YELLOW MEDICINE RIVER

RIVER LEVELS
January 5, 2025
44.61, -96.03


TOTAL RIVER DISCHARGE

Maximum discharge along the river is currently at the reporting a streamflow rate of cfs. This is also the highest stage along the Yellow Medicine River, with a gauge stage of ft at this location. This river is monitored from 1 different streamgauging stations along the Yellow Medicine River, the highest being situated at an altitude of ft, the .

The Yellow Medicine River is a tributary of the Minnesota River that flows through southwestern Minnesota. The river is approximately 90 miles long and has a watershed area of 1,050 square miles. The river's name is derived from the Dakota word for the plant goldenrod, which is common along its banks. The river has a unique history, as it was once an important transportation route for Native American tribes and early settlers. Today, the river is used for agricultural purposes, with over 80% of the land in the watershed being used for farming. There are several dams and reservoirs along the Yellow Medicine River, including the Granite Falls Dam and Reservoir, which is used for hydroelectric power generation and recreation. The river is popular for fishing, kayaking, and canoeing, and offers scenic views of the surrounding prairie landscape.

YEAR OVER YEAR DISCHARGE (CFS)

Streamflow Conditions
Streamgauge Streamflow Gauge Stage 24hr Change (%) % Normal Minimum (cfs) Maximum (cfs) Air Temp Elevation
Yellow Medicine River Near Granite Falls
USGS 05313500
34 cfs 2.84 ft -15.72
History of the River

The Yellow Medicine River is a tributary of the Minnesota River, 107 miles (173 km) long, in southwestern Minnesota in the United States. Via the Minnesota River, it is part of the watershed of the Mississippi River, draining an area of 665 square miles (1,722 km²) in an agricultural region. Its name is a translation of the Dakota name for the river, pajutazee, ("huta" meaning "root," "zi" meaning "yellow," and "kapi" meaning "they dig"), The Yellow Medicine River issues from Lake Shaokatan in Shaokatan Township in western Lincoln County, approximately six miles (10 km) southwest of Ivanhoe, on the Coteau des Prairies, a morainic plateau dividing the Mississippi and Missouri River watersheds. It flows initially northeastwardly as an intermittent stream, past Ivanhoe. The stream flows off the Coteau in northeastern Lincoln County, dropping 250 feet (75 m) in five miles (8 km), and turns east-northeastwardly, following a generally treeless course on till plains through northern Lyon County and eastern Yellow Medicine County, past Hanley Falls. It flows into the Minnesota River in Upper Sioux Agency State Park in Sioux Agency Township, approximately eight miles (13 km) southeast of Granite Falls, after dropping 85 feet (30 m) in its final ten miles (15 km) in the Minnesota River valley.The Yellow Medicine River's largest tributaries are the North Branch Yellow Medicine River and the South Branch Yellow Medicine River, both of which flow for most of their lengths on the Coteau. The North Branch, 41 miles (66 km) long, flows northeastwardly through northern Lincoln County, briefly entering Yellow Medicine County and passing through Porter. The South Branch, 62 miles (99 km) long, flows northeastwardly through Lincoln County into northwestern Lyon County, past Minneota. Other tributaries of the Yellow Medicine include Spring Creek, 46 miles (74 km) long, which flows eastwardly through Yellow Medicine County; and Mud Creek, 31 miles (50 km) long, which flows eastwardly through western Yellow Medicine County into northwestern Lyon County.The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency statistically combines the watershed of the Yellow Medicine River with that of Hawk Creek on the opposite bank of the Minnesota River, as well as small watersheds of nearby Minnesota River tributaries. According to the agency, 81% of the land in the Yellow Medicine-Hawk Creek watersheds is used for agriculture, with corn and soybeans being the predominant crops.Species of fish in the Yellow Medicine River include catfish, carp, northern pike, walleye, and bullhead.

       

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