Agroecoregion: Dryer Blue Earth Till
Agroecoregion Characteristics Area (ac)* Percentage
Major Watersheds Hawk Creek-Yellow Medicine River 428,740 25.8
  Cottonwood River 373,622 22.5
  Lac Qui Parle River 308,523 18.6
  Redwood River 188,061 11.3
  Middle Minnesota River 152,979 9.2
  Upper Minnesota River 126,224 7.6
  Watonwan River 82,219 5.0
       
Counties Redwood 447,700 27.0
  Lac Qui Parle 425,902 25.7
  Yellow Medicine 355,381 21.4
  Lyon 146,767 8.8
  Brown 129,710 7.8
  Cottonwood 126,457 7.6
  Watonwan 27,748 1.7
  Lincoln 338 0.0
  Swift 257 0.0
  Chippewa 109 0.0
       
Slope Steepness 0-2 Percent 591,530 35.6
  2-6 Percent 1,026,302 61.8
  2-12 Percent 27,259 1.6
  6-12 Percent 14,655 0.9
  Water 622 0.0
       
Internal Drainage Poorly drained 571,220 34.4
  Poor/Improved by tiling 14,640 0.9
  Well drained 1,073,887 64.7
  Water 622 0.0
       
Erosion Potential Extreme 493 0
  Very Severe 0 0
  Severe 65,528 4
  Very High 47,791 3
  High 226,638 14
  Moderate 1,319,919 79
  Slight 0 0
       
Proximity to Water Island Shoreline 5 0.0
  Lake Shoreline 26,953 1.6
  Permanent River 79,554 4.8
  Intermittent River 202,607 12.2
  Drainage Ditches 207,707 12.5
  Landlocked 1,142,921 68.8
  Water 622 0.0
       
Geomorphology Blue Earth Till Plain (066) 1,643,936 99.0
  Minnesota Valley Outwash (032) 16,361 1.0
  Appleton-Clontarf Outwash Plain (065) 72 0.0
       
Crop Productivity Low productivity 43,759 2.6
  Medium productivity 1,609,561 96.9
  High productivity 7,049 0.4
       
Precipitation Between 22-24 inches 36,363 2.2
  Between 24-26 inches 756,237 45.6
  Between 26-28 inches 867,768 52.3
       
Growing Degree Days 1500-1750 Degree Days 14,032 0.9
  1750-2000 Degree Days 148,210 8.9
  2000-2250 Degree Days 420,572 25.3
  2250-2500 Degree Days 725,787 43.7
  2500-2750 Degree Days 351,768 21.2
       
* Expressed as acres or percent for agroecoregions area in the Minnesota River Basin


Last Updated on 11/2/97
By Ananda Mallawatantri
Email: ananda@soils.umn.edu