Lac qui Parle River

The Lac qui Parle watershed covers approximately 1,100 square miles and drains parts of Lac qui Parle, Lincoln, and Yellow Medicine counties in Minnesota as well as parts of Grant, Deuel, and Brookings counties in South Dakota. The Lac qui Parle River enters the Minnesota River about 28 miles downstream of Dawson, Minn. The Lac qui Parle River is divided between the West Branch and the South Branch that converge near Dawson and flow in a northeast direction.

The watershed is characterized by undulating and rolling slopes upstream and becomes gently sloping downstream. The area is generally rural. Corn and soybeans are the primary crops, and pigs and cattle are the primary livestock production. Cities in Minnesota include Madison, Dawson, Boyd, Canby, and Hendricks.

Lac qui Parle River watershed characterization report - Dept. of Natural Resources, Minnesota Digital Water Research Library

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

The MPCA conducted intensive watershed monitoring in the Lac qui Parle River watershed in 2015-16. The stressor identification process is underway to determine what is stressing the biological communities in impaired reaches. Modeling was completed in 2017 for use in development of the Watershed Restoration and Protection Strategy due in 2021.

• Lac qui Parle River Watershed Stressor Identification Report (wq-ws5-07020003a)
• Summary - Lac qui Parle River Watershed Stressor Identification Report (wq-ws5-07020003b)
• Lac qui Parle River Watershed Monitoring and Assessment Report (wq-ws3-07020003b)
• Lac qui Parle River Watershed Monitoring and Assessment Report Summary (wq-ws3-07020003c)
• Lake Hendricks (41-0110) Lake Assessment Report (2009)

Strategy development for restoration and protection

Public comment period for the draft WRAPS and TMDL is June 7 through July 7, 2021.

• [DRAFT] Lac qui Parle River Watershed TMDL report (wq-iw7-55b)
• [DRAFT] Lac qui Parle River Watershed WRAPS report (wq-ws4-74a)
• Summary – Lac qui Parle River Watershed WRAPS report (wq-ws4-74b)

A Clean Water Partnership diagnostic study and implementation plan was completed in 2003. Since then, grants were used to complete the implementation plan through the Clean Water Partnership program and federal 319 grants.

A Lac qui Parle-Yellow Bank TMDL and implementation plan were completed in 2013 to address bacteria, turbidity, and low dissolved oxygen.

Lake Hendricks is a glacial lake on the South Dakota-Minnesota border. South Dakota’s Department of Environment & Natural Resources developed a TMDL for total phosphorus and accumulated sediment, which was approved by EPA Region 8 in April 1999; MPCA also reviewed and accepted this TMDL:

• Lake Hendricks Watershed TMDL (1999)