Red River Valley

Red River Valley. . , The story of the Red River Valley and Red River of the North began over 11,000 years ago when Lake Agassiz was formed. , A glacier extended from Canada south and covered what is now the Red River Valley. As it began to melt and recede northward, Lake Agassiz was formed. At its peak, 10,000 years ago, the lake covered approximately 137,000 square miles. 500 years later, Lake Agassiz drained into Lake Winnipeg leaving the flat, fertile lake-bottom that contains some of the richest farmland in the world. Cretaceous rocks underlie the valley, and the plain extends 10 to 40 miles on either side of the Red River. , The valley occupies 17,000 square miles and is 315 miles long reaching from Lake Traverse at the southern end to Lake Winnipeg at the northern end. The river flows northward from the confluence of the Boise de Sioux and Ottertail Rivers at Breckenridge Minnesota creating the Dakota-Minnesota border. The Red River twists and turns northward, ultimately emptying into Lake Winnipeg at the northern terminus of its 545-mile journey. , The Red River Valley and Red River of the North are geographic, archeological, and historic wonders that have shaped our lives and culture. , Sources: www.riverkeepers.org , and A River Runs North by , Gene Kranz and Jay Leitch.