Mission Statement
The mission of the Upper Minnesota River Watershed District is to serve the residents of the District by wisely and judiciously managing water, in a manner that sustains and enhances the social, economic and natural resources of the District.  
The District prefers the use of innovative water management methods, which recognize the unique agricultural, community, lake and stream, and natural resources within the District.  These innovative approaches as reflected by the policies of the District should be oriented toward ensuring the economic viability of the District’s agrarian community.

PUBLIC ANNOUNCEMENTS

The Upper Minnesota River Watershed District (UMRWD) is requesting quotes for the Whetstone River Restoration – 2026 Tree Clearing Project. This work will support ongoing restoration efforts by preparing the project site south of Ortonville, MN along the Whetstone River diversion channel between 488th Avenue and Big Stone County Road 15.

Contractors are asked to submit quotes to the UMRWD Director by 2:00 PM CST on Monday, February 2, 2026. The work involves selective tree felling, optional tree stacking/stockpiling, grubbing of brush, and other related site preparation activities, with project completion deadline of April 1, 2026.

This project supports the broader Whetstone River Restoration initiative aimed at improving water quality, restoring natural hydrology, and enhancing ecological function within the Upper Minnesota River watershed.

For more details or to submit a quote, contact:
Amber Doschadis, UMRWD Director – [email protected] | (320) 839-3411
CLICK HERE to download to project package

Big Stone Lake Level and area River Gage Links

*Big Stone Lake levels will now be reported in NAVD88 Datum
There will be no changes to how lake levels are maintained (this is an update to our reporting datum with NOAA only)

With this update, you will be able to look at forecasted lake levels on the NOAA website (link asterisked above) and compare to your NAVD88 insurance elevation certificates in the same datum. Refer to the linked conversion chart above to correlate between previously reported project datum and NAVD88.