Minnesota River Granite Falls Watershed Monitoring and Assessment Report

This assessment report is the first in a series of reports for watershed work being conducted in the Minnesota River ? Granite Falls Watershed. The results of surface water monitoring activities in the watershed are reported here. Subsequent reports will explain stressor identification, Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs), and restoration and protection plans for the watershed. The Minnesota River ? Granite Falls 8?digit Hydrologic Unit Code (HUC?8) major watershed, bisected by the Minnesota River, is comprised of two significant watersheds that do not have a hydrological connection and enter the Minnesota River from opposite sides. Hawk Creek and several smaller streams enter the Minnesota River from the north, and the Yellow Medicine River and several more streams enter the Minnesota River from the south. Since this HUC?8 is a flow?through watershed, main stem sites of the Minnesota River will not be reported. The main stem will be sampled comprehensively in 2014?2015 by the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) using large river protocols and reported on separately.