Wisconsin River
Wisconsin River | ||
Data | ||
Water code | US : 1580811 | |
location | Wisconsin (USA) | |
River system | Mississippi River | |
Drain over | Mississippi River → Gulf of Mexico | |
Source lake |
Lac Vieux Desert 46 ° 7 ′ 15 ″ N , 89 ° 9 ′ 7 ″ W. |
|
Source height | 513 m | |
muzzle | at Prairie du Chien in the Mississippi River Coordinates: 42 ° 59 ′ 22 " N , 91 ° 9 ′ 14" W 42 ° 59 ′ 22 " N , 91 ° 9 ′ 14" W |
|
Mouth height | 187 m | |
Height difference | 326 m | |
Bottom slope | 0.47 ‰ | |
length | 692 km | |
Catchment area | 31,805 km² | |
Outflow at the level at the mouth |
MQ |
340 m³ / s |
Right tributaries | Lemonweir River , Baraboo River , Yellow River , Kickapoo River | |
Reservoirs flowed through | Lake Wausau , Lake du Bay , Petenwell Lake , Castle Rock Lake , Lake Wisconsin | |
Medium-sized cities | Wausau , Wisconsin Rapids , Stevens Point , Portage | |
Communities | Prairie du sac | |
Wisconsin River basin |
The Wisconsin River is a 692 km long left tributary of the Mississippi River in the US state of Wisconsin .
Its course is divided into three areas, the Upper Wisconsin from its origin, the Lac Vieux Desert in northeast Wisconsin to Plover , the Middle Wisconsin from Plover to the Wisconsin Dells and the Lower Wisconsin from the Wisconsin Dells to its confluence with the Mississippi , about 16 km south of Prairie du Chien . Its major tributaries are the Tomahawk River , Big Rib River , Eau Claire River , Big Eau Pleine River , Yellow River , Lemonweir River , Baraboo River , Pine River, and Kickapoo River . Larger places along the river are (based on origin) Eagle River , Rhinelander , Tomahawk , Merrill , Wausau , Mosinee , Stevens Point , Wisconsin Rapids , Wisconsin Dells, Portage , Sauk City and Prairie du Sac . Due to the relatively large difference in altitude between its origin and its mouth (325 m), the Wisconsin is dammed in many places and used to generate electricity. There are a total of 26 hydropower plants on the river.
At Portage, the Wisconsin River is only two miles from the Fox River . The connection of these rivers created an important route between Lake Michigan and the Mississippi for Indians and French explorers . Due to ideal conditions, the Wisconsin near Sauk City and Prairie du Sac is a well-known wintering area for bald eagles .