The name of the Red River of the North is derived from its Ojibwa name suggesting
a flaming sunset on its flat waters. The first French explorers and fur traders
in the region called it the Riviere Rouge. The English and Americans who followed
translated this French name into the Red River. The Upper and Lower Red Lakes
and the Red Lake River take their names from the Red River of the North into
which they flow. The network of streams, rivers, lakes, and marshes in the region
form one of the world's major flyways for migrating birds like the bald eagle
depicted in the logo. The Red Lake River has been designated a State Canoe Route
by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. It has a significant impact
on water quality, fish and wildlife habitat, biodiversity, and recreational
value. Recreational uses of the Red Lake River include boating, canoeing, kayaking,
fishing, hunting, bird watching, tubing, swimming, relaxing, cross-country skiing,
snowshoeing, and ice-skating.