Willow River (St. Croix River)

The Willow River is a 61.1-mile-long (98.3 km)^[1] river in St. Croix County, Wisconsin, United States, and a tributary of the St. Croix River. Its source is in southern Polk County east of the village of Clear Lake. The river at one time flowed unobstructed into the lower St. Croix River in between Hudson and North Hudson (44°59′18″N 92°45′46″W / 44.98833°N 92.76278°W / 44.98833; -92.76278). But a dam was built to block off its mouth, a narrow channel was cut above the dam to the St. Croix River, the channel was dammed, and a mill was built to exploit the head of water that the two dams created.^[2] Subsequently, the Willow River Power Co. built a hydroelectric facility to utilize the same head of water, but the head was substantially decreased when the United States built the Red Wing Dam 30 miles downstream on the Mississippi River.^[2]

The river lazily winds back and forth with a slow flowage. In its upper reaches it flows through the Cylon Marsh State Wildlife Area. It passes south of Deer Park by about one mile. It then passes through New Richmond, Boardman, and Burkhardt. Near Burkhardt it enters Willow River State Park.

The river is rarely canoed north of the town of Burkhardt due to fallen trees and sand bars. In times of low water it is nearly impossible to canoe the river. In the spring the high water is about 6 feet (1.8 m) higher than the summer mean. Although it is possible to canoe or kayak the river, it is not advised. Trout fishing is generally done downriver from Boardman.

The status of the Willow River as a non-navigable stream figured in constitutional litigation over whether a head of water to which it contributed was a property interest for purposes of the Fifth Amendment, in United States v. Willow River Power Co.

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