Buffalo River Watershed Total Maximum Daily Load

The Buffalo River Watershed (BRW) is located in northwest Minnesota and comprises approximately 1,100 square miles within Clay, Becker, Wilkin, and Otter Tail counties. The watershed is located in the Red River of the North Basin and spans three ecoregions: The Lake Agassiz Plain (LAP), the North Central Hardwood Forests (NCHF), and the Northern Lakes and Forests (NLF). Land use within the watershed is predominantly agricultural, occurring in the west and central portions; the eastern portion of the watershed is mostly forested. Municipalities located within the BRW include Glyndon, Hawley, Lake Park, Audubon, Callaway, Georgetown, and Barnesville. The findings from this TMDL study will be used to aid the selection of implementation activities as part of the Buffalo River Watershed Restoration and Protection Strategy (WRAPS) process. The purpose of the WRAPS report is to support local working groups and jointly develop scientifically supported
restoration and protection strategies to be used for subsequent implementation planning. Following completion, the WRAPS report will be publicly available on the MPCA BRW website.