The Root River flows for through the Driftless Area of southeastern Minnesota and is a tributary of the Upper Mississippi River. It is an excellent river for canoeing. The gentle to moderate flowing river drops an average of 3.4 ft/mile from Chatfield, Minnesota, to its pour point in the Mississippi River into Navigation Pool 7 just south of La Crosse, Wisconsin.The South Branch rises in Mower County as agricultural drainage ditches, which disappear underground, re-emerging as a much cooler stream at Mystery Cave near Preston, Minnesota. The 48°F water creates superb conditions for brook trout.The river lies within Minnesota's Driftless Area, a region which missed being glaciated during the last ice age, i.e., the Wisconsinian glaciation.Root River is an English translation of the Dakota-language name.
