Upper Big Sioux River

Only a very small portion of the 1.35-million-acre Upper Big Sioux River watershed is located in Lincoln County in western Minnesota. The vast majority is located in eastern South Dakota. Land use in this watershed is primarily agriculture, with row crops and livestock grazing.

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.

Monitoring and assessment

Monitoring work in the Upper Big Sioux River watershed began in 2011.

• Upper Big Sioux River Watershed Biotic Stressor Identification Report
• Summary - Missouri River Basin watersheds Stressor Identification Report (wq-ws5-10170202c)
• Missouri River Basin Watersheds Monitoring and Assessment Summary
• Missouri River Basin (Upper Big Sioux, Lower Big Sioux, Little Sioux, and Rock River Watersheds) Monitoring and Assessment Report
• Missouri River Basin Hydrology, Connectivity, and Geomorphology Assessment Report

Water quality model supporting documents

• Model Development for the Minnesota Portions of the Big Sioux and the Little Sioux-Missouri River Watersheds (wq-iw7-44n)

• HSPF QAQC Big Sioux River Watershed (wq-iw7-44o)

• Missouri River Basin HSPF Model Description (wq-iw7-44p)

• HSPF QAQC Calibration for Rock River and Little Sioux River watersheds (wq-iw7-44q)

• Hydrology and Water-Quality Calibration and Validation of Big Sioux and the Little Sioux-Missouri River Watershed Model Applications (wq-iw7-44r)

Strategy development for restoration and protection

• Missouri River Basin TMDL Report (wq-iw7-44e) (EPA approval 2/15/2018)
• Appendices for Missouri River Basin TMDL report (wq-iw7-44h)
• Missouri River Basin TMDL: EPA approval letter (wq-iw7-44g)
• Missouri River Basin WRAPS Report (wq-ws4-40a) (MPCA approval 1/18/2018)
• Summary - Missouri River Basin WRAPS Report (wq-ws4-40b)