The Cannon, Root, Whitewater and Zumbro rivers all eventually flow into the Mississippi river. This section covers 120 miles of the Mississippi River and backwater areas from the mouth of the Cannon River, which is upriver from Red Wing, to the Iowa border. In the 1930's several locks and dams were constructed to pool the water to allow cargo barges sufficient channel depth for navigation. The pools flooded areas upstream of the dams and created a maze of backwater areas that are great for paddling, fishing and nature watching with many species of ducks, blue herons, bald eagles and many other birds to hold your attention. The book "Canoeing The Driftless" describes three sections of the Mississippi River, each about 40 miles in length. There are many public boat accesses and carry-in accesses on both the Minnesota and Wisconsin sides of the river.