Editing Rice County, Minnesota (section)

==Geography==
The [[Cannon River (Minnesota)|Cannon River]] flows northeasterly through the center of the county, on its way to discharge into the [[Mississippi River]] at [[Red Wing, Minnesota|Red Wing]]. The [[Straight River (southern Minnesota)|Straight River]] flows northerly into the county from [[Steele County, Minnesota|Steele County]] to its discharge point into the Cannon River at Faribault. The [[Zumbro River#Courses|North Fork of the Zumbro River]] rises in south-central Rice County, and flows eastward into [[Goodhue County, Minnesota|Goodhue County]] on its way to discharge into the Mississippi east of [[Kellogg, Minnesota|Kellogg]].

The county terrain consists of low, rolling hills, entirely devoted to agriculture, and dotted with lakes.<ref name="RCM">[https://www.google.com/maps/place/Rice+County,+MN/@44.369937,-93.4228551,11z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m5!3m4!1s0x87f659b1e262d12f:0x9eef359126c2cc2e!8m2!3d44.2749995!4d-93.3388917 ''Rice County MN''  Google Maps (accessed April 3, 2019)]</ref> The county slopes to the east and north; its highest point is near its SE corner, at {{convert|1,263|ft|m|abbr=on}} ASL.<ref>[https://www.daftlogic.com/sandbox-google-maps-find-altitude.htm "Find an Altitude/Rice County MN"  Google Maps (accessed April 3, 2019)]</ref> The county has an area of {{convert|516|sqmi}}, of which {{convert|496|sqmi}} is land and {{convert|20|sqmi}} (3.9%) is water.<ref>{{Cite web |date=August 22, 2012 |title=2010 Census Gazetteer Files |url=https://www.census.gov/geo/maps-data/data/docs/gazetteer/counties_list_27.txt |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130921060200/http://www.census.gov/geo/maps-data/data/docs/gazetteer/counties_list_27.txt |archive-date=September 21, 2013 |access-date=October 24, 2014 |publisher=United States Census Bureau}}</ref> The [[Cannon River (Minnesota)|Cannon River]] flows northeastwardly through the county, collecting the [[Straight River (southern Minnesota)|Straight River]] in Faribault. The North Fork of the [[Zumbro River]] has its headwaters in the county's southeastern part.<ref>{{Cite book |title=Minnesota Atlas & Gazetteer |publisher=[[DeLorme]] |year=1994 |isbn=0-89933-222-6 |location=Yarmouth ME |page=33}}</ref> Rice is one of 17 Minnesota savanna counties with more savanna soils than either prairie or forest soils.[[File:Rice Co Pie Chart No Text Version.pdf|thumb|right|Soils of Rice County<ref>Nelson, Steven (2011). ''Savanna Soils of Minnesota.'' Minnesota: Self. pp. 43-48. {{ISBN|978-0-615-50320-2}}.</ref>]]

===Major highways===
{{div col}}
* [[Image:I-35.svg|20px]] [[Interstate 35 in Minnesota|Interstate 35]]
* {{jct|state=MN|BL|35|dab1=Faribault}}
* [[Image:MN-3.svg|20px]] [[Minnesota State Highway 3]]
* [[Image:MN-13.svg|20px]] [[Minnesota State Highway 13]]
* [[Image:MN-19.svg|20px]] [[Minnesota State Highway 19]]
* [[Image:MN-21.svg|20px]] [[Minnesota State Highway 21]]
* [[Image:MN-60.svg|20px]] [[Minnesota State Highway 60]]
* [[Image:MN-99.svg|20px]] [[Minnesota State Highway 99]]
* [[Image:MN-246.svg|20px]] [[Minnesota State Highway 246]]
* [[Image:MN-298.svg|20px]] [[Minnesota State Highway 298]]
* [[Image:MN-299.svg|20px]] [[Minnesota State Highway 299]]
{{div col end}}

===Adjacent counties===
{{div col}}
* [[Dakota County, Minnesota|Dakota County]] - northeast
* [[Goodhue County, Minnesota|Goodhue County]] - east
* [[Dodge County, Minnesota|Dodge County]] - southeast
* [[Steele County, Minnesota|Steele County]] - south
* [[Waseca County, Minnesota|Waseca County]] - southwest
* [[Le Sueur County, Minnesota|Le Sueur County]] - west
* [[Scott County, Minnesota|Scott County]] - northwest
{{div col end}}

===Protected areas<ref name=RCM/>===
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* Cannon Lake Wilderness Area
* Cannon River Trout Lily Scientific and Natural Area
* Faribault State Wildlife Management Area
* Nerstrand Big Woods State Park
* River Bend Nature Area
* Sakatah Lake State Park (part)
* Shager Park
* Townsend Woods Scientific and Natural Area
* Whitney Island Scientific and Natural Area
{{div col end}}

===Lakes<ref name=RCM/>===
{{div col}}
* Cannon Lake
* Caron Lake
* Cedar Lake
* Circle Lake
* Crystal Lake
* Duban Lake
* Dudley Lake
* Fox Lake
* French Lake
* Hatch Lake
* Horseshoe Lake (part)
* Hunt Lake
* Kelly Lake
* Mazaska Lake
* Metogga Lake
* Mud Lake
* Phelps Lake
* Rice Lake
* [[Roberds Lake]]
* Sakatah Lake (part)
* [[Shields Lake]]
* Sprague Lake
* Union Lake
* Weinberger Lake
* Wells Lake
* Willing Lake
{{div col end}}