Rum River Watershed Monitoring and Assessment Report

The Rum River Watershed covers 1584 square miles (mi2) of the Upper Mississippi River Basin in central Minnesota stretching from Mille Lacs Lake in the north to the confluence with the Mississippi River in the city of Anoka. The Rum River flows out of Mille Lacs Lake which drains southwest Aitkin, southeast Crow Wing, and northwest Mille Lacs counties. As the Rum River flows south, mainly within Mille Lacs and Isanti counties, its watershed also includes eastern Morrison, northeast Benton, and eastern Sherburne counties on the western border of the watershed and southwestern Kanabec and northwestern Chisago on its eastern borders and northwestern Anoka county at the mouth of the Rum River. The upper third of the Rum River Watershed is dominated by hardwood forest and wetland complexes. The middle third still has wetland complexes and hardwood forest, but cropland and rangeland make up the majority of the land use. Fenced cattle pastures and forage crops such as alfalfa and hay are more abundant than row crops like soybeans and corn. The lower third of the Rum River Watershed is the most densely populated area of the Rum River Watershed with urbanization occurring on it banks. The river also flows through downtown Anoka before cascading over a dam and into the Mississippi River. The Rum River's largest tributary, the West Branch Rum River, flows into the Rum River from the west side of the watershed in the city of Princeton. The Rum River was added to Minnesota's Wild and Scenic River Program in 1978. The designated stretch extends along Mille Lacs, Sherburne, Isanti, Kanabec, and Anoka counties.