Middle and Lower Cannon River Watershed BMP Targeting Assessment

The Cannon River Watershed includes approximately 941,000 acres of primarily agricultural landscape. Because of its large size, four subwatershed lobes are often referenced: Straight River Watershed, Upper Cannon River Watershed, Middle Cannon River Watershed, and the Lower Cannon River Watershed. Rice County is proposing utilizing LiDAR topographic data to determine areas of highest importance for Best Management Practice (BMP) Implementation for sediment within the Middle and Lower Cannon subwatersheds. Utilizing GIS analysis of LiDAR data, as well as soils and land-use data, the Middle and Lower Cannon Watershed study will assess the propensity of erosion on the landscape through the Stream Power Index and RUSLE. In addition to analyzing erosive potential, this project will determine ideal locations to store runoff on the landscape. Soil and Water Conservation Districts will use the BMP prioritization locations attained from this assessment to target landowners for quantifiable water quality improvements.