right|thumb|250px|The Sauk River as it passes through [[St. Cloud, Minnesota]]

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The Sauk River is a tributary of the Mississippi River in central Minnesota in the United States. It drains small lakes in Stearns County. In the Ojibwe language it is called Ozaagi-ziibi, meaning "River of the Sauks".

It issues from Lake Osakis on the Todd County / Stearns County line. During times of low water in Lake Osakis, water can be diverted into the lake across the divide from the Long Prairie River, joining the watershed of the Sauk River with that of the Crow Wing River. The Sauk River then flows east through Guernsey Lake, Little Sauk Lake and Juergens Lake, then south through Sauk Lake and past the city of Sauk Centre. The river continues southeast past Melrose and Richmond, then northeast through Cedar Island Lake and Zumwalde Lake, past Cold Spring and Waite Park, and discharges in to the Mississippi River north of St. Cloud.

At St. Cloud, MN, the river has a mean annual discharge of .

The rapids that occur south of the river's mouth on the Mississippi River lent their name to the nearby city of Sauk Rapids.

History

In 1847, the Mississippi Chippewa ceded their lands about the Sauk River to the United States for the purpose of establishing a homeland for the Winnebagoes, who at the time were being removed out of Wisconsin. However, due to continued skirmishes between the Ojibwe (Chippewa) and the Dakota, the Winnebagoes were placed in constant danger. By their request, the United States relocated the Winnebagoes to south-central Minnesota, then to South Dakota and finally Nebraska. Some of the Winnebagoes, however, returned to Wisconsin despite their removal.

The river is named after the Sauk tribe, also called the Sac or Meskwaki, some of whom had come to the area (mostly settled by Sioux or Chippewa) after the Black Hawk War; this tribe now has concentrations in Iowa, Kansas, and Oklahoma. The wars between the Sioux and the Chippewa, spurred on by the French fur traders who often sided with the Chippewa, resulted in the establishment of a common hunting grounds to divert conflict between the tribes. This somewhat unsuccessful "neutral" area was bordered by the Crow River on the south and the Sauk on the north. Early interventions by the white man marked the ensuing decline of Indian populations in this area.

The fur traders were the first Europeans into this area, representatives of both the Hudson's Bay Company and French interests, pursuing the fur trade as early as the late 18th century. Abundant beaver and other fur types were paramount to these fur traders. The development of the Red River Valley and points in between Minneapolis – St. Paul and Winnipeg provided the first push for settlement in the area. By the late 1850s numerous settlements started to develop along the Sauk River and adjacent areas. The Red River Trails required various fording points across the river, and some of these sites are still visible today upon close inspection. Waite's Crossing near the Knights of Columbus Park in St. Cloud is marked by a commemorative stone explaining the existence of an important crossing at this point.

As increased settlement took place, fur trading took a backseat to agriculture and the logging industry that were becoming more important for the region. Logging of the hardwood forests soon became a vital interest, and the Sauk River provided a corridor for the passage of wood from western and central Stearns County to the rapidly developing St Cloud area. The granite industry likewise flourished with this growth, and the numerous granite outcrops along the river as well as many other sites in the county were obvious targets for exploitation of this resource. Prominent evidences of this industry still exist today along the Sauk as well as in the "Granite City" of St. Cloud.

Throughout this time, the development of a substantial agricultural economy provided for the development of mills along the Sauk. The river provided another resource to the area in this manner. With the advancement of railroads to the area, the small mills along the river declined in usefulness; however, evidence of these sites exist today along the river, with a large mill still operating where the Sauk enters the Mississippi.

In 1939, the Long Prairie River Diversion was completed between the watersheds of the Crow Wing and Sauk Rivers.

Expeditions

In June, 2011 Todd Foster and Scott Miller paddled the entire length of the Sauk River. The trip was made to chronicle fences along the river, as well as to highlight the Friends of the Sauk River canoe library, and to promote getting outside and paddling the river. Their trip was chronicled at http://paddlethesauk.weebly.com

See also

  • List of rivers of Minnesota

References

  • Friends of the Sauk River
  • A Water Trail Guide to the Sauk River