The Red River of the North begins at the confluence of the Bois de Sioux river and the Otter Tail river and drains part of the States of North Dakota, South Dakota, and Minnesota. It also drains parts of Manitoba in Canada and end up draining into Lake Winnepeg after meandering about 400 miles in the northward direction. According to US Geological Survey classification of watersheds the Red River of the North basin has 27 major watersheds covering about 39,250 square miles (25,120,200 acres).
The Minnesota Dept. of Natural Resources (DNR) delineated 17 major watersheds to represent the 17,730 squre miles (11,347,300 acres) portion of the Red River of the North basin in Minneosta. While 11 major watersheds are entirely within Minnesota, parts of Bois De Sioux, Upper Red, Elm-Marsh, Sandhill-Wilson, and Lower Red USGS major watersheds are included in five of the DNR major watersheds. It also includes the section of the Roseau River basin in Minnesota. The Red River of the North section in Minnesota contains 21 counties.
Flat topography and poor soil internal drainage in most of the lands result excess water on lands. Floods during snowmelt peroids occur frequently due to the small slope gradients, northward flow of the redriver towards the direction of snowmelt, and poor internal drainage. Most agricultural areas are extensively drained artificilly to remove excess water.
Landuse in the Red River of the North basin in Minnesota is primaraly agricultural. About 60 percent of the land is under cultivation. About 17 percent land in the eastern portion of the basin is classified as forest cover, but mostly consists of cropland mixed with woodland. About 10 percent land is covered by pasture. About 6 percent land in the north-eastern Red River basin is under marsh. Major crops in agricultural areas include,
wheat, corn, soybeans, barley, sunflowers and suger beet.
Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) contacted the Dept. of Soil, Water, and Climate in University of Minnesota in
1997 to develop a framework for describing and inventorying characteristics of the basin that affect non-point source pollution,
agricultural management practices and their potential for reducing non-point source pollution.
A similar approach was used two years ago for the Minnesota River basin via another MDA funded project.
The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency
(MPCA) started work on water quality basin management and planning efforts on the Red River basin in 1995. USGS and
MPCA together have collected a vast amount of stream flow and water quality data over the years. In addition a wealth of
landscape and land use information is available with the Land Management Information Center (LMIC), USGS, and University
of Minnesota. Department of Natural Resources (DNR) maintains a network of weather stations supported by the National
Weather Sevice (NWS). U.S. Army Corps of Engineers participated in several studies and implementations on flood control
impoundments in Northwestern Minnesota.
This work conducted under the MDA funded project was carried out as a short
term project and should supplement the work done by USGS and MPCA. Between 1998-99 the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency plans to develop strategies for implementing water
quality improvement efforts in the basin. Landuse and landscape chareacterization work under this project was confined to the area within the State of
Minneosta. However the water quality characterization included the entire Red River of the North basin area in USA. Information at the County level included in the report should be helpful to County and local water
planners. During this effort 12 areas with unique characterisitcs important for agricultural management and water quality improvement were identified as agroecoregions.
