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CHRISTOPHER M. KAVANAUGH 5 Minnesota River Basin Assessment Project by Christopher M. Kavanaugh Minnesota Department of Natural Resources Section of Fisheries 20596 Highway 7 Hutchinson, Minnesota 55350 Abstract. The Minnesota River basin encompasses 44,300 km2 in southwestem Minnesota, eastem South Dakota, and north-central Iowa. The river flows 597 km to its confluence with the Mississippi River at St. Paul, Minnesota. Original vegetation in the basin was tall grass prairie, prairie wetlands, and hardwood forests. Agriculture dominates the land use throughout the basin. The Minnesota River has a negative effect on water quality in the Mississippi River with regard to sediment and nutrients. The fish community in the basin is composed of 84 native and 4 introduced species. The river supporls a sport fishery for walleye (Stizostedion vitreum), channel catiJSh (lctalurus punctatus), northem pike (Esox lucius), and flathead catfish (Pylodictis olivaris). A commercial fishery exists for common carp (Cyprinus carpio), buffalo (lctiobus spp.), and freshwater drum (Aplodinotus gro,nniens). Fish consumption advisories for PCB's are in place for most species. Restoration planning began in 1989 with the initiation of the Minnesota River Assessment Project. The project is funded primarily by the Minnesota State Legislature through the Legislative Commission on Minnesota Resources. The Minnesota River Assessment Project is a multidisciplinary investigation of the physical, chemical, biological, and land-use characteristics of the basin with the goal of recommending Best Management Practices (BMPs) to achieve water quality goals. Implementation of recommendations will be directed by a citizens advisory committee made up of 30 individuals with diverse backgrounds. The citizens advisory committee will target its efforts at addressing runoff and sedimentation. The Minnesota River is the largest tributary to the Mississippi River in Minnesota. The river be- gins at the South Dakota-Minnesota border and flows 597 km before emptying into the Mississippi River at St. Paul, Minnesota (Fig. 1). Average gra- dient in the stream is 0.2 m/km. The entire basin covers about 44,300 km2 in Minnesota, South Da- kota, and Iowa. The Minnesota River is often referred to as Min- nesota's "forgotten river" and is described as a resource in trouble, which is far different from the descriptions provided by early explorers. In the 1770's, J. Carver (1776) described the river as "most delightful country abounding with all the necessar- ies of life that grow spontaneously." In 1823, W. Keating (1825) described the river bed as "chiefly white sand," implying the water was clear enough to see bottom. In the 1830's, Featherstonaugh (1970 reprint) 'travelled the river, known then as the Minnay Sotor by the Sioux. He commented on the vast areas of wetlands he was able to see while paddling. Today that would be nearly impossible given the.deeply cut vertical banks. Geologic Characteristics The Minnesota River is small compared with its expansive valley, nearly 8 km wide and 90 m deep in places. The river valley was carved by Glacial River W 8.1TEln as it discharged from the south end of Glacial Lake Agassiz. As the elevation of Lake Agassiz dropped, a very small ridge appeared at Browns Valley, Minnesota, which became a conti- nental divide. To the north the Red River of the North flows to Hudson Bay, and to the south the Minnesota River flows to the Mississippi River.