Agroecoregion: Less Steep Moraine
Agroecoregion Characteristics Area (ac)* Percentage
Major Watersheds Le Sueur River 306,670 41.3
  Lower Minnesota River 244,098 32.9
  Blue Earth River 132,970 17.9
  Middle Minnesota River 58,892 7.9
       
Counties Le Sueur 186,490 25.1
  Faribault 142,027 19.1
  Waseca 131,476 17.7
  Blue Earth 83,731 11.3
  Freeborn 79,648 10.7
  Scott 50,576 6.8
  Carver 32,266 4.3
  Steele 17,668 2.4
  Sibley 11,871 1.6
  Rice 6,879 0.9
       
Slope Steepness 0-2 Percent 266,772 35.9
  2-6 Percent 25,011 3.4
  2-12 Percent 304,581 41.0
  6-12 Percent 141,462 19.1
  Water 4,804 0.7
       
Internal Drainage Poorly drained 58,939 7.9
  Poor/Improved by tiling 212,096 28.6
  Well drained 466,790 62.9
  Water 4,804 0.7
       
Erosion Potential Extreme 0 0
  Very Severe 0 0
  Severe 157,150 21
  Very High 520,320 70
  High 63,243 9
  Moderate 0 0
  Slight 1,916 0
       
Proximity to Water Lake Shoreline 32,602 4.4
  Permanent River 59,613 8.0
  Intermittent River 68,955 9.3
  Drainage Ditches 63,081 8.5
  Landlocked 513,575 69.2
  Water 4,804 0.7
       
Geomorphology Waconia-Waseca Moraine (034) 409,264 55.1
  Lonsdale-Lerdal Till Region (033) 85,944 11.6
  Emmons-Faribault Moraine (35B) 73,939 10.0
  Wells-Rush River Ground Moraine (042) 50,588 6.8
  Hayward-Owatonna Moraine (35C) 46,942 6.3
  Blue Earth-Garden City Ground Moraine (044) 36,788 5.0
  Arlington-Matowan Ground Moraine (043) 19,530 2.6
  Minnesota Valley Outwash (032) 9,001 1.2
  Prior Lake Moraine (35A) 7,272 1.0
  Blue Earth Till Plain (066) 2,198 0.3
  Cannon Valley Outwash (030) 1,163 0.2
       
Crop Productivity Low productivity 7,343 1.0
  Medium productivity 89,500 12.1
  High productivity 645,786 87.0
       
Precipitation Between 28-30 inches 180,023 24.2
  Between 30-32 inches 525,493 70.8
  Between 32-34 inches 37,114 5.0
       
Growing Degree Days 1750-2000 Degree Days 19,859 2.7
  2000-2250 Degree Days 125,743 16.9
  2250-2500 Degree Days 315,375 42.5
  2500-2750 Degree Days 281,654 37.9
       
* 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