Brown's Creek flows through a watershed of about 19,000 acres made up mostly of rural and agricultural land, with a few small tributaries, before emptying into the St. Croix River north of Stillwater. Over time, landscape changes and alterations to the creek increased water temperature, runoff, and sediment in the stream, but restoration projects have worked to improve its health. In 1999, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources replaced a section west of McKusick Road with a new stream channel surrounded by native vegetation to provide better habitat and cooler water. After the railroad was built in 1870 and pushed the creek aside behind a high bank that constricted flow and caused erosion, the Department of Natural Resources and the Brown's Creek Watershed District removed that bank during trail construction in 2014 so the stream could flow naturally again. In 2012, the Brown's Creek Watershed District and Oak Glen Golf Course restored a 1,300-foot section east of McKusick Road by adding native plant buffers and pools and riffles to reduce erosion, filter runoff, shade the water, and improve habitat for trout and other aquatic life. Brown's Creek was named for Joseph R. Brown, a soldier, fur trader, lumberman, and politician who lived in the area during the 1800s.