The Belle Creek Watershed

The Belle Creek watershed lies entirely within Goodhue County and drains 50,000 acres, including portions of Cannon Falls, Vasa, and Belle Creek Townships. Its terrain changes from gently rolling hills in the south to steep, forested bluffs at its northernmost point, and Belle Creek flows north through the fifteen-mile-long watershed to its confluence with the Cannon River. The watershed district was designated in 1968 after dramatic flooding damaged the area. Today, land conservation practices are managed by the Goodhue Soil and Water Conservation District and the Belle Creek Watershed District, and seven dams throughout the watershed control water flow and provide wildlife habitats. The district’s mission is to maintain soil productivity by conservancy, restore soil fertility through the practical application of erosion control and land use practices, and promote the general welfare and security of families within the district. Native wildlife and plants found in the watershed include the Red Shouldered Hawk, which reuses its nest year after year in the forest canopy, kittentails that bloom in late April, American ginseng in the wooded valleys, and the Cerulean Warbler, more often heard than seen. Planted shoreline buffer strips are now required under state legislation along streams and creeks where crops are raised and animals graze, providing wildlife habitat, stabilizing stream banks, filtering and controlling runoff, and preventing downstream sedimentation.

Minnesota · United States