Kettle River Map
The Kettle is a tributary of the St. Croix River, about 80 mi (130 km) long, in eastern Minnesota in the United States. Via the St. Croix River, it is part of the watershed of the Mississippi River. The river's English name is due to the large number of large rounded holes (kettles) in the sandstone in and around the river, carved out by the swirling waters of the river. The river's native name Akiko-ziibi comes from the Anishinaabe people.
Throughout the course of the river, the waters of the Kettle have an amber tint. This tint comes from tannins (leaf colorings) from wetlands which drain into the river, rather than manmade causes.
The Kettle's flow changes fairly quickly with rainfall in the area of drainage, which is about 1,060 square miles (2,750 km2). It is not uncommon for the river to be reduced to a trickle during dry summer spells, and rise to a whitewater torrent after a few days of rain. Normal water flows vary seasonally from 200 to over 6000 ft³/min (0.09 to 2.8 m³/s). Check the USGS Water Gauge for current flows before you go.
Nearby cities include Willow River, Cromwell, Wright, Tamarack, Bruno.
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