Agroecoregion: Steep Valley Walls
Agroecoregion Characteristics Area (ac)* Percentage
Major Watersheds Hawk Creek-Yellow Medicine River 79,966 38.4
  Middle Minnesota River 61,708 29.6
  Lower Minnesota River 41,652 20.0
  Chippewa River 12,204 5.9
  Upper Minnesota River 7,929 3.8
  Redwood River 3,209 1.5
  Lac Qui Parle River 855 0.4
  Cottonwood River 808 0.4
       
Counties Renville 41,825 20.1
  Chippewa 38,722 18.6
  Redwood 24,831 11.9
  Nicollet 23,957 11.5
  Brown 18,896 9.1
  Sibley 18,569 8.9
  Yellow Medicine 16,912 8.1
  Scott 10,218 4.9
  Carver 5,691 2.7
  Lac Qui Parle 4,836 2.3
  Le Sueur 3,656 1.8
  Hennepin 217 0.1
       
Slope Steepness 0-2 Percent 79,870 38.3
  2-6 Percent 47,617 22.9
  2-12 Percent 35,573 17.1
  6-12 Percent 44,947 21.6
  6-45 Percent 84 0.0
  Water 240 0.1
       
Internal Drainage Poorly drained 5,864 2.8
  Poor/Improved by tiling 78,099 37.5
  Well drained 124,127 59.6
  Water 240 0.1
       
Erosion Potential Extreme 95,294 46
  Very Severe 108,980 52
  Severe 507 0
  Very High 0 0
  High 2,028 1
  Moderate 1,521 1
  Slight 0 0
       
Proximity to Water Island Shoreline 27 0.0
  Lake Shoreline 9,747 4.7
  Permanent River 64,230 30.8
  Intermittent River 25,718 12.3
  Drainage Ditches 625 0.3
  Landlocked 107,744 51.7
  Water 240 0.1
       
Geomorphology Minnesota Valley Outwash (032) 87,181 41.9
  Waconia-Waseca Moraine (034) 38,036 18.3
  Olivia Till Plain (064) 33,044 15.9
  Blue Earth Till Plain (066) 28,237 13.6
  Benson Lacustrine Plain (050) 11,656 5.6
  Appleton-Clontarf Outwash Plain (065) 7,822 3.8
  Wells-Rush River Ground Moraine (042) 1,265 0.6
  Arlington-Matowan Ground Moraine (043) 882 0.4
  Prior Lake Moraine (35A) 207 0.1
       
Crop Productivity Low productivity 19,876 9.5
  Medium productivity 136,564 65.6
  High productivity 51,890 24.9
       
Precipitation Between 24-26 inches 19,925 9.6
  Between 26-28 inches 117,281 56.3
  Between 28-30 inches 62,960 30.2
  Between 30-32 inches 8,163 3.9
       
Growing Degree Days 1500-1750 Degree Days 7,847 3.8
  1750-2000 Degree Days 25,216 12.1
  2000-2250 Degree Days 71,996 34.6
  2250-2500 Degree Days 53,787 25.8
  2500-2750 Degree Days 49,484 23.8
       
* 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