Leech Lake River Watershed Stressor Identification Report

The Leech Lake River (LLR) Watershed consists of approximately 854,659 acres (1,335 square miles) in the northern part of the Upper Mississippi River Basin. The watershed includes parts of Beltrami, Cass, and Hubbard counties. The protection of these surface waters is critical for sustaining the local economy and natural heritage and character of this unique watershed. The LLR Watershed has a high density of lakes with good water quality. Eighty-five lakes were assessed for aquatic recreation. Hart Lake in Hubbard County, one of the few shallow lakes in the LLR Watershed, was the only lake found to not support aquatic recreation use due to nutrient/eutrophication biological indicators.