Editing Crow Wing County, Minnesota (section)

==Geography==
Crow Wing County has an area of {{convert|1157|sqmi}}, of which {{convert|999|sqmi}} is land and {{convert|157|sqmi}} (14%) is water.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/geo/maps-data/data/docs/gazetteer/counties_list_27.txt|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130921060200/http://www.census.gov/geo/maps-data/data/docs/gazetteer/counties_list_27.txt|url-status=dead|archive-date=September 21, 2013|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=October 6, 2014|date=August 22, 2012|title=2010 Census Gazetteer Files}}</ref>

===Topography and vegetation===
Crow Wing County has two [[state forest]]s, the [[Crow Wing State Forest]] and the [[Emily State Forest]]. The Cuyuna Lakes State Trail lies in the [[Upper Mississippi River]] Basin. The topography is gently rolling to flat, mostly wooded and heavily dotted with waters and wetlands.<ref name=CWCM>[https://www.google.com/maps/place/Crow+Wing+County,+MN/@46.4803814,-94.36605,10z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m5!3m4!1s0x52b6e4389b3dd911:0x8f05b1cea6f7491f!8m2!3d46.5957987!4d-94.1401699 ''Crow Wing County MN''  Google Maps (accessed March 7, 2019)]</ref> It is home to an abundance of [[wildlife]], including [[white-tailed deer]], [[cottontail rabbit]], [[snowshoe hare]], [[raccoon]], [[red fox]], [[gray fox]], [[coyote]], [[mink]], [[muskrat]], [[squirrel]]s, [[beaver]], occasional [[American black bear]], [[Bald eagle]], [[osprey]] and many other [[waterfowl]].

===Lakes and rivers===
The main river is the [[Mississippi River]], and there are several smaller streams.
It has about 417 recognized lakes. The top ten by size are:
# [[Gull Lake (Cass County, Minnesota)|Gull Lake]] – {{convert|9419|acre|km2}}
# [[Pelican Lake (Crow Wing County, Minnesota)|Pelican Lake]] – {{convert|8254|acre|km2}}
# [[Whitefish Lake (Minnesota)|Upper and Lower White Fish Lake]] – {{convert|7372|acre|km2}}
# [[North Long Lake]] – {{convert|5997|acre|km2}}
# [[Lake Edward (Minnesota)|Lake Edward]] – {{convert|2576|acre|km2}}
# [[Bay Lake (Minnesota)|Bay Lake]] – {{convert|2393|acre|km2}}
# Cross Lake – {{convert|1752|acre|km2}}
# [[Round Lake (Minnesota)|Round Lake]] – {{convert|1645|acre|km2}}
# [[Big Trout Lake]] – {{convert|1343|acre|km2}}
# Lower South Long Lake – {{convert|1312|acre|km2}}

===Major highways===
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* [[Image:US_169_(MN).svg|20px]] [[U.S. Route 169 in Minnesota|U.S. Route 169]]
* [[Image:MN-6.svg|20px]] [[Minnesota State Highway 6]]
* [[Image:MN-18.svg|20px]] [[Minnesota State Highway 18]]
* [[Image:MN-25.svg|20px]] [[Minnesota State Highway 25]]
* [[Image:MN-210.svg|20px]] [[Minnesota State Highway 210]]
* [[Image:MN-371.svg|20px]] [[Minnesota State Highway 371]]
*{{jct|MN-Bus|371|dab1=Brainerd|state=MN}}
{{div col end}}

===Adjacent counties===
{{div col|colwidth=25em}}
* [[Aitkin County, Minnesota|Aitkin County]] – northeast
* [[Mille Lacs County, Minnesota|Mille Lacs County]] – southeast
* [[Morrison County, Minnesota|Morrison County]] – southwest
* [[Cass County, Minnesota|Cass County]] – northwest, north
{{div col end}}

===Protected areas===
{{div col|colwidth=25em}}
* [[Crow Wing State Forest]]
* Crow Wing State Park (part)
* Cuyuna Country State Recreation Area
* Cuyuna Lakes State Trail (within Cuyuna Country SRA)<ref>[https://www.dnr.state.mn.us/state_trails/cuyuna_lakes/index.html Minnesota Div of Natural Resources: Cuyuna Lakes State Trail (accessed March 7, 2019)]</ref>
* Duck Lakes State Wildlife Management Area
* [[Emily State Forest]]
* Loerch State Wildlife Management Area
* Mille Lacs Moraine Scientific and Natural Area
* Safari North Wildlife Park
* Upper Dean State Wildlife Management Area
{{div col end}}
<ref name=CWCM/>

===Superfund site and environmental damage===
The presence of railroads increased development in the county, but also brought environmental problems. The [[Burlington Northern (Brainerd/Baxter)]] [[United States Environmental Protection Agency|EPA]] [[Superfund]] site is between Brainerd and [[Baxter, Minnesota|Baxter]]. [[Burlington Northern Railroad]] had a treatment plant in Crow Wing County for railroad ties, to protect the wood from weather and insects. Wastewater generated from the wood-treating process was sent to two shallow, unlined ponds. This created sludge that contaminated both the underlying soils and the [[groundwater]] with [[creosote]] and [[polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons]] (PAHs).<ref>[http://www.epa.gov/region5/superfund/npl/minnesota/MND000686196.html "Burlington Northern (Brainerd/Baxter) Fact Sheet"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121205201337/http://www.epa.gov/region5/superfund/npl/minnesota/MND000686196.html|date=December 5, 2012 }}, ''EPA'', July 13, 2012</ref>