Gooseberry River
| Gooseberry River | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Country | United States |
| Basin features | |
| Main source | 47°17′12″N 91°36′41″W / 47.286798°N 91.61135°W |
| River mouth | Lake Superior |
| Basin size | 85 square miles (220 km2) |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Length | 23 miles (37 km) |
Gooseberry River is a 23-mile stream in Lake County, Minnesota, USA, draining into Lake Superior. It is known for its waterfalls, near its mouth in Gooseberry Falls State Park. The Gooseberry, like many of its neighboring streams, has an irregular discharge highly dependent on runoff from rain and snow melt. The region around the river was heavily forested and much logging took place during the early 20th century. The forest has since regrown and the falls and mouth of the river are now a thriving tourist destination.
The English name for the Gooseberry River first appeared in 1823 on a map made by Major Stephen Harriman Long during his expedition of the Canada–US border region. There are two competing theories about the origin of the Gooseberry's name. The Ojibwe name for the river is shab-on-im-i-kan-i-sibi, which translates to River Place of Gooseberries. Alternatively, the name has been taken as an translation of the name of the French explorer Groseilliers. The name Reviere de Groseilliers appeared on early French maps of the area as early as 1670, and Groseilliers visited the North Shore region in the 1660s. The puzzle of the true origin has not been solved conclusively, and the state park lists both as plausible explanations.
Gooseberry River has no lake or reservoir serving as its headwaters, rising in a gully in T. 56 N. R. 10 W. at an elevation of 1700 feet. From here it falls 1100 feet over 23 miles until it enters Lake Superior in Silver Creek Township. The main branch of the Gooseberry River drains a watershed of 27.3 square miles, approximately one quarter wetlands and three quarters forest. The total area drained by the Gooseberry river, including all tributaries, is 85 square miles. Major tributaries include the Little Gooseberry River, Skunk Creek, and Mink Creek.
The most distinctive features of Gooseberry River are the Gooseberry Falls, three waterfalls in close succession near Highway 61 in Gooseberry Falls State Park. They begin .95 miles from the mouth of the river 120 feet above lake level, and end .75 miles from the mouth at 7 feet above lake level. Another fall is located between 1.8 and 1.85 miles from the mouth. The bed of the river near the falls is a basalt flow lying over an Amygdaloid flow. The Amygadloids erode faster than basalt, which then breaks off in large pieces, causing the high cliffs over which the river flows. Below the falls, the river cuts a large channel through mostly clay. To the northeast, a large basalt cliff rises 75 feet above lake level. To the southwest of the mouth is a lower cliff of only 10 feet, which was probably once attached to the high bluff before the river cut a channel between them. At the mouth, the flow of the river meets the opposing force of storms on the lake, kicking up a bar of red pebbles and chalcedony agates.
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Wikipedia