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The Red Lake Watershed District is the regional governmental unit responsible for managing and protecting the water resources of the Red Lake River watershed. The Red Lake Watershed District covers an area of approximately 5,990 square miles which includes all or part of ten Northwest Minnesota counties. The District was established in 1970 under the Minnesota Watershed District Act, Minnesota Statutes Chapter 103D, which recognizes that hydrologic boundaries rarely match political boundaries.
The functions of the District include issuing drainage permits, building and maintaining water management structures,
regulating stream flow, and monitoring water quality.
Follow these links for more information:
RLWD Headquarters
The Watershed District office building is located at 1000 Pennington Avenue South in Thief River Falls, Minnesota, 56701. Our phone number is 218-681-5800.
Engineering Projects
Red Lake Watershed District projects are designed to address specific problems within the Red Lake Watershed and to implement strategies and policies approved and set forth by the Board of Managers.
These problems include the flooding of agricultural land, flood damage to public and private property, soil erosion, stream sedimentation, loss of fish and wildlife habitat, and growing limits to the beneficial and recreational use of RLWD waters.
Potential solutions fall into a variety of categories that include water control structures, stream and wetland restoration, public education, and regulation by permit. This web document offers a partial but representative review of RLWD engineering projects. Additional information is available at the Red Lake Watershed District headquarters.
RLWD Water Quality Program
The RLWD has actively monitored the quality of its surface water since 1984 in response to the heightened awareness and increased concern for water quality from agencies and general public alike. The RLWD currently monitors over 30 sites located throughout all major sub-watersheds within the watershed basin at least four times per year. Some of these are U.S. Geologic Survey gauge sites and will remain permanent. The other sites may be changed to accommodate project needs and assessment strategies.
The Red Lake Watershed District Water Quality Program is a regional and statewide leader in establishing quality control standards for sample collection and data management. In coordination with other agencies, it also participates in numerous investigative studies, training programs, and public education events.