| Wild Rice River | |
| Map: | Wildricerivermap.png |
| Map Size: | 300 |
| Pushpin Map Size: | 300 |
| Subdivision Type1: | Country |
| Subdivision Name1: | United States |
| Subdivision Type2: | State |
| Subdivision Name2: | North Dakota |
| Length: | 251miles[1] |
| Discharge1 Location: | near Abercrombie[2] |
| Discharge1 Min: | 0cuft/s |
| Discharge1 Avg: | 104cuft/s[3] |
| Discharge1 Max: | 9540cuft/s |
| Discharge2 Location: | near Rutland |
| Discharge2 Avg: | 8.36cuft/s |
| Source1 Location: | Brampton Township, Sargent County |
| Source1 Coordinates: | 46.0156°N -97.7856°W[4] |
| Source1 Elevation: | 1283feet[5] |
| Mouth: | Red River of the North |
| Mouth Location: | near Frontier, Cass County |
| Mouth Coordinates: | 46.7567°N -96.79°W |
| Mouth Elevation: | 879feet |
| Basin Size: | 2233sqmi[6] |
The Wild Rice River is a tributary of the Red River of the North, approximately long,[1] in southeastern North Dakota in the United States. Via the Red River, Lake Winnipeg, and the Nelson River, it is part of the watershed of Hudson Bay. The Wild Rice River drains an area of in the Red River Valley region. Its tributaries also drain a small part of northeastern South Dakota. Despite its length, it is a fairly small stream, flowing at an average rate of approximately 100 cubic feet per second (3 m³/s).
The river was so named for the former abundance of wild rice along its course.[7]
The Wild Rice River rises as an intermittent stream in Brampton Township in southeastern Sargent County, approximately 6miles south of Cogswell. It initially flows generally eastwardly in a winding course through Sargent and Richland counties, through the Tewaukon National Wildlife Refuge and past the towns of Cayuga, Mantador and Great Bend. Past Great Bend, the river turns northward; from west of the city of Wahpeton it generally parallels the Red River in a winding channel at a distance of approximately 3miles7miles. It flows into the Red River in southeastern Cass County, approximately 3miles southeast of Frontier and 7miles south of Fargo.[8]
The United States Geological Survey operates a stream gauge on the river northwest of Abercrombie. Between 1932 and 2005, the annual mean flow of the river at the gauge was 104cuft/s. The river's highest flow during the period was 9540cuft/s on April 11, 1969. Readings of zero have also been recorded.[2]
At an upstream gauge near Rutland in Sargent County, the annual mean flow between 1960 and 1982 was 8.36cuft/s. A reading of 2700cuft/s was recorded on April 3, 1997.[9]