{{Use American English|date=February 2025}} {{Infobox river | name = Watonwan River | native_name = | native_name_lang = | name_other = | name_etymology = Dakota ''watanwan'' meaning "fish bait" or "plenty of fish"<ref>{{cite book|author=Chicago and North Western Railway Company|title=A History of the Origin of the Place Names Connected with the Chicago & North Western and Chicago, St. Paul, Minneapolis & Omaha Railways|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=OspBAQAAMAAJ&pg=PA165|year=1908|page=165}}</ref> <!---------------------- IMAGE & MAP --> | image = Watonwan River Garden City.jpg | image_size = 300 | image_caption = The Watonwan River in Garden City in 2007 | map = Blueearthrivermap.png | map_size = | map_caption = Map of the Blue Earth River watershed showing the Watonwan River | pushpin_map = | pushpin_map_size = | pushpin_map_caption = <!---------------------- LOCATION --> | subdivision_type1 = Country | subdivision_name1 = United States | subdivision_type2 = State | subdivision_name2 = Minnesota | subdivision_type3 = Counties | subdivision_name3 = Cottonwood, Watonwan, Blue Earth | subdivision_type4 = | subdivision_name4 = | subdivision_type5 = | subdivision_name5 = <!---------------------- PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS --> | length = {{convert|113.2|mi|km|abbr=on}}<ref name=MSU>{{cite web |url= http://mrbdc.mnsu.edu/major/watonwan/desc31.html |title= Watonwan River Major Watershed. |pages= [http://mrbdc.mnsu.edu/major/watonwan/descstream31.html Streams within the Watonwan River Major Watershed] |publisher= Minnesota River Basin Data Center. Minnesota State University, Mankato |date= 1999-05-31 |accessdate= 2007-06-18}}</ref> | width_min = | width_avg = | width_max = | depth_min = | depth_avg = | depth_max = | discharge1_location = near Garden City<ref name=USGS>{{cite web |url=https://pubs.usgs.gov/wdr/2005/wdr-mn-05-1/ |pages = [https://pubs.usgs.gov/wdr/2005/wdr-mn-05-1/05319500.2005.sw.pdf Watonwan River near Garden City, MN] |title=Water Resources Data in Minnesota, Water Year 2005 Annual Report. |first= G. B. |last=Mitton |author2=K. G. Guttormson |author3=G. W. Stratton |author4=E. S. Wakeman |publisher=United States Geological Survey |accessdate=2007-06-18}}</ref> | discharge1_min = {{convert|1.8|ft3/s|m3/s|abbr=on}} | discharge1_avg = {{convert|391|ft3/s|m3/s|abbr=on}}<ref name=USGS>{{cite web |url=https://pubs.usgs.gov/wdr/2005/wdr-mn-05-1/ |pages = [https://pubs.usgs.gov/wdr/2005/wdr-mn-05-1/05319500.2005.sw.pdf Watonwan River near Garden City, MN] |title=Water Resources Data in Minnesota, Water Year 2005 Annual Report. |first= G. B. |last=Mitton |author2=K. G. Guttormson |author3=G. W. Stratton |author4=E. S. Wakeman |publisher=United States Geological Survey |accessdate=2007-06-18}}</ref> | discharge1_max = {{convert|13900|ft3/s|m3/s|abbr=on}} <!---------------------- BASIN FEATURES --> | source1 = | source1_location = Amboy Township, Cottonwood County | source1_coordinates= {{coord|44|01|30|N|95|13|12|W|display=inline}}<ref name=GNIS>{{cite web |url={{Gnis3|653842}} |title=Geographic Names Information System entry for Watonwan River (Feature ID #653842) |publisher=Geographic Names Information System |accessdate=2007-06-18}}</ref> | source1_elevation = {{convert|1529|ft|abbr=on}}<ref name=GE>Google Earth elevation for GNIS coordinates. Retrieved on 2007-06-18.</ref> | mouth = Blue Earth River | mouth_location = Rapidan Township, Blue Earth County | mouth_coordinates = {{coord|44|04|13|N|94|07|35|W|display=inline,title}}<ref name=GNIS/> | mouth_elevation = {{convert|879|ft|abbr=on}}<ref name=GE/> | progression = | river_system = | basin_size = {{convert|878|mi2|abbr=on}}<ref>{{cite web |url= http://mrbdc.mnsu.edu/major/watonwan/desc31.html |title= Watonwan River Major Watershed. |pages= [http://mrbdc.mnsu.edu/major/watonwan/descgen31.html General Description] |publisher= Minnesota River Basin Data Center. Minnesota State University, Mankato |date= 1999-05-31 |accessdate= 2007-06-18}}</ref> | tributaries_left = North Fork Watonwan River | tributaries_right = South Fork Watonwan River | custom_label = | custom_data = | extra = }} The '''Watonwan River''' is a tributary of the Blue Earth River, {{convert|113|mi}} long, in southern Minnesota in the United States. Via the Blue Earth and Minnesota rivers, it is part of the watershed of the Mississippi River, draining an area of {{convert|878|mi2}} in an agricultural region. The Watonwan drains about a quarter of the Blue Earth River's watershed.<ref name=MPCA>{{cite web |url= http://www.pca.state.mn.us/water/basins/mnriver/watersheds.html |title= Watersheds of the Minnesota River Basin. |pages= [http://www.pca.state.mn.us/water/basins/mnriver/watershed-blueearth.pdf Minnesota River Basin: Blue Earth, Watonwan, and Le Sueur River Watersheds] |publisher= Minnesota Pollution Control Agency |date= 2005-12-01 |accessdate= 2007-06-18 |url-status= dead |archiveurl= https://web.archive.org/web/20070205024044/http://www.pca.state.mn.us/water/basins/mnriver/watersheds.html |archivedate= 2007-02-05 }}</ref>

The river was the site of the capture of Bob, Cole and Jim Younger (members of the James–Younger Gang) near Madelia in 1876.<ref name=Waters>{{cite book |last= Waters |first= Thomas F. |title= The Streams and Rivers of Minnesota |year= 2006 |publisher= University of Minnesota Press |location= Minneapolis |isbn= 0-8166-0960-8 |pages= [https://archive.org/details/streamsriversofm0000wate/page/278 278–287] |chapter= The Blue Earth: Fool's Copper |url= https://archive.org/details/streamsriversofm0000wate/page/278 }}</ref>

==Geography== thumb|left|The river in winter near Madelia, Minnesota [[Image:Watonwan River.jpg|300px|thumb|The Watonwan River in Garden City Township in 1996]] The Watonwan River rises in Amboy Township, approximately {{convert|3|mi|0}} southwest of Jeffers in central Cottonwood County, and flows generally eastwardly across flat till plains through northern Watonwan and western Blue Earth counties, past the city of Madelia. It flows into the Blue Earth River approximately {{convert|8|mi|0}} southwest of Mankato and {{convert|16|mi}} upstream of the Blue Earth's confluence with the Minnesota River.<ref name=MPCA/><ref name=DeLorme>{{cite book| title= Minnesota Atlas & Gazetteer |year=1994 |publisher= DeLorme |location=Yarmouth, Me. |isbn= 0-89933-222-6 |pages= 21–23}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url= http://iaspub.epa.gov/waters/w305b_report_control.get_report?p_state=MN |archive-url= https://archive.today/20070707175156/http://iaspub.epa.gov/waters/w305b_report_control.get_report?p_state=MN |url-status= dead |archive-date= 2007-07-07 |title= National Assessment Database: Assessment Data for the State of Minnesota Year 2004. |pages= [https://web.archive.org/web/20110520150829/http://iaspub.epa.gov/tmdl/w305b_report_V4.huc?p_huc=07020009&p_state=MN Blue Earth Watershed] |publisher= United States Environmental Protection Agency |accessdate= 2007-06-18}}</ref>

The river's largest tributaries are its north and south forks. The South Fork Watonwan River,<ref>{{cite web |url={{Gnis3|652304}} |title=Geographic Names Information System entry for South Fork Watonwan River (Feature ID #652304) |publisher=Geographic Names Information System |accessdate=2007-06-18}}</ref> {{convert|73|mi}} long, rises in southeastern Cottonwood County and initially flows eastwardly into southern Watonwan County, briefly entering Martin County and passing Odin; then northeastwardly through eastern Watonwan County to its confluence with the Watonwan River upstream of Madelia. The North Fork Watonwan River,<ref>{{cite web |url={{Gnis3|648641}} |title=Geographic Names Information System entry for North Fork Watonwan River (Feature ID #648641) |publisher=Geographic Names Information System |accessdate=2007-06-18}}</ref> {{convert|39|mi}} long, rises in Cottonwood County and flows eastwardly into northern Watonwan County, joining the Watonwan River about a mile (2&nbsp;km) southeast of La Salle.<ref name=MSU/><ref name=DeLorme/>

Approximately 84% of the larger watershed of the Blue Earth River, which includes that of the Watonwan River, is used for agricultural cultivation, primarily that of corn and soybeans.<ref name=MPCA/> Small lakes and wetlands in the Watonwan watershed provide significant habitat for Minnesota's waterfowl population, though many stretches of the river and its tributaries have been subject to ditching and channelization for agricultural production and localized flood reduction.<ref name=Waters/>

==Flow rate== At the United States Geological Survey's stream gauge near the community of Garden City in Garden City Township, {{convert|7.3|mi}} upstream from the river's mouth, the annual mean flow of the river between 1940 and 2005 was {{convert|391|ft3/s|m3/s|lk=on|sp=us}}. The highest recorded flow during the period was {{convert|13,900|ft3/s|m3/s|abbr=on}} on June 20, 1993. The lowest recorded flow, caused by an ice dam, was {{convert|1.8|ft3/s|m3/s|abbr=on}} on December 24, 1989.<ref name=USGS/>

==See also== *List of rivers of Minnesota * List of Minnesota placenames of Native American origin

==References== {{reflist}}

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Category:Rivers of Minnesota Category:Rivers of Blue Earth County, Minnesota Category:Rivers of Cottonwood County, Minnesota Category:Rivers of Martin County, Minnesota Category:Rivers of Watonwan County, Minnesota Category:Dakota toponyms Category:Tributaries of the Mississippi River