Otter Tail River Monitoring and Assessment Report

The Otter Tail River Watershed covers 1,249,541 acres (1,952 square miles) of western Minnesota. Located primarily within Otter Tail and Becker County, portions of the watershed are also found within Clay, Clearwater, Mahnomen, and Wilkin counties. This surface water rich watershed contains over 2,800 miles of streams and rivers and more than 1,300 lakes – more lakes than any other Red River Basin Watershed. Many of these lakes are highly valued resources used for recreation; they are an important component of the local economy. The Otter Tail River and numerous other streams are valued for both recreation and the aquatic life they support. More species of fish are found in the Otter Tail River Watershed than in any other Red River Basin Watershed. Some of these species are rare in the Red River Basin, and their distribution is restricted almost exclusively to the Otter Tail River Watershed. Most of the lakes are connected by rivers and streams. Two of the larger rivers in the watershed, the Otter Tail River and Pelican River, pass through numerous lakes. Many lakes are also connected by small tributary streams. This connectivity increases the risk of resource degradation due to the downstream movement of nutrient loads, bacteria, and sediment throughout the system.