St. Croix River Basin

The St. Croix River's headwaters are at St. Croix Lake near Solon Springs, Wisconsin, from where it flows west and south over 160 miles until it joins the Mississippi River at Prescott, Wisconsin. Approximately 80% (129 miles) of the St. Croix River forms part of the boundary between Wisconsin and Minnesota. The upper 20% of the river is entirely within Wisconsin. The watershed covers approximately 7,760 square miles and extends from near Mille Lacs Lake in Minnesota on the west to near Cable, Wisconsin, on the east. Approximately 46% of the watershed is located in Minnesota.

2011 Protecting the St. Croix Conference

The 12th Annual Conference will be held on April 5, 2011. Visit the St.Croix River Association Web site for additional conference registration and a copy of the conference schedule.

Basin Information

The river crosses three major ecoregions and provides protection for a rich riparian zone, originating in a region of northern spruce and pine and flowing southwesterly through hardwood forests and prairie, eventually joining the Mississippi River. The river supports 95 fish species, beaver, muskrat, and otters. Eagles, osprey, and ducks nest along the river. Insects, 41 species of fresh water mussels, and hundreds of other species of plants and animals make the St. Croix their home.

During the 1950s and '60s, a burgeoning population from the Twin Cities continued to push for development and increased recreational usage of the St. Croix River. Worried that continued urban stressors would put the natural resources of the watershed at risk, concerned citizens and politicians pushed for the St. Croix to be included in the original National Wild and Scenic Rivers Act. The St. Croix National Scenic Riverway, which includes the Namekagon River in Wisconsin and the upper portion of the St, Croix, was established as part of that original Act in 1968. The Lower St. Croix National Scenic Riverway was added in 1972. This park is one of the most biologically diverse national parks of the Midwest.

The states of Minnesota and Wisconsin both recognize the St. Croix is an exceptional resource, deserving of protection. Minnesota has designated the entire St. Croix and its Kettle River tributary as Outstanding Resource Value Waters. Wisconsin has designated portions of the St. Croix as an Exceptional Resource water and the remainder as an Outstanding Resource Water. Wisconsin has also declared its tributary, the Namekagon River,  an Outstanding Resource Water.

Map of St. Croix River Basin

Map of St. Croix River Drainage Area
(Minnesota and Wisconsin)

Map Source: National Park Service

Map of St. Croix Basin (Minnesota Side)

Related Links

• USGS 1999 - Nutrient and Suspended concentrations and Loadings in the St. Croix River Basin
• U of M Land cover and Impervious Surface Mapping

Staff Contact

For information about the St. Croix River Basin, contact Chris Klucas, 651-757-2498.