The Big Fork River watershed, which covers 1,326,947 acres, flows 165 miles from Dora Lake (45 miles northeast of Bemidji in north-central Itasca County) to the Rainy River, which forms the Minnesota/Canadian border. This confluence is 16 miles west-southwest of International Falls. Nearly 60% of the watershed is land owned or managed by the state.
Development pressure is moderate in most areas, with occasional farms being parceled out for development, recreation, or country homes.
What's being done
Healthier watersheds - embed
Watersheds: Tracking the actions taken
See actions taken in Minnesota’s watersheds to meet water-quality goals and milestones: WRAPS, TMDLs, best practices, wastewater, and money spent.
Water quality assessment data for government partners
Tribal, federal, state and local partners: View and download results of monitoring and assessment decisions for Minnesota waters based on designated uses and watersheds.
Monitoring and assessment
Big Fork River Watershed Monitoring and Assessment Report- Big Fork River Watershed Monitoring and Assessment: Report summary
Strategy development for restoration and protection
- Island Lake TMDL (wq-iw10-08e) (EPA approval 12/20/2017)
- Island Lake (Big Fork Watershed) TMDL: EPA approval letter (wq-iw10-08g)
- Big Fork Watershed WRAPS Report (wq-ws4-37a) (MPCA approval 9/8/2017)
