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Environment & Energy

Mister Ed

(6,711 posts)

4. Lake Superior's waters flow toward the Atlantic through the other Great Lakes and then the St. Lawrence River.

Reply to viva la (Reply #2)

Sat Oct 4, 2025, 01:22 PM

Oct 4

The water would have to flow uphill from Lake Superior in order to reach the Mississippi watershed.

That Mississippi watershed is of course fan-shaped and not linear. It's made up of countless tributaries, large and small. Although I don't know for sure, I think that the way it's determined which stream is a tributary and which is the main channel at any given juncture is to estimate the volume of water that flows in each. The stream with the greater volume is declared the main river.

Working upstream from the mouth of the Mississippi, and dividing main channel from tributaries in that manner, one comes eventually to Lake Itasca, which is declared the "source".

At least, that's how I think it works. But I'm not entirely certain.

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John1956PA erronis Wounded Bear

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Highlight:

Something is wrong with Lake Itasca, the source of the Mississippi River [View all] NickB79 Oct 4 OP

Why don't they just follow Trump's train of reasoning and nuke the lake? John1956PA Oct 4 #1

Or sweep the forest. 2naSalit Oct 4 #3

The not so funny thing is Mblaze Oct 4 #7

How does that huge river start here? viva la Oct 4 #2

Lake Superior's waters flow toward the Atlantic through the other Great Lakes and then the St. Lawrence River. Mister Ed Oct 4 #4

Yes, the tracing rivers upstream can be interesting. John1956PA Oct 4 #5

Ah! Then maybe it's just a more or less an arbitrary decision on the part of mapmakers. Mister Ed Oct 4 #6

I think the historic names of the rivers are always honored. John1956PA Oct 4 #9

But it all flows...... lastlib Oct 4 #15

Well SOME names aren't always honored by SOME people. Beartracks Oct 4 #17

The different criteria for measuring rivers gets things convoluted BaronChocula Oct 4 #10

In addition to some other good explanations, there is the matter of old names established before known characteristics. erronis Oct 4 #8

Just call them all America River or Trump river to get instant approval. GreenWave Oct 4 #11

It's a rite of passage for MN kids to walk across the headwaters NickB79 Oct 4 #20

My heart hurts Lulu KC Oct 4 #12

One of the problems might be non native bivalves... shell fish such as mussels .. that causes phosphorus to Botany Oct 4 #13

Seems unlikely. Erie gets ocean going vessels from the Atlantic... Wounded Bear Oct 4 #16

All it takes is one boat that was in the Great Lakes and not cleaned off underneath and or a shore or Botany Oct 4 #18

Zebra mussels haven't been found in Itasca. Yet NickB79 Oct 4 #19

I am a half of a bottle of wine into my evening but this is a different creature from zebra mussels. Botany Oct 4 #21

I remember reading many years ago, that the creeks and streams of lower Ontario FakeNoose Oct 4 #14