The Totagatic River is a 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 Namekagon River

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....

 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 Namekagon 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...

. 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...

, the river's name has also been historically spelled Togatatic and Totogatic. 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...

 Dootoogaatigo-ziibi meaning "River of Boggy Riverway" (or literally, "River of spongy-ground river-course"), due to its course through wetland

Wetland

A wetland is an area of land whose soil is saturated with water either permanently or seasonally. Wetlands are categorised by their characteristic vegetation, which is adapted to these unique soil conditions....

s.

The Totagatic is formed by the confluence of its short east and west forks in southwestern Bayfield County, and flows generally westwardly through Sawyer

Sawyer County, Wisconsin

Sawyer County is a county in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of 2000, the population was 16,196. Its county seat is Hayward.-History:The county is named for Philetus Sawyer, who represented Wisconsin in the U.S. House of Representatives and U.S. Senate in the 19th century.-Geography:According to...

, Washburn

Washburn County, Wisconsin

Washburn County is a county in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of 2000, the population was 16,036. Its county seat is Shell Lake.-Geography:According to the U.S...

, Douglas and Burnett Counties, passing through several lakes. It joins the Namekagon River in Burnett County, 45 mi (72 km) south of the city of Superior

Superior, Wisconsin

Superior is a city in and the county seat of Douglas County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 26,960 at the 2010 census. Located at the junction of U.S. Highways 2 and 53, it is north of and adjacent to both the Village of Superior and the Town of Superior.Superior is at the western...

. In Douglas County, it receives the Ounce River

Ounce River

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...

.