Minnesota Department of Natural Resources Division of Ecological and Water Resources

Hydrologic Conditions Report

October 2015

This is the seventh and final installment of the monthly Hydrologic Conditions Report for 2015. For comparative

purposes please reference the previous reports at: http://mndnr.gov/current_conditions/hydro_conditions.html

October 2015 monthly precipitation totals were variable across Minnesota. Above-average precipitation was reported in central and east central Minnesota. Below-average monthly precipitation totals were observed in northwest, northeast, west central and south central sections of the state. The U. S. Drought Monitor map released on November 5 depicts portions of west central, northwest, and far southeast Minnesota as Abnormally Dry or experiencing Moderate Drought. The map shows no other areas in Minnesota in a dryness category. Average monthly temperatures for October 2015 were above historical averages across Minnesota, ranging from two to four degrees above normal.

Stream flow across the state was primarily in the normal range for October while above normal flows remain present in the southwest corners of the state. Above normal flows in a few watersheds led to backwater conditions at two of the indicator gages – Yellow Medicine River near Granite Falls and Bois de Sioux River near Doran. The Clearwater River at Plummer was at low flows throughout October. There was a slight rising trend toward the end of the month, but the monthly average was still in the low flow regime. The Marsh River at Shelly is only monitored seasonally; no flows were available for Major Watershed 59 for October.

When comparing October 2015 lake levels to their entire historic record, approximately 55% of the statewide gauged lakes were in the Normal percentile, 31% below normal or low, and 14% above normal or high. In October, approximately 52% of the reporting lakes across the state were below their average lake level of the entire historic record, 14% were at their average, and 34% above their average. Twenty-six percent of the statewide reporting lakes have lake levels more than ½ foot higher than their average, and 15% have lake levels more than ½ foot below their historic average. Three of the highlighted lakes in this report went down one percentile ranking into the Low or Below Normal percentiles, compared to last month's September rankings. Four of the selected lakes showed High or Above Normal percentiles for October.

Groundwater levels remained at normal levels when compared to monthly historical averages for the majority of the state. There was little movement from September to October’s water levels but a few did decline. The below average rainfall totals in the northwestern part of the state were evidenced in the continued low water levels in wells of that portion of the state. One Cass County water table monitoring site continued its 5th straight month in the low water level category. No wells were in the high water level category this month. The single Hennepin County well that was high in September’s report has dropped this month into the above normal range. Two wells that showed small increases in water levels were in southern counties. These wells were in the low and below normal categories in the previous month. The increases for October show recovery towards normal levels that correspond to the above-average rainfall in southern portions of the state.

The information in this report is provided by DNR through long term programs committed to recording and tracking the long term status

of our water resources. The current conditions of precipitation, stream flows, lake levels and ground water levels in this report provide

valuable information for natural and economic resource management on a state, county and watershed level.

If you have questions on the content of this report please contact Greg Spoden: 651-296-4214, gregory.spoden@state.mn.us

38

24

22

55

54

47 464652 5084 53 444948

43

42

3083

31 325182 4041

2981 39

27 28

3833

1925

2018

3717

34

16

26

1534

23

3614

21

5

3510

13

1157

5812

56

8

24

6059

9

7

3

61

661

63

73

62

72

67

77 76

68 6574

78 75

79

7170

69

80

LAKE OF THE WOODS

KITTSON ROSEAU

KOOCHICHING

MARSHALL

ST. LOUIS

BELTRAMI

POLK

PENNINGTON

COOK

LAKE

CLEARWATER

RED LAKE ITASCA

NORMAN MAHNOMEN

CASSHUBBARD

CLAYBECKER

AITKIN

WADENA CROW WING

CARLTON

OTTER TAILWILKIN

PINE

TODD MORRISON

MILLELACS

KANABECGRANT

DOUGLAS

TRAVERSEBENTON

STEVENS

STEARNS

POPE ISANTI

CHISAGO

BIG STONE SHERBURNE

SWIFT KANDIYOHI

WRIGHT ANOKAMEEKER

LAC QUI PARLE

WASH

INGT

ON

HENNEPIN

CHIPPEWARAMSEY

MCLEOD CARVERYELLOW MEDICINE DAKOTA

RENVILLE

SCOTTSIBLEY

REDWOOD GOODHUE

LINCOLNLYON

LE SUEUR

RICEBROWN

NICOLLET

WABASHA

BLUEEARTH

PIPESTONE MURRAY COTTONWOOD WINONAWASECA

STEELE DODGE

OLMSTEDWATONWAN

ROCK NOBLES

JACKSON

MARTIN HOUSTONFARIBAULT

FILLMORE

FREEBORN MOWER

Minnesota Counties and Major Watershed Index

1. Lake Superior - North2. Lake Superior - South3. St. Louis River4. Cloquet River5. Nemadji River6. (none)7. Mississippi River - Headwaters8. Leech Lake River9. Mississippi River - Grand Rapids

10. Mississippi River - Brainerd11. Pine River12. Crow Wing River13. Redeye River14. Long Prairie River15. Mississippi River - Sartell16. Sauk River17. Mississippi River - St. Cloud18. North Fork Crow River19. South Fork Crow River20. Mississippi River - Twin Cities21. Rum River22. Minnesota River - Headwaters23. Pomme de Terre River24. Lac Qui Parle River25. Minnesota - Yellow Medicine Rivers26. Chippewa River27. Redwood River28. Minnesota River - Mankato29. Cottonwood River30. Blue Earth River31. Watonwan River32. Le Sueur River33. Lower Minnesota River34. Upper St. Croix River35. Kettle River36. Snake River37. Lower St. Croix River38. Mississippi River - Lake Pepin39. Cannon River40. Mississippi River - Winona41. Zumbro River42. Mississippi River - La Crescent43. Root River44. Mississippi River - Reno45. (none)46. Upper Iowa River47. Upper Wapsipinicon River48. Cedar River49. Shell Rock River50. Winnebago River51. Des Moines River - Headwaters52. Lower Des Moines River53. East Fork Des Moines River54. Bois de Sioux River55. Mustinka River56. Otter Tail River57. Upper Red River of the North58. Buffalo River59. Red River of the North - Marsh River60. Wild Rice River61. Red River of the North - Sandhill River62. Upper/Lower Red Lake63. Red Lake River64. (none)65. Thief River66. Clearwater River67. Red River of the North - Grand Marais Creek68. Snake River69. Red River of the North - Tamarac River70. Two Rivers71. Roseau River72. Rainy River - Headwaters73. Vermilion River74. Rainy River - Rainy Lake75. Rainy River - Black River76. Little Fork River77. Big Fork River78. Rapid River79. Rainy River - Baudette80. Lake of the Woods81. Upper Big Sioux River82. Lower Big Sioux River83. Rock River84. Little Sioux River

Level 2 Hydrologic Unit (HUC4)Cedar RiverDes Moines RiverLower Mississippi RiverMinnesota RiverMississippi - Upper Iowa RiversMississippi River - Headwaters

Missouri - Big Sioux RiversMissouri - Little Sioux RiversRainy RiverRed River of the NorthSt. Croix RiverWestern Lake Superior

DNR Major Watershed -Level 4 Hydrologic Unit (HUC8)

Climatology

Sep tem ber 29, 2015

DNR Major WatershedDrought Intensity

D0 Drought - Abnorm ally DryD1 Drought - ModerateD2 Drought - SevereD3 Drought - Extrem eD4 Drought - Exc ep tional

Total Prec ip itation - Dep arture from Norm al:

October 2015U.S. Drought MonitorNovem ber 3, 2015

(p relim inary) (p relim inary)

MNDNR State Clim atology Office

Notes:•Oc tober 2015 m onthly p rec ip itation totals were variable ac ros s Minnesota. Above-averagep recip itation was rep orted in c entral and east central Minnesota. Below-average m onthlyp recip itation totals were observed in northwest, northeast, west central and s outh centrals ec tions of the s tate•The U. S. Drought Monitor m ap released on Novem ber 5 dep ic ts p ortions of wes t c entral,northwest, and far southeast Minnes ota as Abnorm ally Dry or exp erienc ing ModerateDrought. The m ap s how s no other areas in Minnesota in a drynes s category.•Average m onthly tem p eratures for October 2015 were above historical averages ac ros sMinnesota, ranging from two to four degrees above norm al.

inches

Total Prec ip itation - Dep arture from Norm al:

Ap ril 1, 2015 - Novem ber 3, 2015

inches

2.04.0

1.0

-2.0-1.00.0

6.0

-4.0-6.0

1.0

-2.0

-1.0

0.0

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38

24

22

55

54

47 464652 5084 53 444948

43

42

3083

31 325182 4041

2981 39

27 28

3833

1925

2018

3717

34

16

26

1534

23

3614

21

5

3510

13

1157

5812

56

8

24

6059

9

7

3

61

661

63

73

62

72

67

77 76

68 6574

78 75

79

7170

69

80

LAKE OF THE WOODS

KITTSONROSEAU

KOOCHICHING

MARSHALL

ST. LOUIS

BELTRAMI

POLK

PENNINGTON

COOK

LAKE

CLEARWATER

RED LAKE ITASCA

NORMAN MAHNOMEN

CASSHUBBARD

CLAYBECKER

AITKIN

WADENA CROW WING

CARLTON

OTTER TAILWILKIN

PINE

TODDMORRISON

MILLELACS

KANABECGRANT

DOUGLAS

TRAVERSEBENTON

STEVENS

STEARNS

POPE ISANTI

CHISAGO

BIG STONESHERBURNE

SWIFT KANDIYOHI

WRIGHT

ANOKA

MEEKERLAC QUI PARLE

WASH

INGT

ON

HENNEPIN

CHIPPEWARAMSEY

MCLEOD CARVERYELLOW MEDICINE DAKOTA

RENVILLE

SCOTTSIBLEY

REDWOOD GOODHUE

LINCOLNLYON

LE SUEUR

RICEBROWN

NICOLLET

WABASHA

BLUEEARTH

PIPESTONE MURRAY COTTONWOOD WINONAWASECA

STEELE DODGE

OLMSTEDWATONWAN

ROCK NOBLES

JACKSON

MARTIN HOUSTONFARIBAULT

FILLMORE

FREEBORN MOWER

Surface Water: Stream Flow

Previous Flow ConditionsSeptember 2015

This map is based on provisional stream gage datafrom the USGS National Water Information System

October 2015Stream Flow Conditions

* Percentile ranking based on mean daily flows for the current month averaged and ranked with all historical mean daily flows for that month. A watershed ranked at zero means that the present month flow is the lowest in the period of record; a ranking of 100 indicates the highest in the period of record. A ranking at the 50th percentile (median) specifies that the present-month flow is in the middle of the historical distribution.

# Designated major watershed gage Percentile *High Flows (>90th percentile)Above Normal Flows (75 - 90th percentile)Normal Flows (25 - 75th percentile)Below Normal Flows (10 - 25th percentile)Low Flows (<= 10th percentile)

Flow affected bybackwaterStation monitoredseasonally

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LAKE OF THE WOODS

KITTSONROSEAU

KOOCHICHING

MARSHALL

ST. LOUIS

BELTRAMI

POLK

PENNINGTON

COOK

LAKE

CLEARWATER

RED LAKE ITASCA

NORMAN MAHNOMEN

CASSHUBBARD

CLAYBECKER

AITKIN

WADENA CROW WING

CARLTON

OTTER TAILWILKIN

PINE

TODD MORRISON

MILLELACS

KANABECGRANT

DOUGLAS

TRAVERSEBENTON

STEVENS STEARNSPOPE

ISANTI

CHISAGO

BIG STONE SHERBURNE

SWIFT KANDIYOHI

WRIGHT

ANOKA

MEEKERLAC QUI PARLE WA

SHIN

GTON

HENNEPIN

CHIPPEWARAMSEY

MCLEOD CARVERYELLOW MEDICINE DAKOTA

RENVILLE

SCOTTSIBLEY

REDWOOD GOODHUE

LINCOLNLYON

LE SUEUR

RICEBROWN

NICOLLET

WABASHA

BLUEEARTH

PIPESTONE MURRAY COTTONWOOD WINONAWASECA

STEELE DODGE

OLMSTEDWATONWAN

ROCK NOBLES

JACKSON

MARTIN HOUSTONFARIBAULT

FILLMORE

FREEBORN MOWER

Upper Cormorant

Turtle River

Chub

North Center

Poplar

Edward

Marion

Minnetonka

Green

Lake of the Woods

West Jefferson

Mille Lacs

Upper PriorSwan

White Bear

Shetek

Indian

East Battle

Tamarack

Pokegama

Sarah

BurntsideVermilion

Minnewaska !(

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Source data from: MN DNR Waters Lake Level Minnesota Monitoring Program

October 2015Lake Level Status

Surface Water: Lake Levels

* Percentile ranking based on last reported reading for the current month compared to all historical reported levels for that month. A lake ranked at zero means that the present reported level is the lowest in the period of record; a ranking of 100 indicates the highest in the period of record. A ranking at the 50th percentile (median) specifies that the present- month reported lake level is in the middle of the historical distribution.

Previous Conditions September 2015

Percentile *!( High Water Levels (>90th percentile)!( Above Normal Water Levels (75 - 90th percentile)!( Normal Water Levels (25 - 75th percentile)!( Below Normal Water Levels (10 - 25th percentile)!( Low Water Levels (<= 10th percentile)

Level 2 Hydrologic UnitDNR Major Watershed

!( No reading available

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AquiferWater TableBuried ArtesianBedrock

Ground Water

* Percentile ranking based on last reported reading for the current month compared to all historical reported levels for that month. A water level ranked at zero means that the present reported level is the lowest in the period of record; a ranking of 100 indicates the highest in the period of record. A ranking at the 50th percentile (median) specifies that the present- month reported water level level is in the middle of the historical distribution.

Source data from: MN DNR Ground Water Level Monitoring Program

September 2015 Indicator Wells!

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Ground Water Level Historical RankingsOctober 2015

Water Level

Low Water Levels (< 10% percentile)

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Below Normal Water Levels (10% - 25% percentile)

Above Normal Water Levels (75% - 90% percentile)Normal Water Levels (25% - 75% percentile)

High Water Levels (> 90% percentile)!(

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