Ounce River
Encyclopedia
The Ounce River is a short tributary
of the Totagatic River
in northwestern Wisconsin
in the United States
. Via the Totagatic, Namekagon
and St. Croix
Rivers, it is part of the watershed
of the Mississippi River
. It rises in southwestern Bayfield County and flows southwestwardly into southeastern Douglas County, where it joins the Totagatic.
The U.S. Board on Geographic Names settled on "Ounce River" as the stream's name in 1938. According to the Geographic Names Information System
, it has also been known historically as "Ounse River," "Owense River," "Totacaticonce River" and "Totogaticanse River." Its name is derived from the Ojibwe language
Dootoogaatigoons-ziibi meaning "River of a Small and Boggy Riverway."
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 Totagatic River
Totagatic River
The Totagatic River is a tributary of the Namekagon River in northwestern Wisconsin in the United States. Via the Namekagon and St. Croix Rivers, it is part of the watershed of the Mississippi River. According to the Geographic Names Information System, the river's name has also been...
in northwestern 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 Totagatic, Namekagon
Namekagon River
The Namekagon River is a tributary of the St. Croix River. It is approximately 95 mi long and is located in northwestern Wisconsin in the United States. Its course is protected as part of the St. Croix National Scenic Riverway....
and St. Croix
St. Croix River (Wisconsin-Minnesota)
The St. Croix River is a tributary of the Mississippi River, approximately long, in the U.S. states of Wisconsin and Minnesota. The lower of the river form the border between Wisconsin and Minnesota. The river is a National Scenic Riverway under the protection of the National Park Service. A...
Rivers, it is part of the 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...
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...
. It rises in southwestern Bayfield County and flows southwestwardly into southeastern Douglas County, where it joins the Totagatic.
The U.S. Board on Geographic Names settled on "Ounce River" as the stream's name in 1938. According to the Geographic Names Information System
Geographic Names Information System
The Geographic Names Information System is a database that contains name and locative information about more than two million physical and cultural features located throughout the United States of America and its territories. It is a type of gazetteer...
, it has also been known historically as "Ounse River," "Owense River," "Totacaticonce River" and "Totogaticanse River." Its name is derived from the Ojibwe language
Ojibwe language
Ojibwe , also called Anishinaabemowin, is an indigenous language of the Algonquian language family. Ojibwe is characterized by a series of dialects that have local names and frequently local writing systems...
Dootoogaatigoons-ziibi meaning "River of a Small and Boggy Riverway."