydrologic Unit Map - State of Minnesota (1974)
Rivers of Minnesota
Tributaries of Lake Superior
Rivers of St. Louis County, Minnesota
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