Crow Wing River Watershed Stressor Identification Report

The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA), as a continuation of its past water quality programs, and in special response to the Clean Water Legacy Act, has developed a strategy for improving water quality of the streams, rivers, wetlands, and lakes in Minnesota's 81 Major Watersheds, each known as Watershed Restoration and Protection Strategy (WRAPS). This document reports on the second step of the multi-part WRAPS for the Crow Wing River Watershed (CWRW), located in the Upper Mississippi River Basin. This report builds on the first step of the WRAPS, the biological and chemical monitoring and assessment of the CWRW's streams and rivers, also conducted by the MPCA with assistance from other state and local government agencies. The purpose of this second step of the WRAPS, stressor identification, is to find and evaluate factors, either natural or anthropogenic, which are likely responsible for the impaired condition of the fish and/or macroinvertebrate communities, as found in the monitoring and assessment study. An important first step in the identification of potential stressors is to understand the natural features and processes occurring in the watershed, as well as gaining an understanding of the extent of various human activities going on in the watershed that have potential to degrade water resources.