Koochiching County SWCD Surface Water Assessment Grant (SWAG) - Big Fork River Watershed

The Big Fork River Watershed Assessment will include the waters of the Big Fork, Sturgeon River, Caldwell Brook, Bear River, and Bowstring River. This Assessment will also include Mirror Lake, Battle Lake, Bass Lake, Larson Lake, Gunn Lake, Coon Sandwick Lake, Busties Lake, Dead Horse Lake, North Star Lake, Burns Lake, Big Ole Lake, Big Island Lake, Bello Lake, Maple Lake, Long Lake, Jessie Lake, Trestle Lake, Clear Lake, Dora Lake, Moose Lake, Shallow Pond Lake, and Island Lake. These lakes and streams are found throughout the Big Fork River Watershed which spans parts of Koochiching and Itasca Counties.

This assessment focuses on collection of water chemistry and field parameters at the 30 sites identified and modified by Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA). The collaborative effort between Koochiching SWCD, Itasca SWCD and MPCA will utilize experienced staff to obtain comprehensive data of surface waters. This project will support the biological data collected by MPCA and will establish whether these surface waters meet state and federal standards for aquatic life and recreation.