The Winnebago 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 stream of fresh water that flows on land or inside Subterranean river, caves towards another body of water at a lower elevation, such as an ocean, lake, or another river. A river may run dry before reaching the end of ...

in northern

Iowa Iowa ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the upper Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders the Mississippi River to the east and the Missouri River and Big Sioux River to the west; Wisconsin to the northeast, Ill ...

. It is a tributary of the Shell Rock River, part of the Cedar River watershed that flows via 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 i ...

to the

Mississippi River The Mississippi River is the main stem, primary river of the largest drainage basin in the United States. It is the second-longest river in the United States, behind only the Missouri River, Missouri. From its traditional source of Lake Ita ...

. The Winnebago River rises in

Winnebago County, Iowa Winnebago County is a county in the U.S. state of Iowa. As of the 2020 census, the population was 10,679. The county seat is Forest City. The county was founded in 1847 and named after the Native American tribe. It is the location of the mot ...

, north of Leland and flows south through Forest City, then east and southeast through Mason City on its way to the Shell Rock River at Rockford. Headwater tributaries of the Winnebago River extend north into southern

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 ...

. The Winnebago River measures approximately 330 cubic feet per second at Mason City. The river was alternately known as Lime Creek, but upon the fame of

Meredith Willson Robert Reiniger Meredith Willson (May 18, 1902 – June 15, 1984) was an American flautist, composer, conductor, musical arranger, bandleader, playwright, and writer. He is perhaps best known for writing the book, music, and lyrics for the 1 ...

's ''

The Music Man ''The Music Man'' is a musical theatre, musical with book, music, and lyrics by Meredith Willson, based on a story by Willson and Franklin Lacey. The plot concerns a confidence trick, con man Harold Hill, who poses as a boys' band organizer and ...

'', which has a mythical River City widely known to be based on his native Mason City, the locals felt compelled to promote their creek to a river. The U.S. Board on Geographic Names made "Winnebago River" the official name in a 1961 decision. It also runs through

Mason City, Iowa Mason City is a city and the county seat of Cerro Gordo County, Iowa, Cerro Gordo County, Iowa, United States. The population was 27,338 in the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. Mason City is known for its musical heritage, a significant ...

. In 2008, the Winnebago River was subjected to flood waters reaching 18.74 feet.National Weather Service Advanced Hydrologic Prediction Service
/ref> This was the highest flood water stage in recorded history for the Winnebago River. The peak of 18.74 feet was reached on June 8, 2008. The flooding was part in due to severe rainfall in the river's basin between May 29 and June 12 of that year. Iowa had a state average of 9.03 inches during those fourteen days.USGS Floods of May 30 to June 15, 2008, in the Iowa River and Cedar River Basins, Eastern Iow

/ref> The normal statewide average for that time is 2.45 inches. According to the USGS report, 77 homes were damaged in Cerro Gordo county, where the Winnebago River runs through Mason City and flows into the Shell Rock River. The damages from the flood in Cerro Gordo county reached an estimated $3 million, while the total damage along the Cedar River and Iowa River basin reached over $495 million. The hardest hit counties were Linn and Johnson counties.

References

{{authority control Rivers of Iowa Rivers of Winnebago County, Iowa Rivers of Cerro Gordo County, Iowa Rivers of Floyd County, Iowa

See also

References