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The Mississippi River - Sartell Watershed covers approximately 652,800 acres (1,020 sq. miles) in the central part of the Upper Mississippi River Basin. The watershed includes parts of Benton, Crow Wing, Mille Lacs, Morrison, Stearns, and Todd counties.

The East Fork Des Moines River Watershed covers 839,518 acres, which includes Minnesota's Martin and Jackson counties.

Water quality trades that have been arranged in Minnesota illustrate many opportunities to enhance pollution reduction efforts while offering flexibility and cost savings to regulated municipalities and industries.

Karst near Oxbow Park and Zollman Zoo, host of the We Are Water MN traveling exhibit. Phil George, who lives in rural Byron, Minnesota, has always felt a deep…

The MPCA completed 68 enforcement cases for water quality, air quality, hazardous waste, stormwater, and wastewater violations in the first half of 2025.

The Red River of the North - Marsh River Watershed is part of the Red River Basin in northwestern Minnesota and southeastern North Dakota.

The Pine River Watershed is approximately 502,400 acres in size. The watershed drainage for the Pine River contains parts of Aitkin, Cass, Crow Wing and Hubbard counties. Pine River and Crosslake are the major cities in the watershed.

The Upper Red River of the North Watershed drains an area of 371,689 acres in the Glacial Lake Agassiz Plain, while the extreme southeastern portion of the basin lies in the North Central Hardwoods ecoregion. The Red River begins its course just below Breckenridge, Minn.

The Snake River begins its 50-mile course in Marshall County and drains an area of 611,800 acres. The Snake River Watershed lies within Marshall, Polk, and Pennington Counties in NW Minnesota.

The Red River of the North - Sand Hill River Watershed covers 708,469 acres and is part of the Red River Basin in northwestern Minnesota and southeastern North Dakota.

The Lake Superior - North Watershed covers over 1 million acres in the Northern Lakes and Forest ecoregion.

Water scientists from the MPCA published four watershed reports in 2025, updating the data we need to keep Minnesota’s waters clean and protected.

The Lower Red River Watershed (also known as the Red River of the North - Tamarac River) drains an area of 281,000 acres, including parts of Kittson, Marshall, and Roseau counties.

The Vermilion River Watershed, located within northern St. Louis County, covers 662,427 acres, or 1,035 square miles.

Within the three major watersheds that cover the Twin Cities area, there are 33 smaller watersheds managed by their own watershed district or watershed management organization.

The Red River of the North - Grand Marais Creek Watershed covers 298,264 acres and is part of the Red River Basin in northwestern Minnesota and southeastern North Dakota.

The Lower Rainy River Watershed is composed of a conglomeration of tributaries to the Rainy River, from International Falls and west to the Rainy River's pour point at the Lake of the Woods.

The Minnesota River - Mankato Watershed covers 861,886 acres across Cottonwood, Brown, Redwood, Renville, Sibley, Nicollet, Blue Earth, and Le Sueur counties in south-central Minnesota.

The Rainy River - Headwaters Watershed covers nearly 1.9 million acres, starting in northern Cook and Lake Counties and flowing west/northwesterly into St. Louis County and the Canadian border waters.

The Otter Tail River Watershed encompasses three different ecoregions, covering more than 1.2 million acres in west-central Minnesota.