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The Maquoketa River is a tributary of the Mississippi River, approximately 130 mi (209 km) long, in eastern Iowa in the United States. Its watershed encompasses 1879 sq mi (4886 km²) within a rural region of rolling hills and farmland southwest of Dubuque.
Course
The Maquoketa rises on a glaciated plain in southeastern Fayette County, approximately 10 mi (16 km) NNW of Oelwein. It flows briefly northeastward, then generally southeastward through Clayton, Delaware, Jones and Jackson Counties, through Backbone State Park and the towns of Dundee, Manchester and Monticello. At Maquoketa, it receives the North Fork Maquoketa River from the north; the North Fork rises in northern Dubuque County and flows generally southward past Dyersville and Cascade. The Maquoketa then flows generally eastward in a meandering course as it approaches the Mississippi. It enters the Mississippi from the southwest in eastern Jackson County, approximately 30 mi (48 km) southeast of Dubuque.
The watershed of the river is considered to be one of the most erosive within the upper Mississippi basin, contributing approximately 500,000 tons of sediment annually to the Mississippi River. The river is considered one of the best smallmouth bass and trout fisheries in Iowa.
See also
External links
"Maquoketa River"