The Middle River is a
tributary
A tributary, or an ''affluent'', is a stream or river that flows into a larger stream (''main stem'' or ''"parent"''), river, or a lake. A tributary does not flow directly into a sea or ocean. Tributaries, and the main stem river into which they ...
of the
Snake River
The Snake River is a major river in the interior Pacific Northwest region of the United States. About long, it is the largest tributary of the Columbia River, which is the largest North American river that empties into the Pacific Ocean. Begin ...
in northwestern
Minnesota
Minnesota ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Upper Midwestern region of the United States. It is bordered by the Canadian provinces of Manitoba and Ontario to the north and east and by the U.S. states of Wisconsin to the east, Iowa to the so ...
in the
United States
The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
. It flows for its entire length in
Marshall County.
Middle River was so named from its location at the midpoint of the
Pembina Trail.
Course
The Middle River is long
[U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline data]
The National Map
, accessed June 8, 2011 and drains an area of . It rises near the town of
Middle River and flows generally westwardly past the towns of
Newfolden and
Argyle. At
Old Mill State Park the river crosses an old beach of glacial
Lake Agassiz
Lake Agassiz ( ) was a large proglacial lake that existed in central North America during the late Pleistocene, fed by meltwater from the retreating Laurentide Ice Sheet at the end of the last glacial period. At its peak, the lake's area wa ...
. Much of the Middle River's lower course through 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 ...
has been straightened and
channelized; for approximately its final , the Middle has been routed to flow due west in a straight line. It joins the Snake River not far upstream of that river's confluence with the
Red River of the North
The Red River (), also called the Red River of the North () to differentiate it from the Red River of the South, Red River in the south of the continent, is a river in the north-central United States and central Canada. Originating at the confl ...
.
See also
*
List of Minnesota rivers
*
List of longest streams of Minnesota
References
External links
Old Mill State Park website
Rivers of Minnesota
Rivers of Marshall County, Minnesota
Tributaries of Hudson Bay
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