 | What is a Flowage? |
Simply put, a flowage is a lake with a river flowing through it. The Gordon Flowage is a body of water behind the Gordon Dam with the St. Croix River flowing through it.
| Where is the Gordon Flowage? |
The Gordon Flowage is near Gordon, Wisconsin. Gordon is located in northwest Wisconsin in Douglas County.
| What is the history of the Gordon Flowage? |
The Flowage was originally created by a natural obstruction the Chippewa called Namai Kowagon (Sturgeon Fish Dam). Early explorers named it Whitefish Lake. The Flowage was later enlarged by lumbering interests and again by a WPA project. The current name of the Flowage is the same as a nearby town.
| What is the St. Croix National Scenic Riverway? |
The St. Croix National Scenic Riverway consists of the St. Croix and Namekagon Rivers. This Riverway is one of the eight initial rivers designated under the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act enacted on October 2, 1968.
| Is the Gordon Flowage part of the St. Croix National Scenic Riverway? |
No. The Riverway starts downstream from the Gordon Dam.
| Where does the St. Croix River start? |
The headwater of the St. Croix River is Upper St. Croix Lake, which is located about eight miles upstream from the Gordon Flowage at Solon Springs.
| How did the St. Croix River get its name? |
It is not clear. A leading theory is that the name St. Croix, which means "Holy Cross," was originated by the French trader Nicolas Perrot in 1689.
| Is the Brule River connected to the St. Croix River? How about the Eau Claire and Namekagon Rivers? |
No. The origin of the (Bois) Brule River is slightly north of Upper St. Croix Lake. From that point, the Brule River flows northward to Lake Superior.
The Eau Claire River flows into the the St. Croix River slightly east of the Gordon Flowage at Gordon.
The Namekagon River flows into the St. Croix River downstream from the Gordon Flowage, near Danbury.