Watershed at a Glance
The Minnesota River: Evaluating its health [highlight]
The Minnesota River: Evaluating its health
Simply put, the river is unhealthy. Sediment clouds the water, phosphorus causes algae, nitrogen poses risks to humans and fish, and bacteria make the water unsafe for swimming.
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. Cities include Fairfax, New Ulm, Lake Crystal, St. Peter, North Mankato, and Mankato. It is located primarily in the Western Cornbelt Plains ecoregion of south central Minnesota, with the far eastern reaches stretching into the North Central Hardwood Forest ecoregion. There are about 1,564 stream miles in the Minnesota River - Mankato watershed, and few large lakes, with only six exceeding 500 acres.
The watershed is diverse in landscape, with flat cropland in the west and bluffs and lakes in the east. While the vast majority is cropland, the city of Mankato is a regional urban center with several small cities along the main stem of the Minnesota River. Like its landscape, the goals and values of water quality vary across the watershed, making consensus a challenge.
| Hydrologic Unit Code: | 07020007 |
|---|---|
| Intensive monitoring start year: | 2013 |
| Major lakes | Major rivers and streams |
|---|---|
Duck, Mud, Emily, Wita, Ballantyne, Little, Henry, Crystal, Swan, Scotch, Loon, Middle, Washington | Little Cottonwood, Seven Mile Creek, Spring Creek, Fort Ridgely Creek, Eight Mile Creek, Morgan Creek, Minneopa Creek, Minnesota River mainstem |
Characteristics
The Minnesota River - Mankato watershed is composed of several small first and second order streams that drain directly into the Minnesota River. Land use in the Minnesota River - Mankato watershed is dominated by row crop agriculture, with corn and soybean production accounting for about 90% of cropped lands.County Soil and Water Conservation Districts have identified the primary resource concerns to be sediment and erosion control, stormwater management, drinking water and source water protection, drainage management, waste management, nutrient management, surface water quality and wetland management.
What's being done
The following work is completed:- Intensive water monitoring is completed, with the MPCA and local partners collecting data from more than 110 sites over two years. The report on this monitoring is available at the link below.
- Interpretive signs on water quality have been installed at Minneopa State Park near Mankato and Ft. Ridgely State Park near Fairfax.
- The MPCA worked with Fortin Consulting to develop a directory of stakeholders in the watershed. This directory, available as a PDF and Excel spreadsheet, offers a searchable list of groups with an interest in the Minnesota River.
The following work is underway:
- The report for Identification of conditions stressing water quality will be available in January of 2018.
- The MPCA plans to finish the Watershed Protection and Restoration Strategies and TMDL reports in the spring of 2018.
Monitoring and assessment reports and data
Minnesota River - Mankato watershed monitoring and assessment report (wq-ws3-07020007b)- Summary - Middle Minnesota River-Mankato Watershed Monitoring and Assessment Report (wq-ws3-07020007d)
HSPF model documentation
- Model resegmentation and extension for Minnesota River watershed model applications
- Hydrology and water-quality calibration and validation of Minnesota River watershed model
- Middle Minnesota HSPF Summary (wq-ws3-07020007c)
Contacts
Bryan Spindler
Watershed Project Manager
507-344-5267
bryan.spindler@state.mn.us
Watershed news
New report available
Lake Pepin Watershed Full Cost Accounting ProjectThis new report attempts to answer the question, "What would it take to achieve the water quality goals for Lake Pepin?" (July 2012)
Retired farmer helping Minnesota River
Retired farmer among Minnesota River's many helpersJohn Hogan has an 800-acre farm between Redwood Falls and Morton along the Minnesota River. He has worked hard on his 1.5 miles of riverfront to protect and restore water quality. (Tri-State Neighbor)
Sediment in the Minnesota River
Research shows various sources and remedies for excess sedimentRead Larry Gunderson's article in The Farmer magazine (March 2013).
Watershed approach videos
This four-part video series offers a great overview of our watershed approach to protecting and restoring our lakes, rivers, and wetlands.
Brian Spindler
Mankato Office
507-344-5267