Kettle River (Minnesota)
The Kettle is an 83.6-mile-long (134.5 km)tributary of the St. Croix River in eastern Minnesota in the United States. Via the St. Croix River, it is part of the watershed of the Mississippi River. The river's English name is due to the large number of large rounded holes (kettles) in the sandstone in and around the river, carved out by the swirling waters of the river. The river's Dakota name Céġa watpa entered into English via the Anishinaabe people's Akiko-ziibi, both meaning "Kettle River".
Throughout the course of the river, the waters of the Kettle have an amber tint. This tint comes from tannins (leaf colorings) from wetlands which drain into the river, rather than manmade causes.
The Kettle's flow changes fairly quickly with rainfall in the area of drainage, which is about 1,060 square miles (2,750 km2). It is not uncommon for the river to be reduced to a trickle during dry summer spells, and rise to a whitewater torrent after a few days of rain. Normal water flows vary seasonally from 200 to over 6000 ft³/sec (0.09 to 2.8 m³/s). Check the USGS Water Gauge for current flows before you go.
Very deep sections of the river exist, with some pools reaching over 100 feet (30 m) in depth. The astounding depth of the river and general good water quality support a population of the ancient sturgeon. The record largest fish ever caught in the state of Minnesota was a 70-inch (1.8 m), 94 pound 4 oz (42.8 kg) sturgeon caught in the Kettle River in 1994.
The upper section of the river (above Banning State Park) is generally quick moving with frequent riffles and a few class I rapids. This section of the river is runnable when water levels are moderate to high (900 ft³/sec).
As the river flows to Banning State Park, its character quickly changes as the river drops through a series of rapids ranging from class I to class IV. These rapids are easily runnable in an open canoe when water levels are low to moderate (600 to 900 ft³/sec), but can become dangerous to even experienced whitewater kayakers and rafters during very high water (4,500 ft³/sec). The steep rocky sides to the river, and undercut banks and kettles, can make a rescue very difficult in these conditions.
...
Wikipedia