Turkey River (Iowa)

Turkey River
Keystone Bridge in Elkader
Turkey River watershed
Location
CountryUS
StateIowa
DistrictClayton County, Iowa, Fayette County, Iowa, Winneshiek County, Iowa, Howard County, Iowa
Physical characteristics
Source 
  coordinates43°20′31″N 92°18′40″W / 43.342°N 92.311°W / 43.342; -92.311
MouthMississippi River
  coordinates
42°43′03″N 91°00′43″W / 42.71750°N 91.01194°W / 42.71750; -91.01194
  elevation
607 ft (185 m)
Discharge 
  locationGarber, Iowa
  average1,108 cu/ft. per sec.
Basin features
Tributaries 
  leftRoberts Creek
  rightVolga River, Little Turkey River

The Turkey River is a 153-mile-long (246 km) tributary of the upper Mississippi River. Its main branch rises in Howard County, Iowa, near the city of Cresco. The other counties it or its tributaries cover are Chickasaw, Winneshiek, Fayette, Clayton, Delaware, and Dubuque. Tributaries include the Little Turkey River and Crane Creek.

Flowing from northwest to southeast, it flows through or near the cities of Spillville, Fort Atkinson, Eldorado (where it joins with the Little Turkey River), Clermont, Elgin, Elkader, Elkport, Garber, and Millville, before entering the Mississippi south of Guttenberg and across from Cassville, Wisconsin. At its mouth is the community of Turkey River, Iowa, which is named after the river.

The watershed covers 1,083,200 acres (4,384 km2).