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Sauk River Watershed Monitoring and Assessment Report

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Sauk River Watershed Monitoring and Assessment Report z c Sauk River Watershed Monitoring and Assessment Report September 2011 Authors The MPCA is reducing printing and mailing costs MPCA Sauk River Watershed Report Team: by using the Internet to distribute reports and Erin Andrews, Dave Christopherson, Chuck information to wider audience. Visit our web Johnson, Ben Lundeen, Matt Lindon, Jim site for more information. MacArthur, Bruce Monson, Scott Niemela, Kris Parson, Andrew Streitz, Steve Thompson, and Greg VanEckhout MPCA reports are printed on 100% post- consumer recycled content paper Contributors / acknowledgements manufactured without chlorine or chlorine Citizen Lake Monitoring Program Volunteers derivatives. Citizen Stream Monitoring Program Volunteers Minnesota Department of Natural Resources Minnesota Department of Health Minnesota Department of Agriculture RMB Environmental Laboratories Inc. Sauk River Watershed District Stearns County Soil and Water Conservation District Stearns DHIA Laboratories Project dollars provided by the Clean Water Fund (from the Clean Water, Land and Legacy Amendment). Minnesota Pollution Control Agency 520 Lafayette Road North | Saint Paul, MN 55155-4194 | www.pca.state.mn.us | 651-296-6300 Toll free 800-657-3864 | TTY 651-282-5332 This report is available in alternative formats upon request, and online at www.pca.state.mn.us Document number: wq-ws3-07010202b Contents Executive Summary ................................................................................................................................................. 1 I. Introduction .................................................................................................................................................. 2 II. The Watershed Monitoring Approach .......................................................................................................... 3 Load monitoring network ............................................................................................................................. 3 Intensive watershed monitoring .................................................................................................................. 4 Lake monitoring ............................................................................................................................................ 5 Citizen and local monitoring ......................................................................................................................... 6 III. Assessment Methodology ............................................................................................................................ 7 Water quality standards ............................................................................................................................... 7 Assessment units .......................................................................................................................................... 7 Determining use attainment status .............................................................................................................. 8 Data management ........................................................................................................................................ 9 Period of record ............................................................................................................................................ 9 IV. Watershed Overview .................................................................................................................................... 11 Land use summary ........................................................................................................................................ 12 Surface water hydrology ............................................................................................................................... 15 Climate and precipitation ............................................................................................................................. 16 Surficial and groundwater withdrawals ........................................................................................................ 18 V. Watershed-Wide Data Collection Methodology .......................................................................................... 20 Load monitoring .......................................................................................................................................... 20 Stream water sampling ................................................................................................................................. 20 Stream biological sampling ........................................................................................................................... 21 Fish contaminants ......................................................................................................................................... 22 Lake water sampling ..................................................................................................................................... 24 VI. Individual Watershed Results ....................................................................................................................... 24 HUC-11 watershed units ............................................................................................................................... 24 Stream assessment ....................................................................................................................................... 24 Stream habitat results .................................................................................................................................. 25 Pour point water chemistry results .............................................................................................................. 25 Lake water chemistry ................................................................................................................................... 25 Upper Sauk River Watershed Unit ................................................................................................................ 26 Ashley Creek Watershed Unit ....................................................................................................................... 33 Hoboken Creek Watershed Unit ................................................................................................................... 38 Middle Sauk River Watershed Unit .............................................................................................................. 42 Adley and Prairie Creeks Watershed Unit .................................................................................................... 49 Getchell Creek Watershed Unit .................................................................................................................... 54 Stony Creek Watershed Unit ........................................................................................................................ 59 Lower Sauk River Watershed Unit ................................................................................................................ 63 Roscoe Watershed Unit ................................................................................................................................ 73 Eden Valley Watershed Unit ......................................................................................................................... 77 Pearl Lake Watershed Unit ........................................................................................................................... 81 VII. Watershed-Wide Results and Discussion ..................................................................................................... 86 Load monitoring ........................................................................................................................................... 86 Stream water quality .................................................................................................................................... 90 Lake water quality ........................................................................................................................................ 91 Fish contamination results ........................................................................................................................... 93 Trends ........................................................................................................................................................... 98 VIII. Summaries and Recommendations .............................................................................................................. 104 IX. Literature Cited ............................................................................................................................................. 104 Appendix 1 Water chemistry definitions ........................................................................................................... 106 Appendix 2 Intensive watershed monitoring stations in the Sauk River Watershed ........................................ 107 Appendix 3 AUID table of results (by parameter and beneficial use) ............................................................... 108 Appendix 4.1 Minnesota statewide IBI thresholds and confidence limits ........................................................... 113 Appendix 4.2 Upper Mississippi River IBI thresholds and confidence limits ......................................................
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