Straight River (southern Minnesota)
| Straight River (Wakpá Owóthaŋna) | |
| River | |
 The Straight River in Owatonna in 2007
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| Country | United States |
|---|---|
| State | Minnesota |
| Source | |
| - location | Geneva Township, Freeborn County |
| - elevation | 1,214 ft (370 m) |
| - coordinates | 43°49′58″N 93°15′46″W / 43.83278°N 93.26278°W |
| Mouth | Cannon River |
| - location | Faribault Township, Rice County |
| - elevation | 958 ft (292 m) |
| - coordinates | 44°18′36″N 93°16′13″W / 44.31000°N 93.27028°WCoordinates: 44°18′36″N 93°16′13″W / 44.31000°N 93.27028°W |
| Length | 55.6 mi (89 km) |
| Basin | 450 sq mi (1,165 km2) |
| Discharge | for near Faribault |
| - average | 293 cu ft/s (8 m3/s) |
| - max | 6,080 cu ft/s (172 m3/s) |
| - min | 10 cu ft/s (0 m3/s) |
  Location of the mouth of the Straight River in Faribault, Minnesota
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The Straight River is a tributary of the Cannon River, 55.6 miles (89.5 km) long, in southeastern Minnesota in the United States. Via the Cannon River, it is part of the watershed of the Mississippi River, draining an area of approximately 450 square miles (1,200 km2) in an agricultural region.
Its name is a translation of Wakpá Owóthaŋna, the Dakota name for the river. Despite its name, the river flows in a winding course, though its valley is fairly straight. The river provided hydropower for flour milling operations in the 19th century.
The source of the Straight River is considered to be just north of Geneva in Geneva Township in northern Freeborn County, though its headwaters have been altered by the construction of agricultural ditches. The river flows northward through Steele County into southern Rice County, passing through the cities of Owatonna and Medford, to its mouth at the Cannon River in Faribault.
The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources has identified the Straight River as a route for canoeing. The river flows generally through farmland; its narrow riparian corridor is wooded, predominantly by elm, willow, poplar and maple. Its course is characterized by occasional riffles, with one section of rapids in Clinton Falls Township in northern Steele County. Fish species in the river include northern pike, crappie, smallmouth bass and carp.
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