The Skunk River is a 93-mile-long (150 km) tributary of the Mississippi River in the state of Iowa in the United States.
It rises in two branches, the South Skunk (185 miles (298 km) long) and the North Skunk (129 miles (208 km) long). The headwaters of the South Skunk are in Hamilton County in north central Iowa. It flows roughly due southward, to the west of Interstate 35, and passes through the city of Ames, before turning southeasterly. In Keokuk County, it is joined by the North Skunk, which has its headwaters in Marshall County. It then proceeds southeastward and flows into the Mississippi about five miles south of the city of Burlington.
The Sauk and Meskwaki referred to the Skunk River as "Shecaqua". This name was probably mistranslated; one early settler wrote, "I was informed by Frank Labisner, United States interpreter for the Sac and Fox Indians, that the name of Skunk River was a wrong interpretation. The Indian name was Checaqua. which, in their language is anything of a strong or obnoxious smell, such as onions. I think, that from the fact that the head waters of the stream abounded with wild onions, the interpretation should be 'Onion.'" Species of fish found in the Skunk River include smallmouth bass, gar, walleye, catfish, carp, bluegill, sheephead, bullhead, and largemouth bass.
The "Skunk River Navy", headed by Iowa State University Biology professor 'Admiral' Jim Colbert, frequently contributes to cleaning and studying the ecology of the river near Ames, IA. Students can participate voluntarily or for extra credit. This organization has been operating since 1998 and has removed over 60 tons of trash from the river.
Famous quotes containing the words skunk and/or river:
“But he sent her Good-by,
And said to be good,
And wear her red hood,
And look for skunk tracks
In the snow with an ax—
And do everything!”
—Robert Frost (1874–1963)
“Come, heart, where hill is heaped upon hill:
For there the mystical brotherhood
Of sun and moon and hollow and wood
And river and stream work out their will....”
—William Butler Yeats (1865–1939)