Management of diffuse pollution in agricultural watersheds: Lessons from the Minnesota River basin

Abstract

The Minnesota River (Minnesota, USA) receives large non-point source pollutant loads. Complex interactions between agricultural, state agency, environmental groups, and issues of scale make watershed management difficult. Subdividing the basin's 12 major watersheds into agro-ecoregions based on soil type, geology, steepness, and climate enhances predictability of stream water quality parameters. An eight-step framework for agricultural watershed management is presented.