Buffalo River Watershed Monitoring and Assessment Report

The Buffalo River watershed (09020106) lies in the western portion of Minnesota, originating from Tamarac Lake in eastern Becker County and flowing 88 miles into Clay County where it enters the Red River of the North approximately one mile west of Georgetown. The watershed covers approximately 709,400 acres and is comprised of 166 lakes and 41 named stream assessment units (AUIDs). The watersheds primary land use is agricultural; accounting for over 70 percent of the landscape within the watershed. In 2009, the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) undertook an intensive watershed monitoring effort of the Buffalo River watershed's surface waters. Of the 41 AUIDs in the watershed, 25 had data available to assess aquatic recreation and 18 stream segments had sufficient information to assess aquatic life (not all lake and stream AUIDs were able to be assessed due to insufficient data, modified channel condition, or their status as limited resources waters) (Appendix 5). Overall, 71 sites were sampled for biology at the outlets of variable sized sub-watersheds within the Buffalo River watershed (Appendices 6 and 7). Of the biological sites sampled, data from 13 sites that were sampled in either 2005 or 2007 and two sites sampled in 2010 were also included in the assessments. As part of this effort, the MPCA also joined with local partners to complete stream water chemistry sampling at the outlets of the Buffalo River's nine major sub-watersheds (11-digit HUC). In addition to the biology and water chemistry sampling in streams, 41 lakes were also assessed in this effort to determine the suitability of lakes in the watershed to support aquatic recreation.