St. Francis River (Minnesota)
Encyclopedia
The Saint Francis River is a tributary
of the Elk River
, 72 miles (116 km) long, in east-central Minnesota
in the United States
. Via the Elk River, it is part of the watershed
of the Mississippi River
, draining an area historically characterized by mixed hardwood
and coniferous forests on flat to rolling till plain
s.
The St. Francis River rises in Alberta Township
in northeastern Benton County
, and flows generally southwardly through eastern Benton County, passing to the east of Foley
and collecting a minor tributary known as the West Branch St. Francis River. The river turns eastward in northern Sherburne County
, and flows south- and southwestwardly through the Sherburne National Wildlife Refuge
and Sand Dunes State Forest. It joins the Elk River in Big Lake Township
in southern Sherburne County, approximately one mile (2 km) north of the city of Big Lake
. Canoeing
is possible on some stretches of the river during periods of high water.
village sites in the Sherburne National Wildlife Refuge date back to 1300 A.D. More recently the area was settled in the 1870s under the Homestead Act
.
Historically, the St. Francis River basin was known as one of the finest wildlife areas in the state, with large numbers of duck
s, muskrat
s, beaver
s and mink
supported by small lake
s and marsh
es near the river which were abundant with wild rice
and other wetland plants. The surrounding upland was primarily oak savanna
which provided habitat for elk
, bison
, and gray wolves
. By the mid-twentieth century, several developments had severely reduced the value of wildlife habitat in the basin. Wetlands were drained by a ditch
system, built in the 1920s to increase agricultural area. In the early 1940s lakes and streams in the basin were invaded by carp
, the feeding activities of which resulted in the uprooting of submerged vegetation important to aquatic wildlife. In addition, the native oak savanna upland habitat was converted to agriculture or home sites through logging and plowing. Protection from fire allowed the oak savanna to convert to dense woodlands. The Sherburne National Wildlife Refuge was established in 1965 as an attempt to restore the native wildlife habitat of the St. Francis River's watershed, with land purchased using duck stamp
funds.
Tributary
A tributary or affluent is a stream or river that flows into a main stem river or a lake. A tributary does not flow directly into a sea or ocean...
of the Elk River
Elk River (Minnesota)
The Elk River is a river, about 70 mi long, in east-central Minnesota in the United States. It is a tributary of the Mississippi River, draining a watershed of 630 mi² .-Course:...
, 72 miles (116 km) long, in east-central Minnesota
Minnesota
Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Via the Elk River, it is part of the watershed
Drainage basin
A drainage basin is an extent or an area of land where surface water from rain and melting snow or ice converges to a single point, usually the exit of the basin, where the waters join another waterbody, such as a river, lake, reservoir, estuary, wetland, sea, or ocean...
of the Mississippi River
Mississippi River
The Mississippi River is the largest river system in North America. Flowing entirely in the United States, this river rises in western Minnesota and meanders slowly southwards for to the Mississippi River Delta at the Gulf of Mexico. With its many tributaries, the Mississippi's watershed drains...
, draining an area historically characterized by mixed hardwood
Hardwood
Hardwood is wood from angiosperm trees . It may also be used for those trees themselves: these are usually broad-leaved; in temperate and boreal latitudes they are mostly deciduous, but in tropics and subtropics mostly evergreen.Hardwood contrasts with softwood...
and coniferous forests on flat to rolling till plain
Till plain
A till plain is an extensive flat plain of glacial till that forms when a sheet of ice becomes detached from the main body of a glacier and melts in place depositing the sediments it carried. A till plain with irregular topography is referred to as a ground moraine.-See also:*Glacial till plains...
s.
The St. Francis River rises in Alberta Township
Alberta Township, Minnesota
Alberta Township is a township in Benton County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 772 as of the 2000 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the township has a total area of , all of it land....
in northeastern Benton County
Benton County, Minnesota
As of the census of 2000, there were 34,226 people, 13,065 households, and 8,518 families residing in the county. The population density was 84 people per square mile . There were 13,460 housing units at an average density of 33 per square mile...
, and flows generally southwardly through eastern Benton County, passing to the east of Foley
Foley, Minnesota
As of the census of 2000, there were 2,154 people, 756 households, and 499 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,148.6 people per square mile . There were 793 housing units at an average density of 422.8 per square mile...
and collecting a minor tributary known as the West Branch St. Francis River. The river turns eastward in northern Sherburne County
Sherburne County, Minnesota
As of the census of 2000, there were 64,417 people, 21,581 households, and 16,746 families residing in the county. The population density was 148 people per square mile . There were 22,827 housing units at an average density of 52 per square mile...
, and flows south- and southwestwardly through the Sherburne National Wildlife Refuge
Sherburne National Wildlife Refuge
Sherburne National Wildlife Refuge is a National Wildlife Refuge in Sherburne County, Minnesota. The habitat it protects is a mix of oak savanna, Big Woods, and wetlands. The St. Francis River flows through the eastern side of the park...
and Sand Dunes State Forest. It joins the Elk River in Big Lake Township
Big Lake Township, Minnesota
Big Lake Township is a township in Sherburne County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 6,785 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Big Lake’s geographical location is in a corridor placing it 30 minutes from St. Cloud and 35 minutes from Minneapolis...
in southern Sherburne County, approximately one mile (2 km) north of the city of Big Lake
Big Lake, Minnesota
As of the census of 2000, there were 6,063 people, 2,117 households, and 1,570 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,688.4 people per square mile . There were 2,206 housing units at an average density of 614.3 per square mile...
. Canoeing
Canoeing
Canoeing is an outdoor activity that involves a special kind of canoe.Open canoes may be 'poled' , sailed, 'lined and tracked' or even 'gunnel-bobbed'....
is possible on some stretches of the river during periods of high water.
History and preservation
Humans have lived in the St. Francis River valley for over 10,000 years; Native AmericanNative Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
village sites in the Sherburne National Wildlife Refuge date back to 1300 A.D. More recently the area was settled in the 1870s under the Homestead Act
Homestead Act
A homestead act is one of three United States federal laws that gave an applicant freehold title to an area called a "homestead" – typically 160 acres of undeveloped federal land west of the Mississippi River....
.
Historically, the St. Francis River basin was known as one of the finest wildlife areas in the state, with large numbers of duck
Duck
Duck is the common name for a large number of species in the Anatidae family of birds, which also includes swans and geese. The ducks are divided among several subfamilies in the Anatidae family; they do not represent a monophyletic group but a form taxon, since swans and geese are not considered...
s, muskrat
Muskrat
The muskrat , the only species in genus Ondatra, is a medium-sized semi-aquatic rodent native to North America, and introduced in parts of Europe, Asia, and South America. The muskrat is found in wetlands and is a very successful animal over a wide range of climates and habitats...
s, beaver
Beaver
The beaver is a primarily nocturnal, large, semi-aquatic rodent. Castor includes two extant species, North American Beaver and Eurasian Beaver . Beavers are known for building dams, canals, and lodges . They are the second-largest rodent in the world...
s and mink
Mink
There are two living species referred to as "mink": the European Mink and the American Mink. The extinct Sea Mink is related to the American Mink, but was much larger. All three species are dark-colored, semi-aquatic, carnivorous mammals of the family Mustelidae, which also includes the weasels and...
supported by small lake
Lake
A lake is a body of relatively still fresh or salt water of considerable size, localized in a basin, that is surrounded by land. Lakes are inland and not part of the ocean and therefore are distinct from lagoons, and are larger and deeper than ponds. Lakes can be contrasted with rivers or streams,...
s and marsh
Marsh
In geography, a marsh, or morass, is a type of wetland that is subject to frequent or continuous flood. Typically the water is shallow and features grasses, rushes, reeds, typhas, sedges, other herbaceous plants, and moss....
es near the river which were abundant with wild rice
Wild rice
Wild rice is four species of grasses forming the genus Zizania, and the grain which can be harvested from them. The grain was historically gathered and eaten in both North America and China...
and other wetland plants. The surrounding upland was primarily oak savanna
Oak savanna
An oak savanna is a type of savanna, or lightly forested grassland, where oaks are the dominant tree species. These savannas were maintained historically through wildfires set by lightning, grazing, low precipitation, poor soil, and/or fires set by Native Americans...
which provided habitat for elk
Elk
The Elk is the large deer, also called Cervus canadensis or wapiti, of North America and eastern Asia.Elk may also refer to:Other antlered mammals:...
, bison
American Bison
The American bison , also commonly known as the American buffalo, is a North American species of bison that once roamed the grasslands of North America in massive herds...
, and gray wolves
Gray Wolf
The gray wolf , also known as the wolf, is the largest extant wild member of the Canidae family...
. By the mid-twentieth century, several developments had severely reduced the value of wildlife habitat in the basin. Wetlands were drained by a ditch
Ditch
A ditch is usually defined as a small to moderate depression created to channel water.In Anglo-Saxon, the word dïc already existed and was pronounced 'deek' in northern England and 'deetch' in the south. The origins of the word lie in digging a trench and forming the upcast soil into a bank...
system, built in the 1920s to increase agricultural area. In the early 1940s lakes and streams in the basin were invaded by carp
Carp
Carp are various species of oily freshwater fish of the family Cyprinidae, a very large group of fish native to Europe and Asia. The cypriniformes are traditionally grouped with the Characiformes, Siluriformes and Gymnotiformes to create the superorder Ostariophysi, since these groups have certain...
, the feeding activities of which resulted in the uprooting of submerged vegetation important to aquatic wildlife. In addition, the native oak savanna upland habitat was converted to agriculture or home sites through logging and plowing. Protection from fire allowed the oak savanna to convert to dense woodlands. The Sherburne National Wildlife Refuge was established in 1965 as an attempt to restore the native wildlife habitat of the St. Francis River's watershed, with land purchased using duck stamp
Federal Duck Stamp
The federal duck stamp was created through a wetlands conservation program. President Herbert Hoover signed the Migratory Bird Conservation Act in 1929 to authorize the acquisition and preservation of wetlands as waterfowl habitat....
funds.