{{Use American English|date=February 2025}} {{Infobox river | name = Yellow Medicine River | native_name = | native_name_lang = | name_other = | name_etymology = <!---------------------- IMAGE & MAP --> | image = Yellow Medicine River.jpg | image_size = 300 | image_caption = The Yellow Medicine River in Minnesota Falls Township in 2007 | map = Yellowmedicinerivermap.png | map_size = | map_caption = | pushpin_map = | pushpin_map_size = | pushpin_map_caption = <!---------------------- LOCATION --> | subdivision_type1 = Country | subdivision_name1 = United States | subdivision_type2 = State | subdivision_name2 = Minnesota | subdivision_type3 = | subdivision_name3 = | subdivision_type4 = | subdivision_name4 = | subdivision_type5 = | subdivision_name5 = <!---------------------- PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS --> | length = {{convert|107.2|mi|km|abbr=on}}<ref name=MSU>{{cite web |url= https://mrbdc.mnsu.edu/major/hawkyell/desc25.html |title= Hawk Creek-Yellow Medicine River Major Watershed. |pages= [https://mrbdc.mnsu.edu/major/hawkyell/descstream25.html Streams within the Hawk Creek-Yellow Medicine River Major Watershed] |publisher= Minnesota River Basin Data Center. Minnesota State University, Mankato |date= 2000-06-06 |access-date= 2007-06-04}}</ref> | width_min = | width_avg = | width_max = | depth_min = | depth_avg = | depth_max = | discharge1_location = near Granite Falls<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-05-1/05313500.2005.sw.pdf Yellow Medicine River near Granite Falls, 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 |access-date=2007-06-04}}</ref> | discharge1_min = {{convert|0|cuft/s|m3/s|abbr=on}} | discharge1_avg = {{convert|142|cuft/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-05-1/05313500.2005.sw.pdf Yellow Medicine River near Granite Falls, 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 |access-date=2007-06-04}}</ref> | discharge1_max = {{convert|17200|cuft/s|m3/s|abbr=on}} <!---------------------- BASIN FEATURES --> | source1 = Lake Shaokatan | source1_location = Shaokatan Township, Lincoln County | source1_coordinates = {{coord|44|24|41|N|96|21|05|W|display=inline}}<ref name=GNIS>{{cite web |url={{Gnis3|654416}} |title=Geographic Names Information System entry for Yellow Medicine River (Feature ID #654416) |publisher=Geographic Names Information System |access-date=2007-06-04}}</ref> | source1_elevation = {{convert|1776|ft|abbr=on}}<ref name=GE>Google Earth elevation for GNIS coordinates. Retrieved on 2007-06-04.</ref> | mouth = Minnesota River | mouth_location = Upper Sioux Agency State Park, Yellow Medicine County | mouth_coordinates = {{coord|44|44|21|N|95|25|43|W|display=inline,title}}<ref name=GNIS/> | mouth_elevation = {{convert|869|ft|abbr=on}}<ref name=GE/> | progression = | river_system = | basin_size = {{convert|665|sqmi|abbr=on}}<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/288 288–303] |chapter= The Southwest: Rivers of the Coteau des Prairies |url= https://archive.org/details/streamsriversofm0000wate/page/288 }}</ref> | tributaries_left = North Branch Yellow Medicine River, Spring Creek | tributaries_right = South Branch Yellow Medicine River | custom_label = | custom_data = | extra = }} [[Image:Yellow Medicine Riv.jpg|thumb|300px|The Yellow Medicine River in Wood Lake Township in 2007]]

The '''Yellow Medicine River''' is a tributary of the Minnesota River, {{convert|107|mi|km}} long, in southwestern Minnesota in the United States. Via the Minnesota River, it is part of the watershed of the Mississippi River, draining an area of {{convert|665|mi2|km2}} in an agricultural region.

The Yellow Medicine River issues from Lake Shaokatan in Shaokatan Township in western Lincoln County, approximately {{convert|6|mi|km|spell=in}} southwest of Ivanhoe, on the Coteau des Prairies, a morainic plateau dividing the Mississippi and Missouri River watersheds. It flows initially northeastwardly as an intermittent stream, past Ivanhoe. The stream flows off the Coteau in northeastern Lincoln County, dropping {{convert|250|ft|m}} in {{convert|5|mi|km|spell=in}}, and turns east-northeastwardly, following a generally treeless course on till plains through northern Lyon County and eastern Yellow Medicine County, past Hanley Falls. It flows into the Minnesota River in Upper Sioux Agency State Park in Sioux Agency Township, approximately {{convert|8|mi|km|spell=in}} southeast of Granite Falls, after dropping {{convert|85|ft|m}} in its final {{convert|10|mi|km|spell=in}} in the Minnesota River valley.<ref name=Waters/><ref name=DeLorme>{{cite book| title= Minnesota Atlas & Gazetteer |year=1994 |publisher= DeLorme |location=Yarmouth, Me. |isbn= 0-89933-222-6 |pages= 28–29}}</ref><ref name=MPCA>{{cite web |url= https://www.pca.state.mn.us/water/basins/mnriver/watersheds.html |title= Watersheds of the Minnesota River Basin. |pages= [https://www.pca.state.mn.us/water/basins/mnriver/watershed-hawkcreek.pdf Minnesota River Basin: Hawk Creek-Yellow Medicine Watershed] |publisher= Minnesota Pollution Control Agency |date= 2005-12-01 |access-date= 2007-06-04}}</ref>

The Yellow Medicine River's largest tributaries are the North Branch Yellow Medicine River<ref>{{cite web |url={{Gnis3|648621}} |title=Geographic Names Information System entry for North Branch Yellow Medicine River (Feature ID #648621) |publisher=Geographic Names Information System |access-date=2007-06-04}}</ref> and the South Branch Yellow Medicine River,<ref>{{cite web |url={{Gnis3|652281}} |title=Geographic Names Information System entry for South Branch Yellow Medicine River (Feature ID #652281) |publisher=Geographic Names Information System |access-date=2007-06-04}}</ref> both of which flow for most of their lengths on the Coteau. The North Branch, {{convert|41|mi|km}} long, flows northeastwardly through northern Lincoln County, briefly entering Yellow Medicine County and passing through Porter. The South Branch, {{convert|62|mi|km}} long, flows northeastwardly through Lincoln County into northwestern Lyon County, past Minneota. Other tributaries of the Yellow Medicine include Spring Creek, {{convert|46|mi|km}} long, which flows eastwardly through Yellow Medicine County; and Mud Creek, {{convert|31|mi|km}} long, which flows eastwardly through western Yellow Medicine County into northwestern Lyon County.<ref name=MSU/><ref name=DeLorme/>

The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency statistically combines the watershed of the Yellow Medicine River with that of Hawk Creek on the opposite bank of the Minnesota River, as well as small watersheds of nearby Minnesota River tributaries. According to the agency, 81% of the land in the Yellow Medicine-Hawk Creek watersheds is used for agriculture, with corn and soybeans being the predominant crops.<ref name=MPCA/>

In May 2008, 19 year-old Brandon Swanson went missing from Porter, Minnesota. It was and still is highly theorized that Brandon may have slipped and fallen into the river. However, even after an extensive search, nothing has been found.

==Flow rate== At the United States Geological Survey's stream gauge near Granite Falls, {{convert|6|mi|km}} upstream from the river's mouth, the annual mean flow of the river between 1931 and 2005 was 142 cubic feet per second (4 m³/s). The highest recorded flow during the period was 17,200&nbsp;ft³/s (487 m³/s) on April 10, 1969. Readings of zero were recorded on numerous days during several years.<ref name=USGS/>

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

==References== {{Reflist|2}}

{{authority control}}

Category:Rivers of Minnesota Category:Tributaries of the Minnesota River Category:Rivers of Lincoln County, Minnesota Category:Rivers of Lyon County, Minnesota Category:Rivers of Yellow Medicine County, Minnesota Category:Minnesota placenames of Native American origin