The Beaver Dam River is a 30.5 miles (49.1 km) tributary

Tributary

A tributary or affluent is a stream or river that flows into a main stem river or a lake. A tributary does not flow directly into a sea or ocean...

 of the Crawfish River

Crawfish River

The Crawfish River is a tributary of the Rock River, long, in south-central Wisconsin in the United States. Via the Rock River, it is part of the watershed of the Mississippi River....

 in south-central Wisconsin

Wisconsin

Wisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is...

 in the United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

. Via the Crawfish and Rock rivers, it is part of the Mississippi River

Mississippi River

The Mississippi River is the largest river system in North America. Flowing entirely in the United States, this river rises in western Minnesota and meanders slowly southwards for to the Mississippi River Delta at the Gulf of Mexico. With its many tributaries, the Mississippi's watershed drains...

 watershed

Drainage basin

A drainage basin is an extent or an area of land where surface water from rain and melting snow or ice converges to a single point, usually the exit of the basin, where the waters join another waterbody, such as a river, lake, reservoir, estuary, wetland, sea, or ocean...

.

Course

The river's entire length is in Dodge County

Dodge County, Wisconsin

Dodge County is a county located in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of 2010, the population was 88,759. Its county seat is Juneau.-Geography:According to the U.S...

. It flows from Beaver Dam Lake at the city of Beaver Dam

Beaver Dam, Wisconsin

Beaver Dam is a city in Dodge County, Wisconsin, United States, along Beaver Dam Lake and the Beaver Dam River. The population was 16,243 at the 2010 census, making it the second largest city in Dodge County, and the largest city fully located within the county. It is the principal city of the...

 and follows a generally southward course, passing the village of Lowell

Lowell, Wisconsin

Lowell is a village in Dodge County, Wisconsin, United States, along the Beaver Dam River. The population was 366 at the 2000 census. The village is located within the Town of Lowell.-Geography:Lowell is located at ....

 before joining the Crawfish River at Mud Lake in the town of Shields

Shields, Dodge County, Wisconsin

Shields is a town in Dodge County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 554 at the 2000 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 27.0 square miles , of which, 26.5 square miles of it is land and 0.4 square miles of it is...

.