Prairie River (Mississippi River tributary)

The Prairie River is a river in Itasca County, Minnesota. The river is located in northern Minnesota, near the communities of Taconite, Bovey, Grand Rapids, and La Prairie. It is a tributary of the Mississippi River.

Prairie River
Mouth of the Prairie River
Location
Country	United States
State	Minnesota
County	Itasca
Physical characteristics
Source
• coordinates	47.5940994°N 93.181022°W / 47.5940994; -93.181022[1]
Mouth
• coordinates	47.2149433°N 93.4824358°W / 47.2149433; -93.4824358[1]
Length	50 mi (80 km)
Discharge
• location	USGS gauge near Taconite
• average	211.6 cu ft/s (5.99 m3/s), USGS water years 1967-2019[2]
Discharge
• location	mouth
• average	298.1 cu ft/s (8.44 m3/s) (estimate)[3]

In 1991 Enbridge's Line 3 pipeline ruptured near Grand Rapids, spilling 1.7 million of gallons of oil into the area, including the river, in the largest inland oil spill in US history.^[4][5]

On May 4, 1988, the world record shorthead redhorse (Moxostoma macrolepidotum), which weighed 5 pounds 6 ounces (2.4 kg), was caught on the Prairie River by angler Greg Clusiau.^[6]

See also

• List of rivers of Minnesota
• List of longest streams of Minnesota