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MINNESOTA RIVER

River Levels • Streamflow • Hydrology

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Total streamflow across the Minnesota River was last observed at 6,984 cfs, and is expected to yield approximately 13,853 acre-ft of water today; about 48% of normal. River levels are low and may signify a drought. Average streamflow for this time of year is 14,640 cfs, with recent peaks last observed on 2014-06-24 when daily discharge volume was observed at 261,350 cfs.

Maximum discharge along the river is currently at the Minnesota River At Fort Snelling State Park reporting a streamflow rate of 6,620 cfs. However, the streamgauge with the highest stage along the river is the Minnesota River At New Ulm with a gauge stage of 787.06 ft. This river is monitored from 8 different streamgauging stations along the Minnesota River, the highest being situated at an altitude of 972 ft, the Minnesota River At Ortonville.

The Minnesota River is 335 miles long and flows from its source near Big Stone Lake in western Minnesota to its confluence with the Mississippi River near Fort Snelling, Minnesota. The river played a significant role in the state's history and was once a major transportation route for Native American tribes, fur traders, and early settlers. The river's hydrology has been greatly impacted by the construction of dams and reservoirs, including the Lac qui Parle Dam, Upper and Lower Sioux Agency State Parks, and the Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge. The river is also used for irrigation and provides water for agricultural practices in the surrounding region. Recreational activities along the river include fishing, boating, and hiking in the numerous state parks and wildlife refuges.

November 21, 2024

Last Updated	2024-11-20
Discharge Volume	13,853 ACRE-FT
Streamflow	6,984.0 cfs +2135.0 cfs (+44.03%)
Percent of Normal	47.7%
Maximum	261,350.0 cfs 2014-06-24
Seasonal Avg	14,640 cfs

History of the River

The Minnesota River (Dakota: Mnisóta Wakpá) is a tributary of the Mississippi River, approximately 332 miles (534 km) long, in the U.S. state of Minnesota. It drains a watershed of nearly 17,000 square miles (44,000 km2), 14,751 square miles (38,200 km2) in Minnesota and about 2,000 sq mi (5,200 km2) in South Dakota and Iowa.
It rises in southwestern Minnesota, in Big Stone Lake on the Minnesota–South Dakota border just south of the Laurentian Divide at the Traverse Gap portage. It flows southeast to Mankato, then turns northeast. It joins the Mississippi south of the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul, near the historic Fort Snelling. The valley is one of several distinct regions of Minnesota. The name Minnesota comes from the Dakota language phrase, "Mnisota Makoce" which is translated to "land where the waters reflect the sky", as a reference to the many lakes in Minnesota rather than the cloudiness of the actual river. For over a century prior to the organization of the Minnesota Territory in 1849, the name St. Pierre (St. Peter) had been generally applied to the river by French and English explorers and writers. Minnesota River is shown on the 1757 edition of Mitchell Map as "Ouadebameniſsouté [Watpá Mnísota] or R. St. Peter". On June 19, 1852, acting upon a request from the Minnesota territorial legislature, the United States Congress decreed the aboriginal name for the river, Minnesota, to be the river’s official name and ordered all agencies of the federal government to use that name when referencing it.The valley that the Minnesota River flows in is up to five miles (8 km) wide and 250 feet (80 m) deep. It was carved into the landscape by the massive glacial River Warren between 11,700 and 9,400 years ago at the end of the last ice age in North America. Pierre-Charles Le Sueur was the first European known to have traveled along the river. The Minnesota Territory, and later the state, were named for the river.