Agroecoregion: Wetter Clays and Silts
Agroecoregion Characteristics Area (ac)* Percentage
Major Watersheds Lower Minnesota River 373,923 33.7
  Le Sueur River 372,812 33.6
  Blue Earth River 227,037 20.5
  Watonwan River 86,262 7.8
  Middle Minnesota River 48,340 4.4
       
Counties Sibley 292,910 26.4
  Faribault 252,728 22.8
  Blue Earth 229,458 20.7
  Waseca 91,785 8.3
  Nicollet 69,180 6.2
  Watonwan 50,867 4.6
  Mcleod 41,400 3.7
  Martin 39,760 3.6
  Freeborn 21,514 1.9
  Renville 15,702 1.4
  Carver 3,073 0.3
       
Slope Steepness 0-2 Percent 810,113 73.1
  2-6 Percent 139,049 12.6
  2-12 Percent 119,326 10.8
  6-12 Percent 33,856 3.1
  Water 6,032 0.5
       
Internal Drainage Poorly drained 394,795 35.6
  Poor/Improved by tiling 470,562 42.5
  Well drained 236,987 21.4
  Water 6,032 0.5
       
Erosion Potential Extreme 0 0
  Very Severe 0 0
  Severe 2,954 0
  Very High 11,817 1
  High 558,373 50
  Moderate 523,906 47
  Slight 11,325 1
       
Proximity to Water Island Shoreline 203 0.0
  Lake Shoreline 34,387 3.1
  Permanent River 71,032 6.4
  Intermittent River 72,576 6.6
  Drainage Ditches 138,436 12.5
  Landlocked 785,709 70.9
  Water 6,032 0.5
       
Geomorphology Wells-Rush River Ground Moraine (042) 255,850 23.1
  Arlington-Matowan Ground Moraine (043) 248,946 22.5
  Minnesota Lake Plain (046) 173,984 15.7
  Waconia-Waseca Moraine (034) 162,284 14.6
  Blue Earth Till Plain (066) 92,790 8.4
  Blue Earth-Garden City Ground Moraine (044) 77,857 7.0
  Olivia Till Plain (064) 50,815 4.6
  Hayward-Owatonna Moraine (35C) 38,690 3.5
  Emmons-Faribault Moraine (35B) 4,624 0.4
  Minnesota Valley Outwash (032) 1,788 0.2
  Lonsdale-Lerdal Till Region (033) 746 0.1
       
Crop Productivity Low productivity 1,719 0.2
  Medium productivity 35,146 3.2
  High productivity 1,030,111 92.9
       
Precipitation Between 26-28 inches 21,578 2.0
  Between 28-30 inches 372,291 33.6
  Between 30-32 inches 633,891 57.2
  Between 32-34 inches 39,216 3.5
       
Growing Degree Days 1750-2000 Degree Days 1,870 0.2
  2000-2250 Degree Days 196,459 17.7
  2250-2500 Degree Days 432,737 39.0
  2500-2750 Degree Days 477,310 43.1
       
* 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