Minnesota's rivers, lakes, and streams are a valuable resource in Dakota County and Minnesota. Not only do they provide great natural beauty, they supply the water necessary for recreation, industry, agriculture and aquatic life.
Impaired WatersDespite decades of progress in cleaning up water pollution, many rivers, lakes, and streams are still not clean enough. The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency and the Environmental Protection Agency may designate water bodies as "impaired" under the federal Clean Water Act. Impaired waters are rivers, lakes, or streams that do not meet one or more water quality standards and are considered too polluted for their intended uses. For example, a lake the shows levels of fecal bacteria above the federal standard may be unsafe for swimming.
In 2010, Minnesota's draft impaired waters list included 1,774 impairments on 388 rivers and 647 lakes. Dakota County is taking steps to restore impaired waters within its boundaries.
Climate and Rainfall
Water resources are affected by weather conditions. Knowledge of Minnesota's climate patterns provides important insight into water availability issues. Learn more about Minnesota's climate from the Department of Natural Resources.
Vermillion River Data
Data that describes stream levels, stream flow (discharge), reservoir and lake levels, surface water quality, and rainfall is collected from automated recorders at various points. Data from gage stations at various points in the Vermillion River is available from the United States Geologic Survey (USGS).
Lake Information
The Department of Natural Resource's Lake Finder contains data for more than 4,500 lakes and rivers throughout Minnesota. Find information on lake surveys, lake depth maps, lake water quality data, lake water clarity data, and fish consumption advice.
Watershed
We all live in a watershed. A watershed is an area that drains to a common lake, river, stream, or wetland. Our individual actions impact the watershed. See which watershed in Dakota County you live in.