Nemadji River
| Nemadji River | |
|---|---|
 | |
  Mouth of the Nemadji River | |
| Native name | Nemanjitigweyaag (Ojibwe) |
| Location | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Minnesota and Wisconsin |
| Counties | Carlton County, Minnesota, Pine County, Minnesota, Douglas County, Wisconsin |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Source | |
| • location | Nickerson, Minnesota |
| • coordinates | 46°24′03″N 92°30′29″W / 46.4007777°N 92.5079727°W |
| Mouth | Lake Superior |
• location | Alouez Bay, Wisconsin |
• coordinates | 46°42′12″N 92°01′39″W / 46.70333°N 92.02750°W |
| Length | 70.8 miles (113.9 km) |
The Nemadji River is a river rising in Pine County, Minnesota, United States, which flows through Carlton County, Minnesota, and Douglas County, Wisconsin, to Lake Superior.[1] The river is 70.8 miles (113.9 km) long measured from its source in Maheu Lake in Pine County, and 34.9 miles (56.2 km) from its confluence with the South Fork in Carlton County just east of the Minnesota-Wisconsin border.[2] The Nemadji River empties into Lake Superior in an industrial neighborhood at Allouez Bay in the city of Superior's east-side neighborhood of Allouez and Wisconsin Point.
Course
[edit]Most of the rivers' length flows in Douglas County, Wisconsin, entering near Foxboro and exiting in East End, Superior, near Loons Foot Boat Landing, USH 2/53, and the BNSF Taconite Plant.
History
[edit]Nemadji comes from the Ojibwe language, "ne-madji-tic-guay-och" (Nemanjitigweyaag in the current spelling), meaning "left river,"[3][4] opposed to the Saint Louis River, which when viewed from Allouez Bay is the "right river."
In the 1992 Nemadji River train derailment a Burlington Northern train derailed south of Superior, releasing nearly 22,000 gallons of aromatic hydrocarbons including liquid benzene, a highly toxic chemical, into the Nemadji River. Fish, wildlife, and other resources were severely affected by the incident. In March 2004, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service proposed a draft that would use funds received from a settlement with Burlington Northern to restore a portion of the Lake Superior basin affected by the incident. The river runs through the City of Superior, Town of Summit, Town of Superior, and the counties of Douglas, Carlton, Pine.[5][6]
Activities
[edit]The Nemadji River provides residents and tourist abundant activities across all seasons. Activities such as Hiking, ATV riding, snowmobiling, horseback riding, dispersed camping, fishing, hunting are all conducted in the Nemadji State Forest, which borders Minnesota and Wisconsin. Trails in this forest include the Nemndji River Trail and Grady Dancer Trail, which include 98 miles of hiking along the river.[7]
Fishing along the Nemadji River is also a popular activity. Prime spots include the River Bend, Sandy Shoals, Forest Confluence, and the Stone Bridge Crossing. These areas provide easy access for fishers and have been known to produce Smallmouth Bass, Northern Pike, Walleye, Brown Trout, and Catfish.[8] Birdwatching and Photography are also prominent activities along the river, most notably at the Upper Nemadji Floodplain Forest which features a unique floodplain forest ecosystem directly along the river’s meanders.[9]
Additionally, the River is a popular camping destination. The largest campground is the Nemadji Campground which overlooks the Nemadji River where it flows into Lake Superior. This campground includes both tent and RV camping, fishing, a boat launch on the river, and kayak rentals.[10]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Nemadji River
- ^ U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline data. The National Map, accessed May 1, 2012
- ^ Lake Superior Streams – Nemadji River
- ^ "Namanjinik (Ni) | the Ojibwe People's Dictionary".
- ^ UPI Archives, June 30, 1992 'Benzene spill forces evacuation of some 80,000' https://www.upi.com/Archives/1992/06/30/Benzene-spill-forces-evacuation-of-some-80000/2171709876800/
- ^ US NOAA, 'Incident News,' June 30, 1992, followed by updates through September 8, 1992, 'Superior, Wisconsin Train Derailment; Intersection of State Highway 35, the Nemadji River, and the Burlington Northern rail line, Superior, Wisconsin' https://incidentnews.noaa.gov/incident/6890#!
- ^ Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. Nemadji State Forest. Minnesota DNR, https://www.dnr.state.mn.us/state_forests/forest.html?id=sft00035. Accessed 2 Oct. 2025.
- ^ Stamper, Fredi. “Secrets Of Wisconsin’s Nemadji.” TouristSecrets, 6 Feb. 2025, https://www.touristsecrets.com/destinations/united-states/wisconsin/secrets-of-wisconsins-nemadji/.
- ^ Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. Upper Nemadji Floodplain Forest | No. 652. Wisconsin DNR, https://dnr.wisconsin.gov/topic/statenaturalareas/UpperNemadjiFloodplainForest. Accessed 2 Oct. 2025.
- ^ Lake Superior Circle Tour. Nemadji Campground. https://lakesuperiorcircletour.info/location/nemadji-campground/. Accessed 2 Oct. 2025.
Further reading
[edit]- Waters, Thomas F. (1977), The Streams and Rivers of Minnesota, Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, ISBN 0-8166-0821-0
External links
[edit]- "Nemadji River Basin Project Final Report" (PDF). Wisconsin DNR. US Forest Service. Retrieved April 2, 2021.
- "Permanent Protection for Strategic Wisconsin Lake Superior Basin Brook Trout and Migratory Bird Habitat". US Field and Wildlife Service. Retrieved April 2, 2021.
- Nemadji River Basin Project, Carlton Co. SWCD
- [dead link]Nemadji River Home Page
- [dead link]Restoration Plan and Environmental Assessment for Natural Resource Injuries Resulting from the Nemadji River Spill
- [dead link]Columbia Gazetteer - Nemadji River, Archived May 22, 2005, at the Wayback Machine