The river's name (as "Nodawa") first appears in the journal of Lewis and Clark, who camped at the mouth of the river on July 8, 1804,[3] but who provide no derivation of the name. The name is an Otoe-Missouria term meaning "jump over water".[4] The term would be spelled today in full as Nyi At'ąwe (nyi (water) + a- (on) + t'ąwe (jump)) and would be contracted in regular speech as Nyat'ąwe or Nat'ąwe.[5]
Lewis and Clark liked the spot enough that they recommended it for the winter headquarters of Astor Expedition of 1810–12 that discovered the South Pass in Wyoming through which hundreds of settlers on the Oregon Trail, California Trail, Mormon Trail were to pass.
The river is navigable only by shallow fishing and row boats although steam ships navigated just inside its mouth. The river was the primary route for white settlers including Amos Graham and Isaac Hogan following the Platte Purchase of 1836 which opened northwest Missouri for settlement. Nodaway County, which derives its name from the river, was by far the biggest county in the purchase and the fourth largest in the state of Missouri.
Description
Major tributaries in the Nodaway River basin are Seven Mile Creek, West Nodaway River, East Nodaway River, Middle Nodaway River, Clear Creek, Mill Creek, Elkhorn Creek, and Arapahoe Creek. The biggest town on the river is Clarinda, Iowa.
The Nodaway begins near Shambaugh, Iowa at the confluence of the East and West Nodaway rivers. The West Nodaway River rises northeast of Massena in eastern Cass County, Iowa, and flows 73.8 miles (118.8 km)[2] south-southwest past Villisca and Clarinda to its junction with the East Nodaway. The East Nodaway River rises just west of Orient in Adair County and flows 72.8 miles (117.2 km)[2] southwest past Prescott, Corning, Brooks, and Nodaway to its confluence with the West Nodaway. The Middle Nodaway River rises in Adair County south of Casey and flows 60.5 miles (97.4 km)[2] southwest past Greenfield, Fontanelle, and Carbon to join the West Nodaway just below Villisca, Iowa, 20.2 miles (32.5 km)[2] above the West Nodaway's juncture with the East Nodaway. The East and West Nodaway join to form the Nodaway River four miles (6 km) north of the Iowa-Missouri border, and the river enters Missouri near Clearmont, Missouri.
Elevations in the Nodaway system range from just under 1,400 feet (430 m) above sea level at the source of the Middle Nodaway, to 950 feet (290 m) at the beginning of the main stem, to 800 feet (240 m) at its mouth on the Missouri River in Nodaway, Missouri in Andrew County, Missouri.
The Nodaway River is a sixth order river with a basin area of 1,820 square miles (4,700 km2).
The Platte River basin is to the east and the Grand River and Des Moines River basins to the northeast, with the latter defining the boundary between the Missouri River and Mississippi River basins. The west side is bound by the Tarkio River basin and in the northwest by the Nishnabotna River basin.
The Nodaway River basin is prone to extensive flooding and can contribute as much as 20% of the flood crest of the Missouri River near its mouth.
At Graham, Missouri its normal flow is 1,011 cubic feet per second (28.6 m³/s). But during the Great Flood of 1993 the river was flowing 78,300 ft³/s (2220 m³/s) at Graham.
^"USGS Surface Water data for Missouri: USGS Surface-Water Annual Statistics".
^ abcdeU.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline data. The National Map 2012-03-29 at the Wayback Machine, accessed March 30, 2011
^. Missouri Department of Conservation Online. Archived from the original on August 29, 2008. Retrieved 2009-04-25.
^Thwaites, Reuben (1905). Early Western Travels - 1748-1846, Vol. 17. Chicago, IL: The Lakeside Press. p. 300.
^"Otoe-Missouria Language". Retrieved 13 November 2014.
References
Bright, William (2004). Native American Placenames of the United States. Norman: University of Oklahoma Press.
Thwaites, Reuben Gold (1905), Early Western Travels - 1748-1846. Vol. 17. The Lakeside Press.
Trigger, Bruce, ed. (1978) Northeast. Vol. 15 of Handbook of North American Indians, ed. William C. Sturtevant. Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution.
External links
National Weather Service data on Nodaway River at Burlington Junction
January 07, 2023
nodaway, river, mile, long, river, southwest, iowa, northwest, missouri, section, lewis, clark, 1814, showing, rivers, northwest, missouri, nodaway, spelled, nodawa, northern, missouri, rivers, native, namenyi, ąwe, iowa, locationcountryusstateiowa, missouridi. The Nodaway River is a 65 7 mile long 105 7 km 2 river in southwest Iowa and northwest Missouri Nodaway RiverA section of the Lewis and Clark map of 1814 showing the rivers of northwest Missouri The Nodaway is spelled Nodawa Map of northern Missouri rivers Native nameNyi At awe Iowa Oto LocationCountryUSStateIowa MissouriDistrictPage County Iowa Holt County Missouri Nodaway County Missouri Andrew County MissouriPhysical characteristicsSource locationClarinda Iowa US coordinates40 38 06 N 95 01 08 W 40 635 N 95 019 W 40 635 95 019 elevation945 ft 288 m MouthMissouri River locationAmazonia Missouri US coordinates39 54 07 N 94 57 58 W 39 902 N 94 966 W 39 902 94 966 Coordinates 39 54 07 N 94 57 58 W 39 902 N 94 966 W 39 902 94 966 elevation827 ft 252 m Discharge locationGraham MO average1 008 cu ft per sec 1 Basin featuresTributaries leftWest Nodaway River rightEast Nodaway River USGS Geographic Names Information System Retrieved 17 September 2009 Nodaway River just before the confluence with the Missouri River at Nodaway Missouri Nodaway River at Skidmore Missouri during the May 2007 Flood Contents 1 Etymology 2 History 3 Description 4 See also 5 Notes 6 References 7 External linksEtymology EditThe river s name as Nodawa first appears in the journal of Lewis and Clark who camped at the mouth of the river on July 8 1804 3 but who provide no derivation of the name The name is an Otoe Missouria term meaning jump over water 4 The term would be spelled today in full as Nyi At awe nyi water a on t awe jump and would be contracted in regular speech as Nyat awe or Nat awe 5 History EditLewis and Clark camped at the river s mouth on Nodaway Island on July 8 1804 by Nodaway Missouri on the border of Holt County Missouri and Andrew County Missouri and took note of the river Lewis and Clark liked the spot enough that they recommended it for the winter headquarters of Astor Expedition of 1810 12 that discovered the South Pass in Wyoming through which hundreds of settlers on the Oregon Trail California Trail Mormon Trail were to pass The river is navigable only by shallow fishing and row boats although steam ships navigated just inside its mouth The river was the primary route for white settlers including Amos Graham and Isaac Hogan following the Platte Purchase of 1836 which opened northwest Missouri for settlement Nodaway County which derives its name from the river was by far the biggest county in the purchase and the fourth largest in the state of Missouri Description EditMajor tributaries in the Nodaway River basin are Seven Mile Creek West Nodaway River East Nodaway River Middle Nodaway River Clear Creek Mill Creek Elkhorn Creek and Arapahoe Creek The biggest town on the river is Clarinda Iowa The Nodaway begins near Shambaugh Iowa at the confluence of the East and West Nodaway rivers The West Nodaway River rises northeast of Massena in eastern Cass County Iowa and flows 73 8 miles 118 8 km 2 south southwest past Villisca and Clarinda to its junction with the East Nodaway The East Nodaway River rises just west of Orient in Adair County and flows 72 8 miles 117 2 km 2 southwest past Prescott Corning Brooks and Nodaway to its confluence with the West Nodaway The Middle Nodaway River rises in Adair County south of Casey and flows 60 5 miles 97 4 km 2 southwest past Greenfield Fontanelle and Carbon to join the West Nodaway just below Villisca Iowa 20 2 miles 32 5 km 2 above the West Nodaway s juncture with the East Nodaway The East and West Nodaway join to form the Nodaway River four miles 6 km north of the Iowa Missouri border and the river enters Missouri near Clearmont Missouri Elevations in the Nodaway system range from just under 1 400 feet 430 m above sea level at the source of the Middle Nodaway to 950 feet 290 m at the beginning of the main stem to 800 feet 240 m at its mouth on the Missouri River in Nodaway Missouri in Andrew County Missouri The Nodaway River is a sixth order river with a basin area of 1 820 square miles 4 700 km2 The Platte River basin is to the east and the Grand River and Des Moines River basins to the northeast with the latter defining the boundary between the Missouri River and Mississippi River basins The west side is bound by the Tarkio River basin and in the northwest by the Nishnabotna River basin The Nodaway River basin is prone to extensive flooding and can contribute as much as 20 of the flood crest of the Missouri River near its mouth At Graham Missouri its normal flow is 1 011 cubic feet per second 28 6 m s But during the Great Flood of 1993 the river was flowing 78 300 ft s 2220 m s at Graham See also EditList of rivers of Iowa Florida CreekNotes Edit USGS Surface Water data for Missouri USGS Surface Water Annual Statistics a b c d e U S Geological Survey National Hydrography Dataset high resolution flowline data The National Map Archived 2012 03 29 at the Wayback Machine accessed March 30 2011 Nodaway River Watershed Historic and Recent Use Missouri Department of Conservation Online Archived from the original on August 29 2008 Retrieved 2009 04 25 Thwaites Reuben 1905 Early Western Travels 1748 1846 Vol 17 Chicago IL The Lakeside Press p 300 Otoe Missouria Language Retrieved 13 November 2014 References EditBright William 2004 Native American Placenames of the United States Norman University of Oklahoma Press Thwaites Reuben Gold 1905 Early Western Travels 1748 1846 Vol 17 The Lakeside Press Trigger Bruce ed 1978 Northeast Vol 15 of Handbook of North American Indians ed William C Sturtevant Washington D C Smithsonian Institution External links EditMissouri Watershed report National Weather Service data on Nodaway River at Burlington Junction Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Nodaway River amp oldid 1094203381, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
