Whetstone River

The Whetstone River is a 12.7-mile-long (20.4 km)[1] tributary of the Minnesota River, in northeastern South Dakota and a very small portion of western Minnesota in the United States. Via the Minnesota River, it is part of the watershed of the Mississippi River.

Whetstone River
Map of the Minnesota River watershed with the Whetstone River highlighted (including the North and South forks)
Location
CountryUnited States
StateMinnesota
Physical characteristics
Sourceconfluence of its North and South forks
 • locationnortheast of Milbank, South Dakota
MouthMinnesota River
 • location
Ortonville, Minnesota
 • coordinates
45.2972°N 96.4500°W / 45.2972; -96.4500
Length12.7 km (7.9 mi)
Basin features
Tributaries 
 • left(upstream)
 • right(upstream)
The Whetstone River near Big Stone City in Grant County, South Dakota

Course

The Whetstone is formed by the confluence of its North and South forks 4 miles (6 km) northeast of Milbank, South Dakota and flows generally eastward across the Coteau des Prairies in northern Grant County, past Big Stone City. It enters the Minnesota River at Ortonville, Minnesota, about 0.25 mi (0.4 km) after crossing the state line and just downstream of the Minnesota's emergence from Big Stone Lake.

At Big Stone City, the river has a mean annual discharge of 69 cubic feet per second.[2]

Upstream of Big Stone City, the river collects two tributaries, the North Fork Whetstone River and the South Fork Whetstone River, each of which rises on the Coteau. The North Fork flows southeastward from Roberts County and passes near the town of Wilmot. The South Fork flows westward in Grant County and passes the town of Milbank.

See also

References
  1. U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline data. The National Map, accessed October 5, 2012
  • Columbia Gazetteer of North America entry
  • DeLorme (1994). Minnesota Atlas & Gazetteer. Yarmouth, Maine: DeLorme. ISBN 0-89933-222-6.
  • DeLorme (2001). South Dakota Atlas & Gazetteer. Yarmouth, Maine: DeLorme. ISBN 0-89933-330-3.
  • Geographic Names Information System entries for U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Whetstone River, U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: North Fork Whetstone River, U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: South Fork Whetstone River, retrieved 6 February 2006


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