Minnesota Department of Natural Resources Division of Ecological and Water Resources

Hydrologic Conditions Report

May 2020

Previous reports at: https://www.dnr.state.mn.us/current_conditions/hydro_conditions.html

Precipitation for May 2020 in Minnesota ranged from well above normal in the southeast, near normalin the Twin Cities, and below normal for most of central and northern Minnesota. One of the wettestlocations was at Altura in southeast Minnesota with 6.96 inches, 3.09 inches above normal for themonth. The driest place recorded was at Melrose in central Minnesota with 0.67 inches or 2.59 inchesbelow normal. Only 0.83 inches of rain fell at Morris, the eighth driest May there since records began in1885. St. Cloud had the 9th driest May on record with 1.05 inches or 2.31 inches below normal. Overallthe state was 3.06 inches, which is 0.27 inches below normal. The U. S. Drought Monitor map releasedon June 2, shows Abnormally Dry conditions over 56% of the state. Moderate Drought covers 18% of thestate. The driest locations are in west central and north central Minnesota. The U.S. Drought Monitorindex is a blend of science and subjectivity where drought categories (Moderate, Severe etc.) are basedon several indicators.

A majority of stream gages throughout the state used in this report were ranked Normal (25-75th

percentile) for May of this year. Gages in the southern quarter of the state were ranked Above Normal(75 – 90th percentile) and High (>90th percentile). One gage, Little Fork River at Little Fork, MN (major#76) ranked Below Normal (10 – 25th percentile).

Only three of the 15 lakes in the Lake Level Status map showed High or Above Normal percentiles in Maywith the majority of those presented in the Normal percentile. Two lakes in NE Minnesota showed Lowand Below Normal percentiles for this month. For the entire network, only about one fourth of thestatewide gaged lakes had surveyed lake levels in May. These are lakes only in the southeast andmetropolitan portions of the state. From this small group, 81% were above their average lake level for theentire historic record. Furthermore over 54% of this surveyed group were High or Above Normal whencomparing May 2020 lake levels to their entire historic record. Lakes in Washington and Meeker Countiesreached the highest reported lake level in May. There are very few lake level data available for lakesoutside of southeast and Twin Cities metropolitan Minnesota.

Four of the six total groundwater observation well measurements available for May were at Normal (25-75th percentile) or Above Normal water levels, with two wells ranked at High (>90th percentile) waterlevel. In southeastern Minnesota, a well measuring the Jordan Sandstone aquifer moved from AboveNormal (75-90th percentile) in April to High water level in May. A nearby well measuring the Prairie duChien aquifer went from Above Normal water level in April to Normal water level in May. The lone wellreporting Low (

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22

55

54

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4342

3083

31 325182 40

41

2981 3927 28

3833

1925

2018

3717

34

16

26

1534

23

3614

21

5

3510

13

1157

5812

56

82

460

59

9

7

3

6166

163

73

6272

67

77 76

68 65 7478 75

79

717069

80

LAKE OF THE WOODS

KITTSON ROSEAU

KOOCHICHING

MARSHALL

ST. LOUIS

BELTRAMI

POLK

PENNINGTON

COOK

LAKE

CLEARWATERRED LAKE ITASCA

NORMAN MAHNOMEN

CASSHUBBARD

CLAYBECKER

AITKIN

WADENA CROW WING

CARLTON

OTTER TAILWILKIN

PINE

TODD MORRISON

MILLELACS

KANABECGRANT

DOUGLAS

TRAVERSEBENTON

STEVENS

STEARNS

POPE ISANTICHISAGO

BIG STONE SHERBURNESWIFT KANDIYOHI

WRIGHT ANOKAMEEKER

LAC QUI PARLE

WASH

INGTON

HENNEPIN

CHIPPEWA RAMSEY

MCLEOD CARVERYELLOW MEDICINE DAKOTA

RENVILLE

SCOTTSIBLEY

REDWOOD GOODHUE

LINCOLNLYON

LE SUEUR

RICEBROWN

NICOLLET

WABASHA

BLUEEARTHPIPESTONE 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 Rapids10. 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)

47 464652 5084 53 4449 48

4342

3083

31 325182 4041

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27 283833

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2018

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53510

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8 2460

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77 76

68 65 7478 75

79

717069

80

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4342

3083

31 325182 4041

2939

27 283833

1925

2018

3717

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15

34

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21

53510

13

1158 12

56

8 2460

59

9

7

3

6166

163

73

6272

67

77 76

68 65 7478 75

79

717069

80

Climatology

47 464652 508453 4449

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3083

31 3251

82 404129

39

27 2838

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2018

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351013

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824

6059

9

7

3

6166

163

73

6272

67

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68 657478 75

79

7170

69

80

May 5, 2020

DNR Major WatershedDrought Intensity

D0 Drought - Abnormally DryD1 Drought - ModerateD2 Drought - SevereD3 Drought - ExtremeD4 Drought - Exceptional

U.S. Drought MonitorJune 2, 2020(preliminary) (preliminary)

Precipitation for May 2020 in Minnesota ranged from well above normal in the southeast, near normal in the Twin Cities andbelow normal for most of central and northern Minnesota. One of the wettest locations was 6.96 inches at Altura in southeastMinnesota, 3.09 inches above normal. The driest place found was Melrose in central Minnesota with .67 inches or 2.59 inchesbelow normal. Only .83 inches of rain fell at Morris, the eighth driest May there since records began in 1885. St. Cloud had the9th driest May on record with 1.05 inches or 2.31 inches below normal. Overall the state was 3.06 inches or .27 inches belownormal. The U. S. Drought Monitor map released on June 4, shows Abnormally Dry conditions over 56% of the state.Moderate Drought covers 18% of the state. The driest locations are in west central and north central Minnesota. The U.S.Drought Monitor index is a blend of science and subjectivity where drought categories (Moderate, Severe etc.) are based on

Total PrecipitationMay 2020Total PrecipitationDeparture from Normal: May 2020

inchesinches0.5

3210-1

-3-2

6.07.0

4.05.03.02.01.0

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423083

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412981 39

27 28 3833

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1822 37

17

3416

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535

1013

1157

58 1256

8 246059

9

7

3

6166

163 7362 7267

7776

6768 65

7478 7579

717069

80

LAKE OFTHE WOODS

KITTSON ROSEAU

KOOCHICHING

MARSHALL

ST.LOUIS

BELTRAMIPOLK

PENNINGTON

COOK

LAKEREDLAKE

ITASCA

NORMAN MAHNOMEN

CASS

HUBBARDCLAY

BECKER

AITKIN

WADENACROWWING

CARLTON

OTTERTAILWILKIN

PINETODDMORRISON

MILLELACSKANABEC

GRANT DOUGLASTRAVERSE

BENTONSTEVENS

STEARNSPOPE ISANTICHISAGO

BIGSTONESHERBURNE

SWIFT

KANDIYOHIWRIGHT

ANOKA

MEEKERLAC QUI PA RLE

WASHINGTON

HENNEPINCHIPPEWA

RAMSEYMCLEOD CARVERYELLOWMEDICINE

DAKOTA

RENVILLESCOTT

SIBLEYREDWOOD

GOODHUE

LINCOLN

LYONLESUEUR

RICE

BROWN

NICOLLET

WABASHA

BLUEEARTHPIPESTONE MURRAY COTTONWOOD WINONA

WASECA

STEELE DODGE OLMSTEDWATONWAN

ROCK NOBLES

JACKSON

MARTIN

HOUSTON

FARIBAULT FILLMORE

FREEBORN MOWER

Surface Water: Stream Flow

Previous Flow ConditionsApril 2020

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

May 2020Stream Flow Conditions

* Percentile ranking based on mean daily flows for the currentmonth averaged and ranked with all historical mean daily flowsfor that month.A watershed ranked at zero means that the present month flowis 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 thepresent-month flow is in the middle of the historical distribution.

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

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LAKE OF THE WOODS

KITTSON ROSEAU

KOOCHICHING

MARSHALL

ST. LOUIS

BELTRAMI

POLK

PENNINGTON

COOK

LAKE

CLEARWATERRED LAKE ITASCA

NORMAN MAHNOMEN

CASSHUBBARD

CLAYBECKER

AITKIN

WADENA CROW WING

CARLTON

OTTER TAILWILKIN

PINE

TODD MORRISON

MILLELACS

KANABECGRANT

DOUGLAS

TRAVERSEBENTON

STEVENS STEARNSPOPE

ISANTICHISAGO

BIG STONE SHERBURNE

SWIFT KANDIYOHI

WRIGHTANOKA

MEEKERLAC QUI PARLE WASH

INGTO

N

HENNEPIN

CHIPPEWA RAMSEY

MCLEOD CARVERYELLOW MEDICINE DAKOTA

RENVILLE

SCOTTSIBLEY

REDWOOD GOODHUE

LINCOLNLYON

LE SUEUR

RICEBROWN

NICOLLET

WABASHA

BLUEEARTHPIPESTONE MURRAY COTTONWOOD WINONAWASECA

STEELE DODGE

OLMSTEDWATONWAN

ROCK NOBLES

JACKSON

MARTIN HOUSTONFARIBAULT

FILLMORE

FREEBORN MOWER

Upper Cormorant

Turtle River

Chub

North Center

Poplar

Edward

MarionMinnetonka

Green

Lake of the Woods

West Jefferson

Mille Lacs

Upper PriorSwan

White Bear

Shetek

Indian

East Battle

Pokegama

SarahBurntside

Vermilion

Minnewaska

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

May 2020Lake Level StatusSurface 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 ConditionsApril 2020

!( 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 (

Groundwater Level Historical Rankings

* Percentile ranking based on last reported reading for the currentmonth compared to all historical reported levels for that month. Awater level ranked at zero means that the present reported level isthe lowest in the period of record; a ranking of 100 indicates thehighest in the period of record. A ranking at the 50th percentile(median) specifies that the present month reported water level is inthe middle of the historical distribution.Source data from: MN DNR Groundwater Level Monitoring Program

# Water Table! Bedrock" Buried Artesian

Aquifer Type

""""""

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 (