Monitoring

The purpose of the Cottonwood River Diagnostic Study was to identify sediment and nutrient contributions of various tributaries to the Cottonwood River, and to determine reductions necessary to meet both state and local goals. To help achieve this purpose, water quality monitoring efforts have been based on a three-tier system. Primary, secondary, and tertiary monitoring stations have been developed to assess areas of the watershed delivering the greatest amount of sediment and nutrients to the Cottonwood River. This information has been used to select priority management areas addressed in the implementation plan.

Downloading data from a sampling station at Sleepy Eye Creek, 1999.

Stream monitoring methods closely followed those listed in the monitoring plan. The only significant change over the past three years was to reduce the number of flow and sampling stations from nine in 1997, to five in 1998, and to extend monitoring at these five stations into 1999.

By receiving the Phase II Clean Water Partnership grant in March, 2000, RCRCA will be able to continue to monitor the Cottonwood River Watershed.  Three adjustments were made to the monitoring network used in 1999.  First, sampling station PLC001, Cottonwood River at New Ulm, will be reestablished.  Additional data collection at this station is needed to help understand sediment loading in the lower portion of the river.  Another adjustment is the addition of a sampling station (PMC020) on the main stem near Lamberton.  The location of this site coincides with the early flood warning monitoring station maintained by the Department of Natural Resources and U.S. Geological Survey.  The third change is to discontinue the Highwater/Dutch Charley monitoring station due to scheduled bridge replacement at the established site.  Sampling stations PLC010 (Cottonwood River near Leavenworth), PLS005 (Sleepy Eye Creek near Leavenworth), and TUP (Plum Creek) will be retained.

  View a map of the 
Cottonwood River Watershed sampling locations.

Annual Loading Data (through 2000 only)

Pictures of 2001 flooding on Cottonwood River

Cottonwood River Sampling Results:

1999

2000

2001

2002

    2003 Field Data  (PDF File)

   2003 Chemical Data  (PDF File)

    2004 Field Data (PDF File)

    2004 Chemical Data (PDF File)

    2005 Field Data (PDF File)

    2005 Chemical Data (PDF File)

    2006 Field Data (PDF File)

    2006 Chemical Data (PDF File)

    2007 Field Data (PDF File)

    2007 Chemical Data (PDF File)

    2008 Field Data (PDF File)

    2008 Chemical Data (PDF File)

    2009 Field Data (PDF File)

    2009 Chemical Data (PDF File)

 Click here to download free 
 Adobe Acrobat Reader. 

Cottonwood River Sampling Stations 1997-2010

• PLC 001:    Monitored in 1997, 2000-Present

Primary site on Cottonwood River in New Ulm.  Location: Lat. 44⁰17’29", Long. 94⁰26’24", in SW ¼, NE ¼ Section 33 T. 110N, R. 30W, Brown County, by the bridge on Cottonwood Street.   

Primary site on Sleepy Eye Creek near Cobden, MN. Location: Lat. 44⁰15’41", Long. 94⁰49’35", in Leavenworth Township, Section 9, T. 109N, R. 33W, Brown County, at bridge on County Road 8, 2 miles north of Leavenworth.

Primary site on Cottonwood River near community of Leavenworth. Location: Lat. 44⁰13’39", Long 94⁰48’22", in SE ¼, SE ¼ of Leavenworth Township, Section 21, Brown County, T. 109N, R. 33W, at bridge on County Road 8, 0.2 miles north of Leavenworth.

Primary site on Cottonwood River on line between North Hero and Lamberton Township, Sections 12 and 7, Redwood County, T. 109N, R. 38W at bridge on County Road 7, 3.75 miles north of Revere.

                    Primary site on Cottonwood River located in Lamberton Township, between
                    Sections 13 and 24, Redwood County, T.109N, R. 37W at bridge on Hwy 14, 0.5
                    miles east of Lamberton.

Secondary site near Clements in upland area of Sleepy Eye Creek, Sundown Township, Section 16/15 line, 3.5 miles southeast of Clements in Redwood County, on County Road 1.

Tertiary site on Mound Creek near Red Rock Park, Cottonwood County, Germantown Township, Section 25. This site has historical data collected through the Brown-Nicollet-Cottonwood Clean Water Partnership.

Tertiary site near mouth of Plum Creek, North Hero Township, Section 3 and 4 line, 3.5 miles northeast of Walnut Grove in Redwood County, on County Road 10.

Tertiary site near mouth of Lone Tree Creek in Redwood County, between Gales Township, Section 25 and Johnsonville Township, Section 30, on County Road 5.

Tertiary site near the mouth of Meadow Creek on Lyon County Highway 11, Amiret Township, Section 11 and 17, one-fourth mile south of junction with County Road 20.

 

Other monitoring sites:

In response to flooding in the early 1990s, grant funds were obtained to expand the stream gaging network in the state. A number of organizations (Minnesota Division of Emergency Management, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, National Weather Service, and the United States Geological Service) are working together to make the stations operational. Gages were placed according to where more specific data were needed, and community support was evident. 

In 1999, there were thirty-eight new stream gages put in place around the state. One is still in use in the Cottonwood River Watershed,  on the Cottonwood River near Springfield. Another was placed in the Redwood River Watershed, outside of Marshall.  Available for viewing on the web, a user can click to the station and view the current stage data for the previous seven days on a graph. 

	Cottonwood River near Springfield
	Cottonwood River near New Ulm

Downloading data at Plum Creek, 1999.

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Redwood-Cottonwood Rivers Control Area (RCRCA)
1241 East Bridge Street
Redwood Falls, MN 56283
Phone:  507-637-2142, ext. 4
Fax:  507-637-2134
E-mail:  rcrca2day@yahoo. com