Monitoring Sites

There are three sites along Seven Mile Creek that are used to monitor water quality in the river. Two are located above the confluence of county ditches 13 and 46 (where the ditches intersect highways 99 and 13, respectively) and one is located near the mouth of the creek. With this orientation, the water quality of Seven Mile Creek can be monitored in a way that differentiates between contaminants of upland origin versus those derived within the stretch of the natural stream. Monitoring stations record stream flow, sediment load, nutrient levels and bacteria concentrations.

The results of an MPCA (MN Pollution Control Agency) funded study that was conducted from 1999 to 2001, assessing and modeling the water quality of Seven Mile Creek and its watershed can be downloaded at The Minnesota River Basin Data Center site. The study was conducted by the Seven Mile Creek Watershed Project, a coalition sponsored by the Brown, Nicollet, Cottonwood (BNC) Water Board that is interested in monitoring, evaluating, and protecting the water resources of the SMC Watershed. The group consists of 15 agencies, citizens groups, and private enterprises, including the Minnesota DNR, USDA paired watershed study, University of MN (Soils/Ag and Public Health), the McKnight Foundation, Northern Plains Dairy, and a demonstration farm (Red Top Farms).

 

This page will serve as a spring board for your introduction to the water quality issues monitored in Seven Mile Creek. Work your way through the list below by clicking on the hypertexts.

 

The Contaminants: Nitrates, Phosphates, Bacteria, and Sediment are the four major sources of contaminantion in Seven Mile Creek.

Septics: Out of date and poorly constructed septic systems pose a threat to water quality and public health.

Red Top Farms: Over-application of nitrates is a major contributor to the pollution of Seven Mile Creek.

Upland Erosion: Phosphorus and sediment washes into waterways and open tile intakes and is swept downstream.

 

We will now look at current farming practices and how they have influenced water quality in SMC Watershed.