Zumbro Watershed History Bibliography

Transcription

The Environmental History
of the Zumbro River Watershed:
An Annotated Bibliography
Produced by Greg Gaut
Janet Timmerman and Kevin Strauss
2014
The Environmental History of the
Zumbro River Watershed:
An Annotated Bibliography
This work is the product of a partnership between the Zumbro Watershed
Partnership and the History Center of Olmsted County. Janet Timmerman was the
project director, Greg Gaut collected the sources and prepared the annotations, and
Kevin Strauss helped with sources and conducted the oral interviews.
This publication was made possible in part by the people of Minnesota through a
grant funded by an appropriation to the Minnesota Historical Society from the
Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund made possible by the vote of
Minnesotans on November 4, 2008. Any views, findings, opinions, conclusions or
recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the authors and do not
necessarily represent those of the State of Minnesota, the Minnesota Historical
Society, or the Minnesota Historic Resources Advisory Committee.
© 2014 by the History Center of Olmsted County and the Zumbro Watershed Partnership
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Table of Contents
Introduction
v
I.
1
Zumbro Watershed History
A. Before humans
1. Geology
2. Pre-Settlement Southeastern Minnesota biomes
B. Native Inhabitants of the Watershed
1. Archeology—the prehistory of the watershed.
2. The Dakota from European arrival to the War of 1862
3. The Dakota after war and exile
C. European Occupation of the Watershed
1. General
2. Explorers, missionaries, trappers, and traders
3. European settlement and early agriculture
4. Agriculture in the railroad era
5. Agriculture through mid-20th century
6. Urban development
II.
Zumbro Watershed Places
19
A. General
B. Dodge County (including Dodge Center and Mantorville on the Middle Fork)
C. Goodhue County (including Kenyon, Wanamingo, and Zumbrota on the North Fork, and
Pine Island on the North Branch of the Middle Fork)
D. Olmsted County
1. Generally
2. Oronoco and Lake Shady (Middle Fork)
3. Rochester (South Fork)
E. Rice County and Steele County
F. Wabasha County (including Lake Zumbro, Mazeppa on the North Fork, and Zumbro Falls,
Hammond, Millville, Theilmann, and Kellogg on the Lower Zumbro.)
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III. The Modern Zumbro Watershed
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A. The Zumbro and the greater watershed into which it drains
B. Weather, climate, and climate change
C. Hydrology
D. Wildlife (native and introduced)
E. Prairie, wetland, and woodland plants (native and invasive)
F. Demography and land use
G. Agricultural use
1. Farms, farm organization, and land tenure
2. Crops and livestock
3. Farming practices
4. Soils and soil conservation
H. Wetlands and drainage
I. Run-off Pollution (agricultural and urban)
J. Water sustainability: quality and quantity
1. General
2. Groundwater
3. Surface water
K. Flooding and flood control
L. The built environment on the river
1. Urban development/infrastructure including storm water and wastewater management.
2. Dams and mills
3. Highways, roads, and bridges
M. Recreational use
N. The Zumbro Watershed in the arts and the humanities
Appendix A: For further research
Appendix B: Oral History Interviews
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Introduction
This is an annotated bibliography of historical and environmental sources which help us
understand the Zumbro River Watershed in southeastern Minnesota. We hope that citizens,
businesses, non-profits, and state, county, township and municipal officials who live in and are
responsible for the watershed will find it a useful tool for learning about the watershed and acting
to create a better future for it. We also hope that it will support the creation of a full-scale
environmental history of the watershed.
Environmental history begins with the idea that the natural environment is an important part of
the human story. Rather than being only the stage upon which human endeavor plays out, it is an
actor within the play itself, acting and reacting. Water is a universal element and in this case we
use the concept of a watershed as the defining characteristic of the natural environment. A
watershed is an area of land that drains to a common body of water. As a drop of rain falls on the
land, it flows downhill into small creeks and streams, then into larger rivers, and eventually into
lakes, wetlands, or the ocean.
The Zumbro Watershed encompasses more than 900,000 acres (or ~1,422 square miles) of
agricultural and urban lands that drain into the three forks of the Zumbro River before joining the
Mississippi River near Kellogg, MN. The watershed contains more than 288 miles of rivers and
streams, including 57 miles of high-quality trout streams, a smallmouth bass fishery, and a
designated canoe trail. It covers parts of six counties - Dodge, Goodhue, Rice, Olmsted, Steele,
and Wabasha - and 22 municipalities, including the rapidly expanding City of Rochester.
The Zumbro River Watershed is known for its diversity of landscape, ranging from deep fertile
glacial-tills to steep sandy soils of the bluffs. Much of the watershed is within a region
characterized by karst geology. The eastern half of the region in particular has exposed
sedimentary bedrock and complex groundwater systems. Portions of the Zumbro River
watershed are included in the “driftless area” which was by-passed by the last continental
glacier.
Most of the Zumbro River Watershed was once covered by prairies of tall grasses and clusters of
oak openings. Forested pockets contained burr oak, red oak, aspen, maple, basswood, walnut and
hickory throughout the region. Forested floodplains occupied the river valley and stream
corridors with patches of hardwood forest on the north-facing slopes of the bluffs. The prairie
and oak openings were dependent on disturbances such as the grazing of large animals and fires,
some naturally occurring and some set by the native population as a land management tool.
Currently much of this landscape is altered by urban development and agriculture. Most of the
prairie and oak openings have been converted to other land uses and the remaining native plant
communities occur on the steep slopes of the bluffs. Forest lands have expanded in some places
due to the suppression of fires.
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The five “lobes” of the watershed
To better understand this complex system, the Zumbro Watershed Partnership divides the
watershed into five areas (or “lobes”) based on their flow paths and drainage areas:
1. The South Fork of the Zumbro River flows east and then north through Rochester to the
point at which it meets the Middle Fork near the south end of Lake Zumbro. It accounts for
approximately one quarter of the Zumbro River watershed (232,574 acres; 26% of total
drainage). Cascade Creek, Salem Creek and Bear Creek all drain to the South Fork. As these
tributaries flow toward Rochester, some of the water encounters a ring of seven flood control
reservoirs near the city. The growing City of Rochester covers hundreds of acres of soil with
concrete and pavement every year. As a result, developers are required to offset the discharge
rate and water quality impacts through storm water impoundments and other best
management practices.
2. The Middle Fork of the Zumbro River includes most of the western acreage of the basin.
Three branches of this fork flow east, converge near the now-drained Lake Shady at Oronoco
and join the South Fork near the south end of Lake Zumbro. The Middle Fork is the largest
general lobe of the watershed: it drains 277,816 acres (31% of total drainage). It contains
several cities, including Pine Island, Oronoco, Dodge Center and Kasson-Mantorville.
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3. The North Fork of the Zumbro River is the smallest of the three forks: it drains 153,149
acres (17% of total drainage). It flows east through a long and narrow watershed of rolling
hills and dairy farms. After converging with Mazeppa Creek, it joins the main stem of the
river, which includes the waters of the South and Middle Forks, downstream of Lake
Zumbro. The North Fork flows through the cities of Kenyon, Wanamingo, Zumbrota and
Mazeppa.
4. The Lake Zumbro includes the smallest area of land that drains directly to the lake (34,881
acres or 4% of total drainage). This land is situated downstream of the confluence of South
and Middle Forks and upstream of the confluence of the North Fork. The lake was created in
1919 when the City of Rochester built a hydroelectric dam on the Zumbro. The dam
continues to generate electricity. To the dismay of lakeshore residents and recreation
enthusiasts, the lake is filling in with sediment from the Zumbro River. Still, excellent fishing
and boat recreation opportunities remain to be enjoyed on much of the lake. Pine Island
Creek flows directly into Lake Zumbro from the west and is the only large, named stream in
this watershed lobe.
5. The Lower Zumbro River is the bottom of the watershed. Its starting point is the
confluence of the three forks of the Zumbro River just below Lake Zumbro and its end point
is the river‘s mouth. It includes 211,903 acres (23% of total drainage) and is fed by coldwater trout streams like Cold Spring Brook and West Indian Creek. At Zumbro Falls, the
main stem of the Zumbro enters its home stretch–a zigzag journey through the spectacular
scenery of the lower Zumbro valley. The scenery is provided by the fractured limestone,
dolomite and sandstone layers that are the legacy of a distant age when oceans covered the
region. The gradient of the main stem flattens near the town of Hammond as it flows toward
its outlet to the Mississippi, which it encounters near Kellogg after passing through a
straightened and diked final reach of river that allows the river to coexist with agriculture on
the fertile flood plain. Aerial photographs often show the discharge of the Zumbro to be mud
brown, in comparison to the usually clear Mississippi River, which drops most of its
sediment load upstream in Lake Pepin.
Our bibliography
In creating this bibliography, we are guided by three assumptions informed by the fundamental
insights of environmental history:

The physical environment of the watershed has played a powerful role in shaping the
economic, cultural and social lives of the people who have resided here, and continues to
do so.

Just as the watershed has had a profound impact on human society, so also have human
populations had an enormous impact on the quantity and quality of the water flowing
through the watershed and also on the plants and animals which live in its habitat. It
follows that we have an important role to play as stewards of the watershed.
vi

The historical context of the watershed’s current condition (its use, its health) is essential
for understanding crucial issues of conservation and natural resource management for its
long term sustainability.
We found many sources about the Zumbro Watershed, but we were also struck by the general
lack of historic knowledge. There are excellent primary sources readily available, like the
photographic collection of Zumbro’s historic floods located at the History Center of Olmsted
County or the many historic county plat maps available starting in the 1860’s. There are also
helpful secondary sources, like the introduction to the watershed produced by E.H. Schlitgus in
manuscript form in 1975 but never published, or the Rochester’s Public Works Department
comprehensive water primer which has a good chapter on the historic Zumbro (available only
on-line at their website). Significant data has been collected on water quality and quantity, but all
in all the Zumbro has been less studied than its neighboring Root and Cannon rivers.
Drastic changes have taken place in the watershed but we lack the narratives that tell the stories
of the human interaction with the landscape. We know little about how the Dakota and their
ancestors utilized the river and its valleys. Theirs is an oral tradition, and with the loss of the
Dakota people from the river watershed from disease, war, and exile, many localized stories of
their past have vanished as well. There has also been little analysis on the many ways the
European settlers transformed the landscape. There is no readily available narrative, for
example, about the building of the Lake Zumbro Dam, or the engineering done at the mouth of
the Zumbro near Kellogg, or the draining of agricultural lands such as the Ripley Ditch project in
Dodge County.
The 1978 flood received attention due to its impact on the major urban area of Rochester through
a publication Flood of Memories, Memories of Flood, where the stories of the people impacted
by the flood were recorded. The more contemporary event, the 2010 flood on the middle branch,
has been recorded only by the media. This project interviewed citizens from the watershed with
unique memories of the changes and events that they have witnessed, including the 2010 flood.
Twelve people shared their individual experiences of life within the watershed from differing
perspectives and differing time periods stretching back eighty years. These interviews, which are
described in Appendix B, inform our understanding of the landscape from the everyday to major
life changing events.
Our hope is that this bibliography provides a starting point for those who pick up the challenge
of telling the environmental history of the Zumbro River Watershed.
We divided the bibliography into three main sections…

The first section takes a deep historical approach and includes sources from geology,
natural history and archeology and then moves on to the human history of the watershed
up to approximately the middle of the 20th century.

The second section is organized around the places of the watershed, broken down along
county lines. The watershed, or course, pays no heed to arbitrary human boundaries.
However, many of the sources since the arrival of the Europeans are organized along
these lines, like county histories, water management plans, etc.
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
The third section is organized topically by the various issues facing the watershed (e.g.
water quality, flooding, etc.) all of which are grounded in recent history, that is,
developments since the middle of the 20th Century.
Keep in mind…

No bibliography is complete. For many subjects we include one or two sources which
provide an entry point into a larger literature. For example, there is a complex scientific
literature intended for specialists on many environmental issues. We have tried to choose
a general source which will introduce the issue and lead to other sources.

As the three sections naturally overlap some sources are listed in more than one section.
For example, a particular source may provide information both about a significant issue
facing the watershed and also about a distinct geographic place in the watershed.
Many thanks to all the librarians and archivists who helped with sources, and especially to the
staff of Fitzgerald Library at Saint Mary’s University, where much of this material was
assembled.
Photo Credits: The historic photographs are courtesy of the History Center of Olmsted County.
The contemporary photographs are by Greg Gaut.
Some beginning thoughts….
…[T]he special task of environmental history is to assert that stories about the past are better, all
other things being equal, if they increase our attention to nature and the place of people within it.
They succeed when they make us look at the grasslands and their peoples in a new way. This is
different from saying that our histories should turn their readers into environmentalists or
convince everyone of a particular political point of view. Good histories rarely do this. But if
environmental history is successful in it project, the story of how different peoples have lived in
and used the natural world will become one of the most basic and fundamental narratives in all
of history, without which no understanding of the past could be complete.
William Cronon, environmental historian, University of Wisconsin
The river will always have its own way; no engineering skill can persuade it to do otherwise
.
Mark Twain, referring to the Mississippi
No man ever steps in the same river twice, for it’s not the same river and he’s not the same man.
Attributed to the Greek philosopher Heraclitus
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I.
Zumbro Watershed History
This section contains sources on the geology, natural history,
archeology and human history of the watershed until roughly
the middle of the 20th century. Some sources on the climate
history of the watershed are collected in Section III, B.
A. Before Humans
1. Geology
Bray, Edmund C. Billions of Years in Minnesota: The Geological Story of the State. St. Paul:
Science Museum of Minnesota, 1977.
Brief introduction to Minnesota geology for a general audience with county by county
descriptions of observable rock formations and glacial features.
Lively, R. “Minnesota at a Glance: Caves in Minnesota.” Minnesota Geological Survey
pamphlet. St. Paul: University of Minnesota, 1995.
This four page pamphlet describes the karst geology of Southeastern Minnesota and how it
leads to sinkholes, underground streams, springs, and caves. Although the only caves open to
the public are in Fillmore County, caves can occur wherever there are karst landscapes, which
includes Rice, Dodge, Olmsted, Goodhue, and Wabasha counties.
Ojakangas, Richard W. and Charles L. Matsch. Minnesota’s Geology. Minneapolis: University
of Minnesota Press, 1982.
Basic introduction to the geology of Minnesota with a brief chapter on southeastern Minnesota.
Sansome, Constance J. Minnesota Underfoot: a Field Guide to the State’s Outstanding Geologic
Features. Stillwater, MN: Voyageur Press, 1997.
This book is a guide to active exploring of Minnesota's unique geology. The southeastern
Minnesota section has sites in Olmsted and Goodhue counties.
Schwartz, George M. Minnesota’s Rocks and Waters: a Geological Story. Rev. ed. University of
Minnesota. Minnesota Geological Survey Bulletin 37. Minneapolis: University of
Minnesota Press, 1963.
This general introduction to the major geologic features of Minnesota has a section on the
southeastern region (Chapter 15) which explains the origins of the Cannon, Zumbro,
Whitewater, and Root rivers as tributaries of the Mississippi.
1
Tester, John R. Minnesota’s Natural Heritage: An Ecological Perspective. Minneapolis:
University of Minnesota Press, 1995.
The first chapter provides a general introduction to geologic history and a description of how
glaciation determined topography, soil, and vegetation. Subsequent chapters on Minnesota’s
biomes (deciduous forest, coniferous forest, and prairie) also discuss the impact of European
settlement activity, such as logging and agriculture, on the region.
Winchell, N. H. The Geological and Natural History Survey of Minnesota.
The Geology of Minnesota. Vol. I of the Final Report. Minneapolis: Johnson, Smith and
Harrison, 1884.
The Geology of Minnesota. Vol. II of the Final Report. St. Paul, Minn., Pioneer Press
Company, 1888.
This is the final report of a county by county
geological survey done between 1872 and 1885.
Each of the six counties in the Zumbro watershed has
a separate chapter. In Volume I, Olmsted is Chapter
7, Dodge is Chapter 9, Steele is Chapter 11, and Rice
is Chapter 23. In Volume II, Chapter 1 covers
Wabasha and Chapter 2 covers Goodhue. Each
chapter describes not only the rivers and drainage,
topography, elevations, rock formations, soil,
exploitable natural resources, but also trees and
shrubs observed during the survey. There are also
notes on some human activity, including wells and water powered mills. Some of the chapters
have archeological information. Shown here are rocks along the south branch of the Middle
Fork near Byron.
Wright, H. E. Geologic History of Minnesota’s Rivers. Minnesota Geological Survey Bulletin
Educational Series 7. St. Paul, MN: University of Minnesota, 1990.
Brief overview of the glacial development of Minnesota's river systems focused on the
Minnesota and Mississippi with little mention of tributaries.
2. Pre-settlement Southeastern Minnesota biomes
Greenberg, Joe. A Feathered River Across the Sky: the passenger pigeon’s flight to extinction.
New York: Bloomsbury, 2014.
A naturalist attempts to reconstruct the world of the passenger pigeon and explore their rapid
demise when the Europeans arrived. He notes that their tendency to roost together in
enormous numbers facilitated the hunting of them both for recreational and commercial
reasons.
2
Herrick, C. L. The Mammals of Minnesota: a Scientific and Popular Account of Their Features
and Habits. Geological and Natural History Survey of Minnesota. Bulletin no. 7.
Minneapolis: Harrison & Smith, 1892.
An early survey of mammals in the state which documents that large mammals like elk were
populous in southeastern Minnesota, and that bison were also present, to about 1850. Also
concludes that by 1892, both species were completely gone from the region.
Hvoslef, Johan. Diaries, in the collection Records 1872-1947 of the Bell Museum of Natural
History, available at the University Archives, Anderson Library, University of
Minnesota, Minneapolis.
Hvoslef , a Norwegian immigrant, established a medical practice in Lanseboro, and in his spare
time worked as one of Minnesota ‘s original naturalists. He was in continual correspondence
with Thomas Roberts, see below, reporting on the birds he observed. After his death in 1920,
his widow donated her husband's nature study journals to the University’s Museum of Natural
History. Over 50 volumes document his observations between 1881 and 1918 of southeastern
Minnesota flora and fauna, for example his last sighting of a passenger pigeon in 1886.
MacMillan, Conway. Minnesota Plant Life. St. Paul: Pioneer Press, 1899.
Although written when agriculture had already deeply transformed the ecology of the region,
this volume provides a botanical snap shot of Minnesota at the end of the Nineteenth Century.
Marschner, Francis Joseph, The Original Vegetation of Minnesota, compiled from U.S. General
Land Office Survey notes in 1930. St. Paul: North Central Forest Experiment Station,
Forest Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, 1974. Can be viewed on line or
purchased from the Minnesota Historical Society at
http://collections.mnhs.org/cms/display.php?irn=10583076&websites=no&brand=cms&q
=Original%20vegetation%20of%20Minnesota%20map&startindex=1&count=25
This map represents Minnesota’s vegetation prior to European
settlement based on material collected during the original land
survey of Minnesota between 1848 and 1907. Surveying was
done by the U.S. Office of the Surveyor General for Minnesota
just ahead of settlement. The six counties of the Zumbro
watershed are presented as a mixed area of what Marschner
described as prairie, brush prairie, aspen-oak land, oak openings
and barrens, big woods, with scattered marshes and river bottom
forest along the banks of the Zumbro. Of these categories, the
predominant ones were prairie, brush prairie and oak openings
(scattered groves of mostly Burr Oaks, sometimes called Oak
Savannah). On the back of the map are notes on Marschner’s
methodology and his categories by Miron Heinselman. The online version allows zooming in on particular regions and counties.
3
Mitchell, Martin D., Richard O. Kimmel, and Jennifer Snyders. “Reintroduction and Range
Expansion of Eastern Wild Turkeys in Minnesota.” Geographical Review 101, no. 2
(April 2011): 269–84.
Although primarily about their reintroduction, this article assembles the evidence in support of
the proposition that wild turkeys inhabited the valleys of the Mississippi’s tributaries in the
driftless region of prior to the arrival of the Europeans.
Nachtrieb, Henry F. First Report of the State Zoölogist accompanied with Notes on the Birds of
Minnesota by P. L. Hatch. Minneapolis: Harrison & Smith, 1892.
The first ornithological report in Minnesota. With respect to the controversy over the wild
turkey (see the Roberts and Mitchell sources herein), Hatch found that they were totally absent
from Minnesota as of 1891, but that they had been present as late as 1871. He believed that
they had been wiped out by settlers.
Nelson, Rob and Dan Bertalman, Timothy Jacobson and George Howe. Mysteries of the
Driftless: A Film of Exploration and Adventure. DVD. La Crosse, WI: Mississippi Valley
Conservancy with Untamed Science, 2013.
A 27 minute documentary about a team of explorers and scientists kayaking down deeply cut
tributary valleys, flying in ultralights, and climbing rocky bluffs to explore the driftless area which
includes a large part of southeastern Minnesota including the eastern part of the Zumbro
watershed. They argue that because the region was not scoured by glaciers, it remains one of
the most biologically diverse regions in the world.
Office of Surveyor General of Minnesota. Land Survey Field Notes, 1848-1907. 31 boxes.
Minnesota Historical Society Archives, St. Paul, MN
These are the original handwritten notebooks of the surveyors who did the original land survey
of the state of Minnesota for the US Office of the Surveyor General for Minnesota. The
surveyors took notes on vegetation, soil, and other topographical features. These notes were
used to construct the Marchner and Wendt sources herein. The archive’s inventory of the
records is available online at http://www.mnhs.org/library/findaids/ussg06.pdf
(accessed May 13, 2014).
Roberts, Thomas S. The Birds of Minnesota. 2nd ed. 2 volumes. Minneapolis, University of
Minnesota Press, 1936.
Roberts published an enormous compendium of information on Minnesota birds in 1932 and
revised it four years later. This classic work continues to generate controversy with his assertion
that there is no credible evidence that wild turkeys (the “Eastern Turkey”) inhabited this region
before European occupation. If so, they could not have been extirpated by settlers as was
widely believed, nor did it make sense to “reintroduce” them, as the Minnesota DNR did so
successfully starting in the 1960s. The counter argument can be found in the article by Martin
Mitchell et al. in this section.
4
Wendt, Keith M., Natural Vegetation of Minnesota: At the Time of the Public Land Survey,
1847-1907. Minnesota Department of Natural Resources Biological Report No. 1. St.
Paul: Natural Heritage Program, Minnesota Dept. of Natural Resources, 1988.
A six page color brochure which presents a modification of the 1974 map published by
Marschner (see entry in this section). Wendt made some revisions in the categories used by
Marschner. For example, Brush Prairie is now called Aspen Parkland, Oak Openings and Barrens
are designated as Oak Woodland, and River Bottom Forest are called Floodplain Forest.
Tester, John R. Minnesota’s Natural Heritage: An Ecological Perspective. Minneapolis:
Good introduction to the origins and ecology of the larger southeastern Minnesota biome and
what became of it after European settlers transformed the prairie and wetlands into agricultural
land. See especially Chapter 6 on tallgrass prairie, Chapter 7 on wetlands, especially prairie
wetlands, and Chapter 9 on streams and rivers.
B.
Native Inhabitants of the Watershed
1. Archeology: the prehistory of the watershed
Arzigian, Constance M. and Michael Kolb. 2010 Archaeological Reconnaissance Survey
of Olmsted County, Minnesota, Report of Investigations Number 873, Mississippi Valley
Archeology Center at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse.
Results of field and archival investigations as well as geomorphological testing for
potential sites in Olmsted County. The survey documents Paleo-Indian, Archaic and
Woodland sites, but no Post-woodland sites or Oneota villages. The report indicated
that the most likely areas to find sites will be in terraces along rivers. The report is
summarized in a “Research Note” in The Minnesota Archeologist 70 (2011): 6-9. The
complete report (145 pages) can be downloaded at the website of the Office of the
State Archeologist of Minnesota (www.osa.admin.state.mn.us)
Arzigian, Constance M. Minnesota’s Indian Mounds and Burial Sites: a Synthesis of Prehistoric
and Early Historic Archaeological Data. St. Paul: Minnesota Office of the State
Archaeologist, 2003.
This book synthesizes the extensive but scattered information on Minnesota’s prehistoric
earthworks from the publication of Winchell’s 1911 book (noted in this section) through more
recent investigations by contemporary archeologists. Assists cultural resource management
professionals in protecting the many Indian burial sites that still exist today. There is an
appendix which details findings by county. Within the Zumbro watershed, Wabasha County has
the most entries. In general, the authors found that southeastern Minnesota sites are
concentrated in the Mississippi River valley especially at the confluence of the tributaries.
5
Gibbon, Guy. Archaeology of Minnesota: The Prehistory of the Upper Mississippi River Region.
Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 2012.
Most recent overview of the archeology of pre-contact Minnesota back 13,000 years with
careful attention to how the lifeways of native were influenced by environmental factors.
Gibbon summarizes recent findings of archeologists in the field. Good introduction to the field
of Minnesota archeology.
Johnson, Elden. The Prehistoric Peoples of Minnesota. Minnesota Prehistoric Archaeology
Series; No. 3. St. Paul: Minnesota Historical Society Press, 1988.
Basic introduction to the archeology of native peoples in Minnesota. A good starting point for
understanding the way that archeologists divide Minnesota's prehistory in to Paleo-Indian,
Archaic, Woodland, and Mississippian periods.
Winchell, N.H. ed. The Aborigines of Minnesota: a Report on the Collections of Jacob V.
Brower, and on the Field Surveys and Notes of Alfred J. Hill and Theodore H. Lewis. St.
Paul: Minnesota Historical Society, 1911.
Winchell collated a wealth of information on the mounds, burial sites and other prehistoric
earth works from the survey work of various early archeologists. Recently, the Office of the
State Archeologist published the work by Arzigian (see above) which brings together the
investigations of these sites and others since Winchell’s work.
2. The Dakota from European arrival to the War of 1862
Anderson, Gary Clayton. Kinsmen of Another Kind: Dakota-White Relations in the Upper
Mississippi Valley, 1650-1862. Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press, 1984.
In this important study, Gary Anderson argues that the French and British fur traders with whom
the eastern Dakota first came into contact adapted themselves to the Dakota kinship system. As
a result, relations were peaceful and productive for almost two hundred years. However, in the
early 19th century the numbers of Europeans increased and the fur trade declined. The new
immigrants had no interest in establishing kinship relations with the Dakota. Rather they
expected the Indians to adapt to European ways. The result was the Dakota War in 1862.
Anderson, Gary Clayton. Little Crow, Spokesman for the Sioux. St. Paul, MN: Minnesota
Historical Society Press, 1986.
Born about 1810 in the Mdewakanton village of Kaposia, Little Crow reluctantly led the Dakota
in the war of 1862. A year after their defeat, he was shot by a farmer who brought his body into
Hutchinson where it was desecrated by angry townspeople. His biography provides a crucial
window onto the tragedy of the Dakota in the region.
6
Anderson, Gary Clayton and Alan R. Woodworth. Through Dakota Eyes: Narrative Accounts of
the Minnesota Indian War of 1862. St. Paul: Minnesota Historical Society Press, 1988.
Indispensable translations of available accounts of the various experiences of Dakota during the
war in 1862, including those who favored as well as those who opposed war.
Carley, Kenneth. The Dakota War of 1862. 2nd ed. St. Paul: Minnesota Historical Society Press,
1976, reprt 2001.
The violence of the Dakota War occurred outside of the Zumbro watershed, primarily along the
Minnesota River, but it is nevertheless crucial for understanding relations between European
settlers and the Dakota from the first arrival of the Europeans to the present.
Gibbon, Guy E. The Sioux: The Dakota and Lakota Nations. Malden, MA: Blackwell, 2003.
A comprehensive survey of the history of the Sioux. Significant information on the Eastern
Sioux, or Dakota, who had originally lived in the forests of Minnesota and northern Wisconsin,
but gradually migrated west and south. Good background on the Mdewakanton tribe of the
Dakota who inhabited the lower Minnesota and upper Mississippi valleys until pushed west to a
reservation along the Minnesota River by the Treaty of Mendota in 1851.
Lass, William E. “Histories of the U.S.-Dakota War of 1862: a Review.” Minnesota History 63
No 2 (Summer 2012): 44-57.
This useful review of many of the histories of the 1862 war concludes that Kenneth Carley’s
book remains the best starting place for understanding the war and its causes. However, this
piece was written before the publication of the books listed here by Wingerd and by Westerman
and White.
Meyer, Roy Willard. History of the Santee Sioux: United States Indian Policy on Trial. Rev. Ed.
Lincoln, Neb.: University of Nebraska Press, 1993.
Santee refers to the eastern Dakota tribes, which included the Mdewankantons who lived in the
Zumbro watershed when the Europeans arrived. Meyer wrote this book in 1967 and then
published an expanded and enlarged edition in 1993. He provides a detailed survey of the
process by which the European settlers, and eventually the US government, subjugated the
Dakota. His focus in essentially political, and there is limited information on the daily life of the
Dakota in this region.
Nilles, Myron A. A History of Wapasha’s Prairie, 1660-1853. 2nd ed. Winona, Minn.: Winona
County Historical Society, 2005.
Although primarily focused on the village established by the Mdewakanton chief Wapasha on
the land which became the city of Winona, this small book provides an introduction to the
Dakota who farmed and hunted in the Zumbro watershed area during the fifty years or so
before they were removed to the reservation on the Minnesota River in western Minnesota by
the Treaty of Mendota in 1851.
7
Pond, Samuel W. Dakota Life in the Upper Midwest. St. Paul: Minnesota Historical Society
Press, 2002.
Samuel Pond was a missionary who late in life wrote this detailed ethnography of the Dakota
based on observations of Dakota life along the Mississippi and the Minnesota beginning in
1834. The work was originally published after his death by the Minnesota Historical Society in
1908. This edition is a reprint with a scholarly introduction by Gary Clayton Anderson. Like
other missionaries, Pond failed to convert the Dakota to Christianity, but he studied Dakota
language and had a very sympathetic view of them. He made a serious attempt to provide an
objective report on their way of living. Since he focuses on the Mdewankanton, the volume
provides useful background for the native history of the Zumbro area.
Raygor, Mearl. Indians of Southeastern Minnesota. Self-published booklet. 1978
A small booklet which is helpful because of its focus on the Dakota and the Winnebago in
Winona, Goodhue, Olmsted, Fillmore and Dodge counties.
Westerman, Gwen and Bruce M. White. Mni Sota Makoce: The Land of the Dakota. St. Paul:
Minnesota Historical Society Press, 2012.
This recent book provides a detailed and nuanced investigation of the Dakota prior to their exile
from Minnesota, which the authors note was originally "a Dakota place." The authors explain
that the Zumbro watershed was part of the hunting area of the bands that made their home
near Red Wing and at Wabasha’s Prairie (present day Winona). During the 1851 treaty
negotiations, Wakuta, chief of the Red Wing band, requested a reservation at Pine Island on the
Zumbro. This was his band’s long-standing wintering place and as he noted, "a good place for
Indians." The last chapter describes the Dakota after the exile, and there is an excellent
bibliography.
Wingerd, Mary Lethert. North Country: The Making of Minnesota. Illustrations annotated by
Kirsten Delegard. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 2010.
This sophisticated synthesis of modern scholarship on the fate of the Dakota and Ojibwe
includes a detailed investigation of the fur trade which emphasizes that Indians and Europeans
negotiated a common culture in those early years. From this point of view, the treaties, the
1862 war, and the exile of the Dakota were the key turning points in Minnesota’s history. With
the forcible removal of the Dakota, the immigrants defined the new state as an exclusively
“white” place. Delegard’s annotated illustrations of historical sources provide a parallel
exploration of the topic.
Winchell, N.H. ed. The Aborigines of Minnesota: a Report on the Collections of Jacob V.
Brower, and on the Field Surveys and Notes of Alfred J. Hill and Theodore H. Lewis. St.
Paul: Minnesota Historical Society, 1911.
In 1911 Winchell collated a massive compendium of information on Dakota and Ojibwa life as
they were before the European overran their lands. Provides a great deal of data on the tribes
but also serves to document the prejudices of the time, especially among European-Americans
8
still traumatized by the Dakota War in 1862. Winchell acknowledged the wrongs done to the
Dakota but following the Social Darwinism popular at that time, concludes that the expulsion of
the Dakota was "unavoidable and inevitable" because the "trend of the human race is
upward." (559)
3. The Dakota after war and exile
Gibbon, Guy E. The Sioux: The Dakota and Lakota Nations. Malden, MA: Blackwell Pub.,
2003.
A comprehensive survey of the history of the Sioux from origins to the present. In particular,
covers the return of a branch of the Mdewakanton to Prairie Island in Goodhue County after the
Dakota War and the subsequent development of that community.
Hyman, Colette A. Dakota Women’s Work: Creativity, Culture, and Exile. St. Paul: Minnesota
A local historian traces the changes in the lives of Dakota women, starting before the arrival of
whites and covering the fur trade years, the years of treaties and shrinking lands, the brutal time
of removal, starvation, and shattered families after 1862, and then the transition to reservation
life, when missionaries and government agents worked to turn the Dakota into Christian
farmers.
Lewis, David Rich. “Native Americans and the Environment: A Survey of Twentieth-Century
Issues.” American Indian Quarterly 19, Issue 3 (Summer 1995): 423-450.
An interesting look at how modern tribes view contemporary environmental issues nation-wide,
including the Mdewakantons’ concerns about nuclear waste storage adjacent to their Prairie
Island reservation outside Red Wing.
Meyer, Roy Willard. History of the Santee Sioux: United States Indian Policy on Trial. Rev. Ed.
Lincoln, Neb.: University of Nebraska Press, 1993.
Santee refers to the eastern Dakota tribes, which included the Mdewankantons who lived in the
Zumbro watershed when the Europeans arrived. Meyer wrote this book in 1967 and published
an expanded and enlarged edition in 1993. After his summary of the 1862 war, he provides
detailed account of what happened to the Dakota bands in exile and the process by which some
of them returned to Minnesota in the late 19th century, including the Prairie Island band near
Red Wing.
9
C. European Occupation of the Watershed
1. General
Atkins, Annette. Creating Minnesota: A History from the inside out. St. Paul, MN: Minnesota
Innovative history of the state which emphasizes the human drama of development.
Blegen, Theodore C. Minnesota: a History of the State. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota
Press, 1963, 1975.
Blegen published what has become the standard historical survey of Minnesota in 1963. A
second edition was planned, but at his death, the University decided to republished the original
book unchanged with a new chapter written by Russell Fridley which brought the story up to
1975. The first two hundred pages of this volume provides a good guide to French, British, and
eventually American visitors to the region in the seventeenth, eighteenth and nineteenth
centuries, and the rest of the book provides basic background for the subsequent history of the
state through the date of publication.
Borchert, John R. and Neil C. Gustafson. Atlas of Minnesota Resources and Settlement. 3rd ed.
Minneapolis: Center for Urban and Regional Affairs and the Minnesota State Planning
Agency, 1980.
A great compendium of data about Minnesota as of the late 1970s, beginning with land and
natural resources.
Hart, John Fraser and Susy S. Ziegler. Landscapes of Minnesota: A Geography. St. Paul:
A comprehensive historical geography of Minnesota with an emphasis on the long term history
or European settlement.
Lass, William E. Minnesota: A History. New York: W.W. Norton & Co., 1998.
Uneven history of the state is best on the origins of the state and its economic foundations.
2. Explorers, missionaries, trappers, and traders
American Fur Company papers, 1831-1849. 38 reels of microfilm held by the Minnesota
Historical Society library in St. Paul.
Microfilm of the original papers held in New York. Trade records and correspondence of the fur
trade in Minnesota and elsewhere featuring the letters of people like John Jacob Astor, Henry
Sibley, Joseph Nicollet, Henry Schoolcraft, and many others.
10
Carver, Jonathan. Travels through the Interior Parts of North America, in the Years 1766, 1767,
and 1768. 3rd edition. London, 1781. Reprint: Minneapolis: Ross & Haines, 1956.
The British colonial Jonathan Carver was sent from the garrison of Mackinac Island in 1766 to
advance the British fur trade among the Indians in the territories that became Wisconsin and
Minnesota. Later he published a travel memoir in London. Besides a great deal on the Indians,
he has a quite a bit on animals. Although far from a naturalist, his descriptions of what he saw
are useful. In his section on “Beasts,” for example, he describes bear, wolf, fox, buffalo, elk,
deer, moose, and caribou, among others.
Cous, Elliot, Ed. The Expeditions of Zebulon Montgomery Pike: To Headwaters of the
Mississippi River, through Louisiana Territory, and in New Spain during the Years 18056-7. 3 volumes. New York: Francis P. Harper, 1895 (Reprint: Minneapolis: Ross &
Haines, 1965).
On behalf of the U.S. government, Pike came up the Mississippi scouting for locations for
military forts. Cous was a distinguished geographer and ornithologist who edited and annotated
the writings of early explorers (including Lewis and Clark). Pike passed the Zumbro, which he
called “riviere Embarrass,” in September 1805 and noted that it joined the Whitewater, which
he called the Lean Clair, before entering the Mississippi. In a long footnote, Cous notes that the
Whitewater at Minnieska “is still or was lately connected with one of the lowest sluices of the
Zumbro.” He thought that the delta of the Zumbro “extends practically from Minneiska to
Wabasha…” (Footnote 59, page 56).
Gates, Charles M. Ed. Five Fur Traders of the Northwest: Being the Narrative of Peter Pond and
the Diaries of John Macdonell, Archibald N. McLeod, Hugh Faries, and Thomas Connor.
St. Paul: Minnesota Historical Society, 1965.
Important primarily for the narrative of Pond, a fur trader who worked the upper Mississippi
and its tributaries in 1773-1775.
Gilman, Rhoda R. Henry Hastings Sibley: Divided Heart. St. Paul: Minnesota Historical Society
Press, 2004.
In Gilman’s biography, Henry Sibley, the fur trader who became Minnesota’s first governor (and
the leader of the expeditionary force against the Dakota in 1862) represents the contradictory
nature of the European incursion, part motivated by idealism, part by material gain leading to
injustice.
11
Gilman, Rhoda R. “Last Days of the Upper Mississippi Fur Trade.” Minnesota History 42
(Winter, 1970): 122-140.
Gilman, Rhoda R. “The Fur Trade in the Upper Mississippi Valley, 1630-1850.” Wisconsin
Magazine of History 58 (Autumn, 1974) 3-18.
Together these two articles give a detailed picture of the development of the fur trade in this
region and its demise. She suggests that the fur trade died at least as much because of the
depletion of Indian populations as of decline in wild game.
Hennepin, Louis. Father Louis Hennepin’s Description of Louisiana; Newly Discovered to the
Southwest of New France by Order of the King. Translated by Marion E. Cross.
Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 1938.
Hennepin, Louis. A New Discovery of a Vast Country in America. 2 volumes. Edited by Reuben
Gold Thwaites. Chicago, A.C. McClurg & Co., New York, Kraus Reprint, 1972.
In 1680, the Belgian priest Louis Hennepin and two companions were taken prisoner by the
Dakota while traveling up the Mississippi in 1680. Back in France after his release, he
published his Description of Louisiana in 1683, and other versions, including A New
Discovery, later, to great acclaim. Although the texts have exaggerations and borrowings, they
are nevertheless based on an eye-witness experience. Given the demands of his European
audience, he mostly focused on his captors, but does describe briefly the environment. Just
before his capture, he says that they had taken “eight big wild turkeys, which are
plentiful in this region.”
Jackson, David, Ed. The Journals of Zebulon Montgomery Pike, with letters and related
documents. 2 volumes. Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, 1966),
To the same effect as above, Pike notes that the Zumbro, 60 yards wide, joined the Whitewater
just as they form a confluence with the Mississippi.
Kane, Lucile M., June Holmquist, Carolyn Gilman. The Northern Expeditions of Stephen H.
Long: The Journals of 1817 and 1823 and Related Documents. St. Paul: Minnesota
Long led US government expeditions up the Mississippi in 1817 and 1823, preceded only by Pike
(see below). On both trips he mentioned the Zumbro and noted that it joined the Whitewater
River before it entered the Mississippi (60, 149). Today the Zumbro enters the Mississippi
several miles upstream of the Whitewater. He refers to the Zumbro both by its Dakota name
Wazi Oju [pines planted] and by the French name Embarrass. In his first trip, he observed a
large flock of pelicans there. On his second trip he observed a large group of tumuli (burial
mounds) on a terrace near the mouth of the Zumbro.
12
Nute, Grace Lee. “Posts in the Minnesota Fur Trade Area, 1660-1855.” Minnesota History 11
(1930) 353-385.
Lists the many fur trade posts in Minnesota, including one near Wabasha on the Zumbro.
Parker, Donald D. Ed. The Recollections of Philander Prescott—Frontiersman of the Old
Northwest, 1819-1862. Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press, 1966.
In 1819, Prescott came to Fort Snelling as a clerk. He married a Dakota woman and stayed in the
region until he was killed during the war in 1862. He was a trapper, trader, interpreter, and
eventually superintendent of Indian farming for the Dakota. After a trip in 1828, he wrote of
reuniting with his wife who as hunting with her people on the Zumbro, which he called the
Brushy River, perhaps because of the way fallen trees tended to clog it.
3. European settlement and early agriculture
Andreas, A. T. An Illustrated Historical Atlas of the State of Minnesota. Chicago, A. T. Andreas,
1874.
A picture of Minnesota in 1874 with maps of each county, plat maps of some cities (including
Rochester and Mantorville), and sketches of many buildings, including the Olds and Fishback Mill
in Rochester.
Bowen, Jessie Marsh, “Pioneering in Southern Minnesota.” In With Various Voices: Recordings
of North Star Life edited by Theodore Blegen and Philip Jordan, 253-257. Saint Paul:
Itasca Press, 1949.
Excerpt on the daily life of the early settlers from a book on Claremont Township in Dodge
County. This book is listed in the Dodge County section of Part II.
College of Natural Resources. Minnesota a History of the Land. Episode I: Ordering the Land
(16,000 B.P. to 1870s). DVD. St. Paul, Minn.: University of Minnesota, College of
Natural Resources and Twin Cities Public Television, 2005.
The first episode of this public television documentary of Minnesota’s environmental history
describes how the landscape was defined by geology and climate. Then it explains the changes
in the land that came with the arrival of the Europeans, including the fur trade, the cadastral
land survey, and lumbering.
13
Frame, Robert M. Millers to the World: Minnesota’s Nineteenth Century Water Power Flour
Mills. St. Paul: Minnesota Historical Society, Division of Field Services, Historic Sites,
and Archeology, 1977.
Provides a brief history of water-powered flour
mills in Minnesota with an emphasis on
describing the mills still standing in 1976 which
included only 24 of the more than 1000 built in
nineteenth century. There were no extant mills
in the Zumbro watershed, but the text mentions
that for a time the Rochester mill built by
Frederick Olds in 1856 was the state's largest. It
was razed in 1953. Shown here is a postcard of
the stone bridge over one of the mill races in
Rochester.
Jarchow, Merrill E. The Earth Brought Forth; a History of Minnesota Agriculture to 1885. St.
Paul: Minnesota Historical Society, 1949; New York, Johnson Reprint Corp., 1970.
Scholarly study of farming and farm life among the early settlers including the dominance of
wheat, the coming of the railroads, and the beginnings of mechanization and diversification.
Johnson, Hildegard Binder. Order Upon the Land: The U.S. Rectangular Land Survey and the
Upper Mississippi Country. New York: Oxford University Press, 1976.
The shape of land settled by Europeans was greatly influenced by the decision to survey the land
rectangularly into six-by-six mile townships divided into 36 square mile sections, each of which
could be further subdivided into four 160 acre squares, which would be broken down, finally,
into four “forties.” Johnson investigates how this geometric system worked in the hilly and
irregular lands of the Mississippi valley, including parts of Wabasha, Olmsted and Goodhue
counties.
Letterman, Edward J. Farming in Early Minnesota. St. Paul: Ramsey County Historical
Society, 1966.
An illustrated guide to farming and farm implements used in Minnesota between from about
1870 to the coming of mechanization and the tractor based on the collections of the Gibbs Farm
Museum in St. Paul.
Robinson, Edward Van Dyke. Early Economic Conditions and the Development of Agriculture
in Minnesota. The University of Minnesota. Studies in the Social Sciences, No. 3;
Minneapolis: University of Minnesota, 1915.
Highly detailed analysis of the development of agriculture from pioneering agriculture through
the period of specialized wheat farming through the diversification of agriculture through 1915.
Early chapters on climate, physical features, the fur trading era, and transportation also are
useful. Also charts the changes in farm size, farm tenure, and indebtedness in this period.
Extensive charts and maps.
14
Wingerd, Mary Lethert. North Country: The Making of Minnesota. Illustrations annotated by
Kirsten Delegard. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 2010.
Although this book is listed in Section B, it belongs here also because Wingerd demonstrates
how the tragic removal of the Dakota was the defining moment of the new state of Minnesota
created by the European immigrants.
4. Agriculture in the railroad era
College of Natural Resources. Minnesota a History of the Land. Episode II: Changes in the
Land (1870s-1900) and Episode III Out of the Ashes (1900-1940s). DVD. St. Paul,
Minn.: University of Minnesota, College of Natural Resources and Twin Cities Public
Television, 2005.
The second episode of this public television documentary of Minnesota’s environmental history
describes the impact of agriculture on the pre-settlement Minnesota landscape, including the
plowing of the prairie. The third describes how the devastation of Minnesota’s forestlands and
pollution of waterways led to a conservation ethic and to practical reforms like the creation of
urban sanitation systems.
Gardner, Denis. Wood, Concrete, Stone, and Steel: Minnesota’s Historic Bridges. Minneapolis:
This comprehensive review of historic bridges in Minnesota documents extant historic bridges
over the Zumbro, including three in Wabasha County, three in Olmsted County, and the bridge
at Zumbrota (Goodhue County), erected in 1869, which is the only remaining covered bridge in
Minnesota.
Granger, Susan, Scott Kelly, Michelle Terrell, Historic Context Study of Minnesota Farms,
1820-1960. 3 vols. St. Paul: Minnesota Department of Transportation, 2005.
Massive overview of the building of farmsteads in the settlement period, including detailed
explanations of the planning and building of all the specific structures and landscapes in a farm
(e.g. milking barns, orchards). Opens with a detailed history of Minnesota agriculture which
may be most complete every written. Helpful appendices on crops, livestock, mechanization,
electrification, farm journalism, and farm organizations.
Johnson, Hildegard Binder. “King Wheat in Southeast Minnesota.” Annals of the Association of
American Geographers 47 (1957): 350-362
Based on an analysis of the Whitewater watershed, this historical geographer argues that “King
Wheat” was an exaggeration. Wheat was the dominant cash crop in the 1860s and 1970s, but
other crops were also grown. They were not recorded because they were locally consumed.
Prosser, Richard S. Rails to the North Star: A Minnesota Railroad Atlas. Minneapolis: Dillon
Press, 1966; Reprt: Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 2007.
An overview of rail development in Minnesota, which in southeastern Minnesota began in 1862
with the Winona and St. Peter line (later the Chicago & Northwestern) through Olmsted and
15
Dodge counties, followed in 1870 by the Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Paul (the “Milwaukee
Road) up the west bank of the Mississippi through Wabasha and Goodhue Counties. The
reprint edition has a helpful introduction by Don Hofsommer which provides a handy overview
of Minnesota railroad development.
Schatzel, G. W. “The Wheat Fields of Minnesota.” In With Various Voices: Recordings of
North Star Life edited by Theodore Blegen and Philip Jordan, 143-164. Saint Paul: Itasca
Press, 1949.
Lengthy excerpts from a detailed report of a journalist who visited southern Minnesota in 1867
because the state was “pre-eminently the wheat growing State of the Union.” The writer
traveled the Winona and St. Peter Railroad and noted that every stop was a wheat outlet and
had an elevator. He based himself in St. Charles but also visited Rochester and Owatonna.
Schmidt, Andrew et al. “Railroads in Minnesota, 1862-1956. National Register of Historic
Places Multiple Property Documentation Form.” 2007. (Available at the State Historic
Preservation Office, St. Paul).
A comprehensive guide to railroad development in Minnesota intended to guide preservation
planning of historic railroad properties, organized by major railroads, with their predecessor
firms and acquisitions. In southeastern Minnesota, the key companies were the Chicago,
Milwaukee and St. Paul, which developed the line up the western side of the Mississippi; the
Chicago and Northwestern, which bought the Winona and St. Peter, the pioneering railroad
which connected Winona to Rochester in 1864, and the Chicago Great Western, which built a
line connecting Rochester to lines reaching the Twin Cities at Zumbrota. This offered quick
travel to Rochester from Minneapolis and St. Paul just as the Mayo Clinic was becoming famous.
Tweton, D. Jerome. “The Business of Agriculture.” In Minnesota in a Century of Change: The
State and Its People Since 1900, edited by Clifford E. Clark, 260-294. St. Paul:
Although primarily about developments in the 20th century, good on the dominance of wheat, or
as they said, “King Wheat,” in the late 19th century agricultural scene.
United States Bureau of the Census. Thirteenth Census of the United States Taken in the Year
1910. Abstract of the Census. Statistics of Population, Agriculture, Manufactures and
Mining for the United States, the States, and Principal Cities. Washington: Government
Printing Office, 1913.
The federal government has completed a decennial census of the the population of the United
States since 1790. Here is one example, the summary volume from the 1910 census. You can
learn, for example, that Dodge County had 12,094 people in 1910 down 9.4% from the 1900
census, which suggests that the number of people on the land peaked early and has been
declining for a long time. There are population figures for every town, and much more.
16
Woolworth, Alan R. The Genesis and Construction of the Winona and St. Peter Railroad 18581873. The Rural and Regional Essay Series. Marshall, MN: Center for the Study of
Local and Regional History, 2000.
Study of the first railroad through the watershed. It began in Winona in 1862 and reached
Rochester in 1864 and Mantorville in 1865. In 1867, the Winona and St. Peter was absorbed
into the growing Chicago and Northwestern Railroad.
5. Agriculture through mid-20th century.
Baerwald, Thomas. “Forces at Work on the Landscape.” In Minnesota in a Century of Change:
The State and Its People Since 1900, edited by Clifford E. Clark, 19-53. St. Paul:
An overview of the human impact on the Minnesota environment, including transportation,
industrialization, mining, and with respect to southeastern Minnesota, intensive farming,
including, for example, the drainage of wetlands, soil erosion, feedlots, chemical fertilizer,
pesticides and herbicides, and building and abandoning of farm buildings.
Bennett, Hugh H. and W. R. Chapline. Soil Erosion a National Menace. United States
Department of Agriculture Circular No. 33. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Dept. of Agriculture,
1928.
An early sounding of the alarm about soil erosion. The authors believed, or hoped, that the
main obstacle to remedial action was lack of information about the seriousness of the situation.
They argue that reestablishing vegetative cover is the most important antidote to the problem.
Gilman, Rhoda R. “Interpreting Minnesota’s Farm Story.” Minnesota History 46, No 1 (Spring,
1978) 31-33.
A brief thoughtful piece by the noted historian who asks this question: if we had an interpretive
center which told visitors the story of Minnesota agriculture, what story would it tell? Should
the story of farming be about a way of life or about an industry?
King, James A. and W. S. Lynes. Tile Drainage. Why Tile Drainage Benefits Wet Land and
Increases Farm Income. Information for Laying out and Installing Simple Drainage
Systems. 4th Ed. Mason City, Iowa, Mason City Brick and Tile Co., 1946.
This book was first published in 1918, and then again in 1923 and 1931. In this fourth edition,
James King, an expert on tiling, and Lynes, a soil scientist, make the case for why farmers should
tile their lands and how they should go about it. Many benefits are outlined (lengthening the
growing season, lowering cost of production, stopping erosion, etc.). No downsides are
mentioned.
17
Nass, David. “The Rural Experience.” In Minnesota in a Century of Change: The State and Its
People Since 1900, edited by Clifford E. Clark, 129-154. St. Paul: Minnesota Historical
Society Press, 1989.
Good introduction to Minnesota farming in the 20th century from the farmers’ perspective.
Notes the explosion of drainage starting around 1900 with the availability of the “Buckeye
Traction Ditcher.” Between 1907 and 1913, 6 million acres of wetland drained. Covers the
transformation of rural life that came with mechanization, electrification, schools, paved
highways, and the automobile. Notes the way that economic trends beyond the farmer’s
control impacted rural life, especially the recession of the 1920s that bled into the Depression.
Tweton, D. Jerome. “The Business of Agriculture.” In Minnesota in a Century of Change: The
State and Its People Since 1900, edited by Clifford E. Clark, 260-294. St. Paul:
Good introduction to farming as an economic enterprise which a focus on the development of
large scale marketing firms like Cargill and ADM, on the one hand, and cooperative’s like CENEX
and Land O’ Lakes on the other. Explanation of how southeast Minnesota farming transitioned
from wheat to corn, beans and dairy.
6. Urban development
Atherton, Lewis Eldon. Main Street on the Middle Border. Bloomington: Indiana University
Press, 1954.
A social and cultural history of country towns in the “Middle Border” (which includes Minnesota)
from 1865 to 1950.
Borchert, John R. “The Network of Urban Centers.” In Minnesota in a Century of Change: The
State and Its People since 1900, edited by
Clifford E. Clark, 54-97. St. Paul: Minnesota
A comparative study of urban development in
Minnesota. Notes that Rochester’s early
development was linked to the Zumbro River and its
water power. In 1920 it was not one of the state’s
top seven urban centers but its net increase during
the first two decades of the 20th century was more
than three times that of Winona or Mankato. The
photo depicts canoeing near the Center Street bridge
when Rochester was still a small town.
College of Natural Resources. Minnesota a History of the
Land. Episode IV: Second Nature/1940s and beyond. DVD. St. Paul, Minn.: University
of Minnesota, College of Natural Resources and Twin Cities Public Television, 2005.
18
The fourth episode of this public television documentary of Minnesota’s environmental history
touches on the impact of urbanization, including suburban sprawl and interstate highway
construction on Minnesota’s landscape.
19
II. Zumbro Watershed Places
This section contains sources about particular
places in the watershed, arranged geographically.
In some cases, the sources also appear in other
sections of this bibliography
A. General
Andreas, A. T. An Illustrated Historical Atlas of the State of Minnesota. Chicago, A. T. Andreas,
1874.
A picture of Minnesota in 1874 with maps of each county, plat maps of some cities (including
Rochester and Mantorville), and sketches of many buildings, including the Olds and Fishback Mill
in Rochester.
Hart, John Fraser and Susy Ziegler. Landscapes of Minnesota: A Geography. St. Paul:
An introduction to Minnesota geography and many of the issues raised by an environmental
history of the state.
Johnson, Hildegard Binder. Order Upon the Land: The U.S. Rectangular Land Survey and the
Upper Mississippi Country. New York: Oxford University Press, 1976.
All places in the watershed today are structured for better or for worse by the rectangular land
survey system which brought European rational “order” to the land. This made the land easier
to commodify and facilitated the platting of towns. But natural features of the land like the
Mississippi or the Zumbro rivers were anything but geometrical and had to be accommodated to
a system of rectangles, or the rectangles had to be accommodated to them.
Schlitgus, E. H. “The Historic Zumbro River of Southeastern Minnesota.” 1975. Typescript
manuscript, 43 pages, footnotes. Research Center,
History Center of Olmstead County #92.69.6
A diligent local historian’s introduction to the towns and
cities of the three forks of the Zumbro watershed, including
some which were already “ghost towns” in 1975. He notes
changes that have been made in the Zumbro’s course up to
that time. Shown here are the falls on the Middle Fork near
its convergence with the South Fork. They are now swamped
by Lake Zumbro.
19
Upham, Warren. Minnesota Place Names: a Geographical Encyclopedia. 3rd ed. St. Paul:
A comprehensive guide, organized by country, to the origin of Minnesota place names including
counties, townships, towns as well as rivers, streams, lakes, and other geographic features. For
example, explains how the French name for the Zumbro River, which was Riviere d’Embarrass,
when “pronounced quickly and incompletely, with a French form and accent, as heard and
written down by English-speaking immigrants…..was unrecognizably transformed into
Zumbro…” (215)
B. Dodge County (including Dodge Center and Mantorville on the Middle Fork)
Bowen, Jessie Marsh. Ed. A Chronicle of Claremont Township and Village: A History of
Claremont, Dodge County, Minnesota. Claremont, Minn.: Presbyterian Ladies Aid, 1937.
A collection of information chronologically arranged about the development of Claremont
Township in Dodge County and the railroad village on the Winona and St. Peter that grew up in
the township. Also some information about surrounding area, including Rice Lake Village, which
became a ghost town after the railroad bypassed it. The south branch of the middle fork of the
Zumbro flowed through the township, just north of Claremont village, on its way from Rice Lake
to Mantorville. Includes information early wildlife, including ducks, geese, prairie chickens,
wolves, rattlesnakes (13, 39). Refers to a flood on the Zumbro in 1882 and the cyclones of 1883
(64-5)
Cowles, Donald A. and G. F. Harms. Soil Survey, Dodge County, Minnesota. Washington: U.S.
Dept. of Agriculture, Soil Conservation Service, 1961.
Dodge County Environmental Services Department, “Dodge County Waters: Programs and
Trends.” Power point presentation. Accessed February 27, 2014 at
http://www.co.dodge.mn.us/departments/environmental_services.php
An overview of the state of Dodge County ground and surface waters, what is being done to
slow harmful runoff, and what needs to be done in the future.
Federal Insurance Administration. Flood Insurance Study: City of Mantorville, Minnesota,
Dodge County. Washington, D.C.: Federal Emergency Management Agency, Federal
Insurance Administration, 1981.
Flood insurance studies use hydrologic and historical
data to describe flood hazards faced by a city or
county. They are used for flood insurance purposes,
and more broadly to aid planners in promoting
rational land use within flood plains. Shown here is
the dam on the Zumbro at Mantorville.
20
Glaus, Marlene. My Mantorville, 1854-2004: A True Story. Dodge Center, Minn.: Community
News Corp., 2006.
This collection of stories about Mantorville includes some information on the dqm on the
Zumbro which was built at Mantorville to supply water power for a mill in 1856. Rebuilt in 1910,
it was washed out by a flood in 1948. The current dam was rebuilt by local initiative in 1953.
Severson, Harold. Dodge County: 125 Years of Growth. Mantorville, Minn.: Dodge County
Century and Quarter Club, 1979.
Overview of Dodge County history with attention paid to Zumbro places including Mantorville,
Claremont, etc.
Severson, Harold. A Tale of Two Cities, Kasson-Mantorville. Mantorville, Minn.: Citizens State
Bank, 1982.
Illustrated with many historic photos.
Smith, H. A. History of Dodge County. Mantorville, MN: Dodge County Historical Society,
1884; Reprint: 2004.
This is a reprint of the Dodge County section (about 500 pages) of History of Winona,
Olmsted and Dodge Counties published by the Chicago firm of H. H. Hill in 1884.
C. Goodhue County
(including Kenyon, Wanamingo, and Zumbrota on the North Fork, and Pine Island on
the North Branch of the Middle Fork)
Bailey, Howard Roland. Bailey’s Folly: Now Known as the Zumbrota Covered Bridge Park.
Zumbrota, Minn.: H.R. Bailey, 1989.
Primarily on the restoration of the 1871 covered bridge.
Curtiss-Wedge, Franklyn. History of Goodhue County, Minnesota. Chicago: H.C. Cooper, 1909.
Like the other county histories, this makes clear that the early settlers recognized the excellent
water power opportunities which the Cannon and the Zumbro provided, and that they chose
sites along the rivers, for example, Zumbrota and Mazeppa, that could make quick use of that
advantage.
Federal Insurance Administration. Flood Insurance Study: City of Pine Island, Minnesota,
Goodhue County. Washington, D.C.: Federal Emergency Management Agency, Federal
21
Federal Insurance Administration. Flood Insurance Study: City of Wanamingo, Minnesota,
Goodhue County. Washington, D.C: Federal Emergency Management Agency, Federal
Federal Insurance Administration. Flood Insurance Study: City of Zumbrota, Minnesota,
Goodhue County. Washington: Federal Emergency Management Agency, Federal
Federal Insurance Administration. Flood Insurance Study: Goodhue County, Minnesota and
incorporated areas. Washington: Federal Emergency Management Agency, Federal
Flood insurance studies use hydrologic and historical data to describe flood hazards faced by a
city or county. They are used for flood insurance purposes, and more broadly to aid planners in
promoting rational land use within flood plains.
Goodhue County Comprehensive Local Water Management Plan, 2010-2020. Accessed May
12, 2014 at http://crwp.net/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/Goodhue-County-Water-Plan2010-2020.pdf
The county’s current plan for dealing with its “priority concerns,” which include erosion and
sediment control, both agricultural and residential.
History of Goodhue County, Including a Sketch of the Territory and State of Minnesota;
Together with an Account of the Early French Discoveries, Indian Massacres, the Part
Borne by Minnesota’s Patriots in the War of the Great Rebellion, and a Full and
Complete History of the County from the Time of Its Occupancy by Swiss Missionaries in
1838. Pioneer Incidents, Biographical Sketches of Early and Prominent Settlers and
Representative Men, and of Its Cities, Towns, Churches, Schools, Secret Societies, Etc.
Red Wing, Minn., Wood, Alley, & Co., 1878.
Earliest narrative history of the county which makes clear the crucial role of the Cannon and
Zumbro’s water power in the way the European settlers populated the county.
Johnson, Frederick L. Goodhue County, Minnesota: A Narrative History. Red Wing, Minn.:
Goodhue County Historical Society Press, 2000.
Modern narrative histories of the county which make clear that the early settlers recognized the
excellent water power opportunities which the Cannon and the Zumbro provided, and that they
chose sites along the rivers, for example, Zumbrota and Mazeppa, that could take quick use of
that advantage.
22
Mapel, Patricia. From the Banks of the Zumbro: The Story of Pine Island Methodists. Raleigh,
NC: Lulu Press Inc., 2012.
Although primarily a church history, the first chapter gives a good introduction to the history of
Pine Island, noting how the Dakota favored this spot on the Zumbro and that the European
settlers quickly built mills there.
Meyer, Roy Willard. The Ghost Towns & Discontinued Post Offices of Goodhue County. Red
Wing, Minn.: Goodhue County Historical Society Press, 2003.
Meyer, Roy W. “The Story of Forest Mills: A Midwest Milling Community.” Minnesota History
35 (March 1956): 11-21.
In a Minnesota History article and a later book on ghost towns, Roy Meyer tells the story of
Forest Mills, near Zumbrota, a town which flourished as a Zumbro River mill town in the wheat
era, but then declined into a ghost town when the mill was no longer profitable.
Nystuen, David W. “Zumbrota Covered Bridge.” National Register of Historic Places
Nomination Form, U. S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service, 1975.
Available at the Minnesota Historical Society’s National Register Database
(http://nrhp.mnhs.org/)
Built over the Zumbro in 1869, Minnesota’s last covered
bridge carried Highway 58 traffic until 1932 when the
highway department built a new bridge. It was then
moved to the county fairgrounds, and in 1970 moved to a
new Zumbrota city park on the Zumbro. In 1990 it was
reestablished as a working bridge, although only for
pedestrians, over the Zumbro in this city park, 250 feet
from its original location.
Poch, George A. Soil Survey of Goodhue County, Minnesota. Washington, D.C.: United States
Department of Agriculture, Soil Conservation Service, 1976.
Severson, Harold. We Give You Kenyon: A Bicentennial History of a Minnesota Community.
Kenyon, Minn.: Security State Bank of Kenyon, 1976.
Collection of articles on the history of Kenyon back to a mill on the Zumbro in 1856. Describes
the construction of an 800 ft wood trestle bridge over the Zumbro. The trestle was later filled in
with dirt and the river passed through a stone arch bridge. Also noted the story of municipal
power in Kenyon, passed after a bitter controversy in 1931.
Thompson, Robert R. et al. Zumbrota, Minnesota: Bridging Past and Future 1856-2006 : St.
Louis, Mo.: G. Bradley Publishing, 2003.
A pictorial history of Zumbrota with photos of the flood that destroyed the original bridge and
led to the building of the famous covered bridge. Also photos of citizens boating on the Zumbro
and bathing in it.
23
Zumbrota Area Historical Society. Zumbrota: The next Fifty Years, 1956-2006. Zumbrota,
Minn.: Zumbrota Area Historical Society, 2006.
Helpful on the restoration of Zumbrota’s famous covered bridge.
Zumbro Valley Historical Society. Zumbrota, the First 100 Years. Zumbrota, Minn.: Zumbro
Valley Historical Society: 1956.
An introduction to Zumbrota’s history. Includes, at p. 42, “The Zumbro,” a poem written by
Lucy Slossen in 1906 to celebrate Zumbrota’s fifty year anniversary. It is reprinted at the end of
Part III.
D. Olmsted County
1. Generally
Federal Emergency Management Agency. Flood Insurance Study: Olmsted County, Minnesota
and Incorporated Areas. Washington, D.C.: Federal Emergency Management Agency,
Revised 1998.
Hildebrand, John. Mapping the Farm: The Chronicle of a Family. New York: Knopf, 1995.
Insight into the agricultural history of Olmstead County.
Leonard, Joseph A. History of Olmsted County, Minnesota: Together with Sketches of Many of
Its Pioneers, Citizens, Families, and Institutions. Chicago: Goodspeed Historical
Association, 1910.
Describes the creation of Rochester and Oronoco on the Zumbro in 1854, and the subsequent
victory of Rochester in the contest over which town would become the county seat. Rochester’s
real growth began when the Winona and St. Peter railroad reached there in 1864. Note the
chapter on the two “cyclones” of the summer of 1883 (See also the section on climate in Part III)
Mitchell, W. H. Geographical and Statistical History of the County of Olmsted, Together with a
General View of the State of Minnesota from Its Earliest Settlement to the Present Time.
Rochester, Minn: Shaver & Eaton, 1866. Reprt Salem, Mass: Higginson Book Co, 1998.
At early report on the Zumbro, noting its usefulness to settlers as a source of water power,
noting two flour mills at Rochester, three saw mills at New Haven, and a flour mill at Oronoco,
and also some creeks that drain into the Zumbro also supporting mills.
24
History of Winona and Olmsted Counties: Together with Biographical Matter, Statistics, Etc.
Chicago: H. H. Hill And Company, 1883.
Olmsted County history appears in the second half of this volume, at pages 617-1148.
Describes the two forks of the Zumbro which run through the county and notes the potential for
water power. Mentions that there were still some Dakota in the area in the 1850s, and that
they were hungry but peaceful, and also a small group of Ho-Chunk around 1862. See Chapter X
on the August 21, 1883 tornado which hit Rochester and led eventually to the establishment of
St. Mary’s Hospital. The History Center of Olmsted County has published a reprint volume of just
the Olmsted section of the book. There is also a book entitled History of Winona, Olmsted, and
Dodge Counties: Together with Biographical Matter, Statistics, Etc. (Chicago: H. H. Hill And
Company, 1884) which includes only the material on pages 617-768 above, and omits pages
769-1148 which primarily cover the histories of individual Olmsted County townships.
Plat Book of Olmsted County, Minnesota, drawn from actual surveys and county records.
Philadelphia: Warner and Foote, 1878.
Plat books can document how the courses of rivers have changed. This plat book shows the
course of the Zumbro in Oronoco (prior to the dam which created Lake Shady) and Rochester,
during the period when the river was diverted into “mill races” in order to facilitate the use of
water power by grain mills.
Poch, George A. Soil Survey of Olmsted County, Minnesota. Washington, D.C.: United States
Department of Agriculture, Soil Conservation Service, 1980.
Rochester-Olmsted Planning Department. Olmsted County Water Management Plan 2013-2023.
Adopted January 23, 2013. Accessed January 23, 2013 at
http://www.co.olmsted.mn.us/PLANNING/ENVIRONMENT/Pages/WaterPlan.aspx
Focuses on five priority concerns: groundwater protection; agricultural practices; impaired
waters and watershed management; urban storm water; and wetlands. The plan notes that the
Zumbro drains more than 57% of Olmsted County. It also notes that because of Rochester and
other urban areas, more than 16 percent of the county is covered with artificial surfaces, and
that this figure is likely to grow.
Standard Atlas of Olmsted County, Minnesota including a Plat Book of the Villages, Cities and
Townships of the County, etc. Chicago: Geo. Ogle and Co, 1898.
The 1898 plat book shows the same mills in Rochester as in 1876; in Oronoco, the dam which
created Lake Shady appears for the first time.
25
2. Oronoco and Lake Shady (Middle Fork)
Bonestroo, Inc. “Master Planning for Lake Shady Dam Removal, Riverine System
Establishment and Lake Bed Development for Public Use,” Power Point Presentation for
Public Information Meeting, February 22, 2011. Available on the Oronoco City
webpage. Accessed May 13, 2014 at http://www.oronoco.com/.
In 1937, a new dam at Oronoco replaced the
original one which had created Lake Shady.
A 2010 flood of the Zumbro severely
damaged the dam, draining the lake (see
photo). It was eventually decided to remove
the dam and restore the riverbed. These are
powerpoint slides for one of the many public
meetings on this issue, which is still far from
resolved. Since this presentation the
consulting firm Bonestroo has become part
of Stantec, Inc. The first dam at Oronoco
where the South and North Branch of the Middle Form come together was built in 1879. After
the first mill was desstroyed by fire, a second was built, which is shown here.
Boutelle, Elsie. Oronoco Past and Present. Zumbrota: Sommers Printing, 1983.
This collection of news clippings has a good collection of historic photos of the mills, dams, and
bridged on the Zumbro at Oronoco.
Ettel, Anna Marie. “Minnesota Gold Rushes.” Typed manuscript. Minnesota Historical Society
Archives, Manuscript Catalogue Call #P1100-5.
An internal research report on the gold rushes on the Zumbro River, Lake Vermilion, Rainy Lake,
and other regions in Minnesota which concludes that there was little gold, and overall, the “gold
rushes” had little impact on Minnesota’s development.
Federal Insurance Administration. Flood Insurance Study: City of Oronoco, Minnesota, Olmsted
County. Washington, D.C.: Federal Emergency Management Agency, Federal Insurance
Administration, 1981.
3. Rochester (South Fork)
Blacklock, Craig. The Geese of Silver Lake. Stillwater, MN: Voyageur Press, 1989.
Primarily the work of the well-known nature photographer, also includes the story of how
Rochester, and specifically Dr. Charles Mayo, played a role in the resurgence of the Giant
Canadian Goose, whose numbers were dwindling in the early 1960s. Specifically, Dr. Mayo fed
26
geese at Mayowood, and then in 1936, a WPA project dammed the south branch of the Zumbro
created Silver Lake, which became an urban haven for migratory geese, and later, for resident
geese, especially after the Rochester Public Utilities built a coal fired power plant which warmed
the waters. Today the city tries to limit the huge goose population.
Clapesattle, Helen. The Doctors Mayo. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 1941.
Remarkably, this very old authorized biography is the only book length study of the lives of Drs.
Charles and William Mayo. The original edition was
over 700 pages. In 1954, an abridged “2nd edition"
of just over 400 pages was issued. The abridged
edition cut a great deal of text as well as all of the
original’s 75 pages of footnotes. In any case, there is
only limited information here about Mayowood, the
mansion overlooking the Zumbro built by Dr. Charles
H. Mayo and his wife in 1911. To enhance the beauty
of the estate, Dr. Mayo built a dam which created
Lake Mayowood. In the 1930s, the dam was rebuilt
with the county road crossing above it. The dam,
pictured here, still stands but the county closed the
bridge to traffic in 2006 due to its deteriorated
condition. The Department of Transportation has
recommended rebuilding the bridge in 2014-2015.
Federal Insurance Administration. Flood Insurance Study: City of Rochester, Minnesota,
Olmsted County. Washington, D.C.: Federal Emergency Management Agency, Federal
Flood of Memories, Memories of Flood. Rochester, Minn: Rochester Neighborhood Resource
Center, 2004.
A collection of photographs and personal stories about the July 1978 flood in the city of
Rochester. Concludes with a brief essay by Gary Neuman, Assistant City Administrator,
explaining how the city, the county and the Corps of Engineers responded with a $97 million
flood control project which includes levees throughout the city but also retention ponds outside.
History of Rochester’s City Owned Utilities: In commemoration of the 75th Anniversary of
Rochester Minnesota. Rochester: Utility Board, 1929.
Rochester is the largest city in the state to have a municipally owned power utility. This booklet
provides an early history of public ownership from the point of view of the utility board. With
private ownership of utilities, it says, “profits first.” With municipal ownership, “service first.”
27
Hodgson, Harriet W. Rochester: City of the Prairie. Northridge, Calif.: Windsor Publications,
1989.
General introduction to the history of Rochester, with an emphasis on business development.
Holst, James Edward. Studies on the Rochester Sewage Disposal Plant and the Zumbro River.
Masters of Science Thesis. University of Minnesota, 1929.
A detailed analysis of the effectiveness of the sewage disposal plant which Rochester built in
1926. The author found that although the general condition of the river was good, the sewage
plant effluent placed an appreciable load on the oxygen resources of the river. He noted that
Rochester’s population was around 20,000 at that time, and expected to double, and that this
would lead to trouble in dry years because the limited volume of water in the river.
Kroska, Nicholas. Serving the Community: The History of Rochester Public Utilities. Rochester,
Minn.: Rochester Public Utilities, 1988.
A comprehensive history of the development of Rochester’s municipally owned water and
electrical utilities. In both cases, Rochester began with a private ownership system (of water in
1887, of electric street lights in 1888). Before
too long, Rochester changed to municipal
ownership because of dissatisfaction with
private company service. Dr. W. W. Mayo, as
private citizen and alderman, was a major
advocate of public ownership. The book
provides essential background on the city’s
1919 hydroelectric plant (backed by the Mayo
brothers) and of the 1949 Silver Lake Plant,
both on the Zumbro. The dam creating Silver
Lake is shown here.
Mayo, Charles W. Mayo: The Story of My Family and My Career. Garden City, N.Y.:
Doubleday, 1968.
The autobiography of Dr. “Chuck” Mayo, the son of Dr. Charles H. Mayo, who grew up at
Mayowood and lived there till his death in 1968. He briefly describes the construction of
Maywood in 1910, including the dam on the Zumbro, and at the end of the book mentions
donating the home to the Historical Society of Olmsted County.
Raging Waters: The Flood of 1978-- and How It Changed Rochester, A Post Bulletin Special
Report, Rochester Post-Bulletin, Vol 73, no 160 (July 8, 1998).
The local newspaper in Rochester takes stock of the big flood.
28
Rochester, Minn. Sewage Treatment Plant. Rochester, 1952.
For decades the city emptied its raw sewage directly into the Zumbro. When downstream
farmers complained, the city installed a pioneering sewage treatment plant in 1926. This
booklet commemorates that history and celebrates the opening of a new sewage plant in 1952.
Rochester Water Primer: An Introduction to our Water Resources. Rochester, MN.: Public
Works Department, City of Rochester, 2013.
A comprehensive guide to water resources and issues in Rochester written by Deb Lass and
edited by Barbara Huberty, Regulatory and Environmental Affairs Coordinator at Rochester
Public Works. Besides some basic introduction to hydrology, provides an over view of
Rochester’s natural and constructed water bodies, it’s water supply, waste water treatment,
storm water management, and even a chapter on Rochester’s “water history,” including a
history of dams and floods on the Zumbro.
Photographic Collection, Research Center, History Center of Olmsted County, Rochester, MN
1. Flooding: The History Center hold extensive photographic evidence of Zumbro River flooding
in Rochester including the floods of 1908,
1925, 1951, 1965 and 1978 (pictured
here). The photography of the 1978 flood
includes a portfolio done by the Corps of
Engineers and includes aerial shots.
2. Flood control: The History Center hold
several sets of photographs documenting
the construction of the Zumbro River flood
control project and the Rochester
government center in early 1990s.
3. Riverine environment: many general
riverside photos and landscape shots from
the late 19th century through the mid-20th century.
Sanborn Fire Insurance Map, Rochester, MN. New York: Sanborn Map Company, 1920.
Insurance maps for 1894, 1890, 1899, 1904, 1909, 1914, 1920, 1928 show block by block
property information on houses, businesses, and municipal utility lines in Rochester and how
they changed over time. This map for 1920, for example, shows the Zumbro Mill building
owned by the Rochester Milling Company and includes the mill races running adjacent to 2nd
Ave. NE. It lists the electrical capacity of the water turbines to run the mill, including the crusher,
sheller, and feed and corn mills.
Severson, Harold. Rochester: Mecca for Millions. Rochester, MN: Marquette Bank & Trust Co.,
1979.
A local journalist was commissioned to prepare a history of the city. The book is well
illustrated with hundreds of photos.
29
Weiss, John. “Taming the Zumbro: the Rochester Flood Control Project.” Rochester Post
Bulletin, September 14, 1995, pp 1B, 5B, 6B.
A series of articles by the veteran local journalist summing up the reasons for and the results of
the flood control project on the occasion of its completion in 1995. He followed this up with a
commentary piece in which he wrote that the Zumbro River within Rochester was no longer a
river but rather an “attractive flood control canal with an excellent recreation trail.” September
15, 1995, p. 6D.
E. Rice County and Steele Counties
Beck, John, Soil Survey of Rice County, Minnesota. Washington, D.C.: Natural Resources
Conservation Service, 2000.
Carlson, Carroll Richard. Soil Survey of Rice County, Minnesota. Washington]: U.S. Dept of
Agriculture, Soil Conservation Service, 1975.
Cummins, Joseph F., Soil Survey of Steele County, Minnesota. Washington: U.S. Dept. of
Agriculture, Soil Conservation Service, 1973.
Meyer, Roy W. Everyone’s County Estate: A History of Minnesota’s State Parks. St. Paul:
Rice Lake State Park is the only one of Minnesota’s state parks with a Zumbro River connection,
and Meyer briefly tells its story.
Rice County Local Water Management Plan Fourth Generation 2010-2014. Accessed May 12,
2014 at
http://www.co.rice.mn.us/sites/default/files/pdfs/uploadedcontent/forms/lwmplan.pdf
Most of Rice County is in the Cannon River Watershed, but the southeastern corner of the
county drains into the North Fork of the Zumbro. This report summarizes concerns and plans,
including soil erosion and storm water management.
Steele County Local Water Management Plan 2007-2016 (Amended 2009; Amended 2011).
Accessed February 27, 2014 at http://crwp.net/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/SteeleCounty-Water-Plan-2007-2016.pdf
Most of Steele County is in the Cannon River Watershed, but the eastern and northeastern
edges are within the Zumbro watershed. In particular, the farmland on the eastern edge of the
county is drained by the Ripley Ditch, most of which is across the county line in Dodge County.
This report summarizes the county’s water concerns, including soil pesticide and fertilizer runoff
from agricultural fields, rural septic tank contamination, urban storm water runoff, feedlot
manure management, and clandestine waste dumps. It also reviews implementation strategies
for each concern.
30
F. Wabasha County
(including Lake Zumbro, Mazeppa on the North Fork, and Zumbro Falls, Hammond,
Millville, Theilmann, and Kellogg on the Lower Zumbro.)
Andeson, David. “Walnut Street Bridge.” National Register of Historic Places Registration
Form. United States Department of the Interior, National Park Service, 2002. Available
at the Minnesota Historical Society’s National Register Database (http://nrhp.mnhs.org/)
In 1904, the city of Mazeppa built this steel
truss bridge over the Zumbro on Walnut
Street to replace an existing but condemned
bridge. It was Mazeppa’s only bridge across
the river until 1922, when the state built a
bridge at Maple Street to carry Highway 60
over the river. In 1980, the Walnut Street
bridge was restricted to pedestrian traffic and
in 1995 it was closed to all traffic. In 2002 it
was rehabilitated, and now serves as a
pedestrian walkway to a park on the east side
of the river (the north fork of the Zumbro
runs south through town.) The bridge and park provide scenic view of the river and its steep
banks.
Curtiss-Wedge, Franklyn. History of Wabasha County, Minnesota. Winona, Minn.: H.C. Cooper,
1920.
This comprehensive early history of Wabasha County pays ample attention to the Zumbro River
and the importance of water power in the county’s development. For example, the section on
the growth of Mazeppa notes that “water power has been the vital factor in the life of
Mazeppa.” (93) Similar comments on Hammond (106-110) and Zumbro Falls (113-115). It also
claims that the early explorers who thought that the Zumbro joined the Whitewater before
entering the Mississippi were mistaken.
Erpestad, David. Wabasha County Historic Sites Survey, 1987: Final Report. St. Paul: State
Historic Preservation Office, 1987.
Overview of Wabasha County history focused on extant historic sites.
Federal Insurance Administration. Flood Insurance Study: City of Hammond, Minnesota,
Wabasha County. Washington, D.C.: Federal Emergency Management Agency, Federal
Federal Insurance Administration. Flood Insurance Study: City of Mazeppa, Minnesota,
31
Federal Insurance Administration. Flood Insurance Study: Wabasha County, Minnesota and
Incorporated areas. Washington, D.C.: Federal Emergency Management Agency,
Federal Insurance Administration, 2000.
Federal Insurance Administration. Flood Insurance Study: City of Zumbro Falls, Minnesota,
Harms, Grenfell Frederick and Leonard Bullard. Soil Survey, Wabasha County, Minnesota
Washington: U.S. Dept. of Agriculture, Soil Conservation Service, 1965.
Herbert, Jim (Bar Engineering). “Lake Zumbro Dredging Project: Preliminary Engineering
Status.” Power point slides, April 28, 2010. Accessed January 24, 2014 at
http://www.co.olmsted.mn.us/yourgovernment/reports/Documents/LakeZumbroBarrEngr
Report4-28-10%20mtg.pdf
Presenting the rational, feasibility, cost, and timetable for the possible dredging of Lake Zumbro.
Hess, Jeffrey. “Lake Zumbro Hydroelectric Generating Plant.” National Register of Historic
Places Registration Form, United States Department of the Interior, National Park
Service, 1989. Available at the Minnesota Historical Society’s National Register
Database (http://nrhp.mnhs.org/)
In 1919, Rochester built the 900 foot long Lake
Zumbro hydroelectric dam about 15 miles
downstream from the city on the Zumbro just over
the border in Wabasha County. The structure was
added to the National Register in 1991 for its
significance in the history of engineering. It was
designed by Hugh Lincoln Cooper, an internationally
known designer of hydroelectric dams who got his
start in Rochester as an apprentice to bridge designer
Horace Horton.
History of Wabasha County: Together with Biographical Matter, Statistics, Etc.: Gathered from
Matter Furnished by Interviews with Old Settlers, County, Township, and Other Records,
and Extracts from Files of Papers, Pamphlets, and Such Other Sources as Have Been
Available: Also a History of Winona County. Chicago: H.H. Hill & Co: 1884.
Early history of the county emphasizing the importance of rivers and water power in the
settlement of towns like Mazeppa. Mentions the Zumbro River “gold rush” which began in 1858.
A company was organized for systematic mining of in Mazeppa Township. However, “the
remorseless Zumbro” flooded twice in 1859, sweeping away all that had been invested in sluices
32
and equipment (p. 743). The author continued to believe that “a large deposit of gold exists
somewhere on the Zumbro.” However, see the source by Ettel in the Oronoco section above.
“Lake Zumbro Forever, Inc” webpage, Accessed February 1m, 2014
http://www.minnesotawaters.org/group/zumbro/lake-zumbro-forever-inc-main
The group of Lake Zumbro landowners who seek government and private aid to dredge the lake
of the sediment that has built up over years. In 2012, the Minnesota Legislature allocated $3
million in bonding funds for this project subject to a matching requirement which the group is
currently working to meet. This is a view of Lake Zumbro looking downstream to the dam and
hydroelectric plant
Wabasha County Sesquicentennial Committee, Wabasha County, 1849-1999 Sesquicentennial.
Wabasha: County of Wabasha, 1999.
Brief histories of each of the townships and major towns in the county.
Zumbro River Power Development General Plan. January 31,
1917. Hugh Cooper & Co., St. Paul, MN. Ten
blueprints, Research Center, History Center for
Olmsted County, Rochester, MN.
A collection of oversized blueprints from the original
drawings for the Lake Zumbro Hydroelectric Plant. One
lists the land owners and their holdings, including who lost
property to the project. There is a map of the original
river with the future lake superimposed over it. Also
architectural drawings of the dam and plant.
33
III. The Modern Zumbro Watershed
This section contains sources on the recent
environmental history of the watershed and on the
contemporary issues facing those who care about the
watershed. It is organized topically.
A. The Zumbro and the greater watershed into which it drains
Anfinson, John. The River We Have Wrought: A History of the Upper Mississippi. Minneapolis:
An examination of the transformation of the upper Mississippi into the navigational highway it is
today thanks to the system of locks and dams focusing on the political forces that contest over
its future, including grain companies, railroads, barge owners, river towns, and
environmentalists.
Fremling, Calvin R. Immortal River: The Upper Mississippi in Ancient and Modern Times.
Madison: University of Wisconsin Press, 2005.
An engaging multi-disciplinary introduction to the Mississippi from Cairo, Illinois upstream to its
headwaters. The upper part of the river exemplifies the dilemma of an ever increasing human
presence on the large natural landscape. In that sense, the book not only provides the larger
context for exploring the environmental history of the Zumbro, but a model for how to go about
it. The Mississippi is different in that commercial navigation plays an enormous role in the
river’s health. The common ground is that the big river eventually absorbs the impact of what
human populations do to its tributaries, including the Zumbro.
McPhee, Larkin. Troubled Waters: A Mississippi River Story. DVD. 57 mins. Minneapolis:
University of Minnesota—Bell Museum of Natural History, 2010.
A film which examines how agricultural run-off and pollution contribute to the largest dead zone
in the world, where the Mississippi spills into the Gulf of Mexico. The film became famous
when the university’s Vice President of University Relations cancelled its premier one month
before the scheduled date. Apparently influenced by complaints from certain agricultural
interests, she cited the need for further “scientific review.” The film had been in development
within the university for four years. In the end, she resigned and the show went on.
Schlitgus, E. H. “The Historic Zumbro River of Southeastern Minnesota.” 1975. Typescript
manuscript, 43 pages, footnotes. Research Center, History Center of Olmstead County
#92.69.6
An introduction to the towns and cities of the three forks of the Zumbro watershed, including
some which were already “ghost towns” in 1975, by an diligent local historian. Notes some of
the changes that have been made in the Zumbro’s course up to that time.
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United States Department of Agriculture, Natural Resource’s Conservation Service. Rapid
Watershed Assessment Resource Profile: Zumbro River (MN) HUC: 07040004. No date.
Accessed February 28, 2014 at
http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/nrcs142p2_023178.pdf
Good statistical introduction to the watershed covering ownership, land use, “impaired waters,”
geology, soils, socioeconomic data, agricultural data, threatened and endangered species, and
resource concerns. Data through 2007.
United States Fish and Wildlife Service. Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish
Refuge Final Environmental Impact Statement and Comprehensive Conservation Plan.
Washington: Department of Interior, 2006. Accessed March 27, 2014 at
http://www.fws.gov/Midwest/Planning/uppermiss/feis/FinalEIS.pdf
The Zumbro drains into the Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge at Pool 5.
The refuge was created by Congress in 1924 to provide a refuge and breeding ground for
migratory birds, fish, other wildlife, and plants. The FIS considered various alternatives and
preferred a mixed approach of wildlife protection and public use. The plan will guide
management and administration for fifteen years.
Waters, Thomas F. The Streams and Rivers of Minnesota. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota
Press, 1977.
General introduction to Minnesota’s rivers with a chapter on southeastern Minnesota which
briefly describes the Zumbo.
B. Weather, climate, and climate change
American Association for the Advancement of Science. What We Know: The Reality, Risks, and
Response to Climate Change. Washington: AAAS, 2014.
From the voluminous literature about climate change,
a good starting point might be this recent booklet by a
leading scientific organization (publisher, for example,
of the journal Science). They are frustrated that many
still think that the scientific community is conflicted
about the causes and dangers of climate change. For
them, scientific findings indicate that human-induced
climate change is likely responsible for the increase in
average global temperature, the rise in sea level, and
the growing frequency of extreme events – such as
killer heat waves and “100 year floods.” They fear that
climate change may not be gradual but rather may be
experienced as “abrupt, unpredictable and potentially
irreversible changes.” In the photo, Zumbro
floodwaters invade someone’s back yard.
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History of Winona and Olmsted Counties: Together with Biographical Matter, Statistics, Etc.
Chicago: H. H. Hill and Company, 1883.
Like the Olmsted County history by Leonard (below), this volume has a chapter on “the cyclone,”
but focuses only on the tornado which hit Rochester on August 21, 1883.
Leonard, Joseph A. History of Olmsted County, Minnesota: Together with Sketches of Many of
Its Pioneers, Citizens, Families, and Institutions. Chicago: Goodspeed Historical
Association, 1910.
See the section entitled "The Great Cyclones" which describes in detail the impact of two
tornados (called "cyclones” at the time) which struck Olmsted County in 1883. On July 21, a
tornado swept through the northwest portion of the county. On August 21, a tornado hit
Rochester, causing 31 deaths. In response, the Sisters of St. Francis decided to open St. Mary's
Hospital, and they persuaded Dr. W. W. Mayo to lead the project.
Minnesota Climatology Working Group, a joint project of the State Climatology Office, the
Department of Natural Resources, and the University of Minnesota. Accessed March 23,
2014 at http://climate.umn.edu/
This is the ultimate website for accessing Minnesota climate data, both historical and current.
Purssell, U.G. “Climate Conditions.” in Frank Leverett and Frederick W. Sardeson, Surface
Formations and Agricultural Conditions of the South Half of Minnesota, Minnesota.
Geological Survey Bulletin; No. 14; Minneapolis, University of Minnesota, 1919.
An early look at Minnesota climate based primarily on recorded data from the first decades of
the 20th century.
Rieck, Todd. Rochester, Minnesota Climate. Kansas City, Mo.: National Weather Service,
Scientific Services Division, Central Region, 2002.
A comprehensive review of the climate of Rochester with data through 2002. Temperature and
precipitation records back to 1886, and snowfall records back to 1908. Generally normals are
for the period 1971 to 2000. Provides a month by month climatology of the area. Links climate
to flooding on the Zumbro. It is no surprise to read that Rochester’s second largest calendar day
rainfall was on July 5, 1978 (6.22 inches), a weather event which produced the great flood that
led ultimately to the massive flood control project in Rochester.
Seeley, Mark W. Minnesota Weather Almanac. St. Paul: Minnesota Historical Society Press,
2006.
Interesting analysis which puts watershed events in a larger climatic context. Notes that
Minnesota’s mid-continent geography and northerly latitude leads to highly variable climate.
The two flash floods which struck Rochester during the summer of 1978 are considered as part
of the history of flooding in Minnesota. The "great cyclone" of August 21, 1883, a F5 (greater
than 260 mph) tornado which killed 30 people in Olmsted and Dodge counties, is placed in the
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broader context of Minnesota’s history of extreme weather events. Concludes with the present
climatic trends, which include overall warming (especially rising nighttime minimum
temperatures), higher summer dew points, and increased precipitation (largely the result of
larger snowfalls and more intense thunderstorms).
United States Department of Agriculture. Climate Change and Agriculture: Effects and
Adaptation. February 5, 2013. Washington, D.C.: USDA, 2013. Accessed May 23, 2014
at
http://www.usda.gov/oce/climate_change/effects_2012/CC%20and%20Agriculture%20R
eport%20%2802-04-2013%29b.pdf
The report indicates how climate change is affecting U.S. farms, grasslands and rural
communities, and makes suggestions for adapting to the accelerating pace and intensity of
climate change. It predicts mixed results over the next 25 years, but after that, major shifts in
crop production areas, increases in past control expenses, and greater disease prevalence.
United States Department of Agriculture. USDA Climate Change Adaptation Plan. Accessed
May 23, 2014 at
http://www.usda.gov/oce/climate_change/adaptation/adaptation_plan.htm
The Climate Change Adaptation Plan presents strategies and actions to address the effects of
climate change on key mission areas including agricultural production, food security, rural
development, and forestry and natural resources conservation. It provides a detailed
vulnerability assessment, reviews the elements of USDA’s mission that are at risk from climate
change, and provides specific actions and steps being taken to build resilience to climate
change. The plan advances President Obama’s efforts to integrate climate change adaptation
planning into the actions of the federal government.
United States Global Change Research Program, Third National Climate Assessment, May 2014.
Accessed May 9, 2014 at http://nca2014.globalchange.gov/report.
In 1990 Congress mandated assessments of the impact of climate change. This is the third, and it
is extremely well researched and accessible. The basic message is that climate change is no
longer a future threat but is happening now. In Chapter 18, the report assesses the impact on
the Midwest. Among its findings: 1.) Agriculture in Minnesota will experience longer growing
seasons and greater yields, but these gains will eventually be offset by extreme weather events
and heat stress; 2.) increased heat wave intensity, higher humidity, and degraded air and water
quality will negatively impact public health; 3.) The trend toward extreme rainfall events and
flooding will continue; 4.) since the Midwest has a highly energy-intensive economy with per
capita emissions of greenhouse gases more than 20% of the national average, we have the
potential to make a disproportionate contribution to improving the situation. One interesting
fact from the report: according to the insurance industry, the Midwest experienced 11 of the 14
weather-related disasters with damage in excess of $1 billion since 2011.
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C. Hydrology
Kletti, Laura L. and Heinz G. Stefan, Heinz. “Correlations of climate and streamflow in three
Minnesota streams.” Climatic Change 37, No 4 (Dec, 1997): 575-600.
A study of the correlations between four climate parameters and streamflow in the Zumbro,
Baptism and Mississippi rivers. Runoff values measured over periods of up to 37 years were
correlated with precipitation, air temperature, wind, and dew point temperature.
Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. “Public Waters Inventory Program.” Accessed
April 28, 2014 at http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/waters/watermgmt_section/pwi/index.html
The DNR maintains maps which record their inventory of public waters (streams, wetlands) in
both paper form (for sale) and since 2008 as a GIS layer which has been used in various studies.
Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, Waterways: A Minnesota Water Primer and
Project WET Companion. St. Paul: Minnesota Department of Natural Resources 2010.
Solid popular introduction to hydrology, Minnesota’s waters, and the issues confronting the
state and its people. Available in hardcopy or can be downloaded at
http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/projectwet/waterways/index.html
National Weather Service, Advanced Hydrologic Prediction Service. “Historic Crests” of the
Zumbro for various forks at selected locations. Accessed January 29, 2014 at
http://water.weather.gov/ahps2/
In addition to a real time hydrograph for the various locations of the Zumbro, this webpage
allows searching for the historic crest data for various locations on the river, for example, “North
Fork Zumbro River near Wanamingo” or “Zumbro River at Zumbro Falls.” The data seems to
show that most high water events have occurred in the watershed since 1940, which is also
supported by the NOAA flood data.
Postel, Sandra and Brian Richter. Rivers for Life: Managing Water for People and Nature.
Washington: Island Press, 2003.
This book examines the current state of rivers, their waters, their flow, how they are managed
by policy and how their management can be improved. Includes case studies and policy
recommendations.
Richter, Brian and Sandra Postel. “Saving Earth’s Rivers.” Issues in Science and Technology
(Spring 2004) Issue 3, p. 31-36.
The authors argue that “a river’s natural flow regime…exerts great influence on river health.”
Therefore, “when humans alter these natural patterns to supply growing cities and farms with
water, generate electricity, facilitate river-based navigation, and protect expanding settlements
from floods, the vitality and productivity of river ecosystems can become seriously degraded.”
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Rochester-Olmsted Planning Department. “Olmsted County Water Management Plan 20132023.” Adopted January 23, 2013. Recorded document #A-1314652.
http://www.co.olmsted.mn.us/PLANNING/ENVIRONMENT/Pages/WaterPlan.aspx
Accessed September 24, 2013)
Focuses on five priority concerns: groundwater protection; agricultural practices; impaired
waters and watershed management; urban storm water; and wetlands. The plan notes that the
Zumbro drains more than 57% of Olmsted County. It also notes that because of Rochester and
other urban areas, more than 16 percent of the county is covered with artificial surfaces, and
that this figure is likely to grow.
United States Geological Survey, Surface Water data for USA: USGS Surface-Water Monthly
Statistics. “Zumbro River at Zumbro Falls, Discharge, cubic feet per second, 1909-1980.”
http://waterdata.usgs.gov/nwis/monthly/?referred_module=sw&site_no=05374000&
amp;por_05374000_2=900655,00060,2,1909-07,1980-09&st (Accessed October 1,
2013.
Best long-term average flow volume of the Zumbro River. Data shows that the Zumbro River has
increased average flow over the past 100 years. Not an ideal comparison to more recent
numbers, but it is the best available.
D. Wildlife (native and introduced)
Abraham, Jason. “Rattlesnake Poachers.” Minnesota Conservation Volunteer. 67, No 393
(March-April, 2004): 6-7, 56.
Report on the status of rattlesnakes in southeastern Minnesota . Once plentiful in the forests
and bluff prairies throughout the watershed, they are now mostly gone from Olmsted,
Wabasha, and Goodhue counties. In this article, naturalists discover evidence of poaching the
surviving snakes, even though they are a protected species.
Blacklock, Craig. The Geese of Silver Lake. Stillwater, MN: Voyageur Press, 1989.
Photography of the Giant Canada Geese which stop in Rochester on their migration or are
permanent residents, and an explanation of why they are there.
Blann, Kristen Lynne. Landscape-Scale Analysis of Stream Fish Communities and Habitats:
Lessons from Southeastern Minnesota, Ph.D. Thesis, University of Minnesota. 2005.
The author links what is happening with stream habitat, fish communities, and trout
populations with the surrounding land use and landscape characteristics.
Bluebird Recovery Program of Minnesota. Accessed on May 23, 2-14 at http://bbrp.org/
This popular songbird lives in open forests and farmlands and can be found in every county of
the state. Starting in the 1930s bluebird numbers began to decline due loss of habitat and
competition with starlings and sparrows. In 1979, the Minneapolis chapter of the Audubon
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Society organized this recovery project, which operates throughout the state and has
successfully supported a rebound in bluebird numbers.
Coffin, Barbara and Lee Pfannmuller. Minnesota’s Endangered Flora and Fauna. Minneapolis:
University of Minnesota Press for the Natural Heritage and Nongame Wildlife programs
of the Division of Fish and Wildlife, Minnesota Dept. of Natural Resources, 1988.
An encyclopedia of animals which are threatened or endangered in Minnesota, this volume also
mentions species which once were abundant but now are either extinct (passenger pigeon) or
absent (elk, bison, brown bear). According to the authors, passenger pigeons were plentiful in
the Zumbro area up to the 1870s, when they were quite quickly hunted to extinction. The last
passenger pigeon died in a zoo in 1914. There is also an appendix which lists endangered
species by county.
Dickson, Tom. The Great Minnesota Fish Book. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press,
2008.
Beautifully illustrated by Joseph R. Tomelleri, the author provides an introduction to the natural
history of the major fish species of Minnesota, native and non-native. For example, he notes
that the Brown Trout of Europe, now common in the watershed, was introduced in the 1920s as
the Brook Trout were being overfished. The Brown had the advantage of being able to tolerate
warmer waters than the Brook.
Greenberg, Joel. A Feathered River across the Sky: The Passenger Pigeon’s Flight to Extinction.
New York: Bloomsbury, 2014.
A recent book by a noted Midwestern naturalist who tries to answer the question of how and
why the most numerous bird on the continent so quickly became extinct.
Hazard, Evan B. The Mammals of Minnesota. Minneapolis: Minneapolis: University of
Minnesota Press for the James Ford Bell Museum of Natural History, 1982.
Well informed guide to mammals. He suggests, for example, that beavers have “perhaps
affected human history in North America more than any other wild mammal.”
Hilfiker, Earl L. Beavers: Water, Wildlife, and History. Interlaken, NY: Windswept Press, 1990.
Introduction to the North American beaver with coverage of the decimation of beavers during
the fur trade in 18th and 19th century.
Houghton, David C. “Biological Diversity of the Minnesota Caddisflies (Insecta, Trichoptera).”
ZooKeys 189 (May 3, 2012): p 1-389. Accessed April 7, 2014 at
10.3897/zookeys.189.2043
Caddisflies resemble sleek moths but their aquatic larvae build elaborate cases of nearly infinite
design. There are at least 1,260 species in North America. Because of their sensitivity to low
levels of pollution scientists monitor them to gauge the health of streams and lakes. This book
length analysis of caddisfly diversity in Minnesota was based on sampling from all Minnesota
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watersheds. There are at least 277 species in Minnesota but the author found greatest diversity
in the Lake Superior region and least diversity in the Southern region. Diversity in the
southeastern region was intermediate. Some species have disappeared from certain regions, or
from the entire state. The author concludes that the loss of species has resulted from the
conversion of many habitats to large scale agriculture.
Janssen, Robert B. Kennedy. Birds of Minnesota and Wisconsin. Edmonton: Lone Pine Pub.,
2003.
The basic reference guide to Minnesota’s birds.
Janssen, Robert B. and Anthony Hertzel. County Occurrences of Minnesota Birds. M.O.U.
Occasional Papers ; No. 1. Minneapolis, Minn.: Minnesota Ornithologists’ Union, 1996.
Notes that many species of birds appear in all Minnesota counties, but that some have more
localized habitat. This guide places birds in the particular counties in which they have been
observed.
Krajick, Kevin. “Defending Deadwood.” Science 293 (31 August 201): 1579-1581.
Explains the relationship between fallen trees and various species, especially the Pileated
Woodpecker, which acts as a “keystone” species because other birds, like nuthatches,
chickadees and bluebirds, use the cavities that the big woodpeckers create as nests. Also, trees
that fall into streams and create snags offer hunting perches to avian predators.
Kraske, Robert. “Whatever happened to bluebirds?” The Minnesota Volunteer, Jan-Feb, 1981,
p. 42-49.
Notes the prevalence of bluebirds in the past and their rapid population decline starting in the
1920s as a result of loss of habitat and competition with starlings and sparrows.
Lannoo, Michael J. Malformed Frogs: The Collapse of Aquatic Ecosystems. Berkeley:
University of California Press, 2008.
In 1995, students studying a wetland near Henderson found a large number of deformed frogs.
Soon, frogs with deformities (e.g. missing or extra legs) were found all over the state. The
scientific literature about the cause of this phenomenon has grown enormously but this volume
is a good starting point. Lannoo considers the possible causes and concludes that our focus
should be on controlling chemical, nutrient and pesticide runoff into wetlands. He is also the
editor of Amphibian Declines: the Conservation Status of a United States Species (University of
California Press, 2005) a massive anthology of research on this issue.
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Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, “Designation of Infested Waters.” December 16,
2013. Accessed on line March 21, 2014 at
http://files.dnr.state.mn.us/eco/invasives/infested_waters.pdf
A watch list of invasive species in Minnesota lakes and streams. The Zumbro appears only in
the section on zebra mussels, which are listed as infesting Lake Zumbro and everything
downstream on the Zumbro and 500 feet up its tributaries.
Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. Minnesota Biological Survey. Accessed May 23,
2014 at http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/mbs/index.html
A project to enhance our knowledge of the distribution and status of Minnesota’s flora, fauna,
and native plant communities. To date, 81 of 87 counties (including all in the Zumbro
Watershed) have been surveyed and the results are easily accessible on line. Detailed maps for
each county can be viewed online or downloaded.
Minnesota Waterfowl Research Group. Waterfowl in Minnesota. Minnesota Department of
Conservation, Technical Bulletin, No. 7. Saint Paul: Minnesota Dept. of Conservation,
Division of Game and Fish, Section of Research and Planning, 1964.
A detailed analysis of the natural history of waterfowl in Minnesota with attention to the impact
of drainage on habitat and to effect of conservation programs and hunting regulation on
waterfowl populations in Minnesota.
Mitchell, Martin D., Richard O. Kimmel, and Jennifer Snyders. “Reintroduction and Range
Expansion of Eastern Wild Turkeys in Minnesota.” Geographical Review 101, no. 2
(April 2011): 269–84.
The authors argue that the Minnesota DNR’s reintroduction of wild turkeys has been
remarkably successful and free of controversy. They also make clear that although the wild
turkey’s range has expanded, its core habitat is in the driftless region of Minnesota including
areas of the Zumbro watershed.
Schrader, Thomas A. and Arnold B. Erickson. Upland Game Birds of Minnesota. Minnesota
Department of Conservation. Bulletin No. 8. St. Paul: Minnesota Dept. of Conservation,
1944.
Introduction to the ring-necked pheasant, the prairie chicken, ruffled and spruce grouse,
bobwhites, etc.
Tekiela, Stan. Mammals of Minnesota Field Guide. Cambridge, MN: Adventure Publications,
2005.
A book to carry with you on a trip or a hike, or to refer to when you return. Good illustrations
and maps.
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Tomelleri, Joseph R. and Mark E. Eberle. Fishes of the Central United States. 2nd edition.
Lawrence, Kan.: University Press of Kansas, 2011.
This revised and expanded second edition succeeds in its goal of bring scientifically
accurate but highly readable information about fish species in the central United States
including Minnesota. Excellent color illustrations.
Wechsler, Chuck. The Pheasant in Minnesota. St. Paul: Minnesota Dept. of Natural Resources,
1986.
Good overview of the history of pheasants in Minnesota and how changing land use impacted
their numbers. The Chinese ring-necked pheasant was introduced into southern Minnesota in
1916 and peaked in population in the 1950s (at an estimated 6 million birds). In 1958, for
example, hunters took 1,562,000 roosters. By 1994, however, changing farming practices had
reduced the population to about 500,000. An increase in protected grasslands has led to a
rebound, and the DNR now estimates about 2 million pheasants in the state.
E. Prairie, wetland and woodland plants (native and invasive)
Aaseng, Norman E. et al. Minnesota’s Native Vegetation: a Key to Natural Communities.
Minnesota Dept. of Natural Resources, Biological Report No. 20. St. Paul: Minnesota
Dept. of Natural Resources, 1993.
This natural community key classifies and describes recurrent natural units of Minnesota's
landscape by considering vegetation, topography, hydrology, landforms, substrates, soils, and
natural disturbance regimes. It needs to be read in conjunction with information geared to
individual counties.
Aaseng, Norman E. Field Guide to the Native Plant Communities of Minnesota. The Eastern
Broadleaf Forest Province. St. Paul: Minnesota Dept. of Natural Resources, 2005.
This part of a three volume work covers the counties of the Zumbro Watershed. It represents a
revision of the system of classification published n 1993 (above) based on continual research,
for example through the County Biological Survey. The guide contains keys to the identification
of plant communities, fact sheets on community composition and structure, landscape setting,
soils, and natural history.
Coffin, Barbara and Lee Pfannmuller. Minnesota’s Endangered Flora and Fauna. Minneapolis:
University of Minnesota Press for the Natural Heritage and Nongame Wildlife programs
of the Division of Fish and Wildlife, Minnesota Dept. of Natural Resources, 1988.
An encyclopedia of plants which are threatened or endangered in Minnesota. There is also an
appendix which lists endangered species by county. Many of the endangered plants in the
region are associated with prairie habitats.
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Costello, David Francis. The Prairie World. New York: Crowell, 1969.
Introduction to the ecology of the mid-continent prairies including the mixed prairies of
southeastern Minnesota. Covers the climate, topography and waters of the prairie, its plants,
mammals, birds, insects, and reptiles, and events such as droughts and floods.
Eggers, Steve D., and Donald M. Reed. Wetland Plants and Plant Communities of Minnesota &
Wisconsin. St. Paul: US Army Corps of Engineers, St. Paul District, 1988.
The wetlands of Minnesota and Wisconsin are categorized into fifteen plant communities. Each
community is described and illustrated by color photographs along with descriptions and color
photographs of a total of 115 representative plant species. The descriptions include taxonomic
characteristics, habitat, and notes on wildlife use and economic values. With respect to the
Zumbro, the most relevant plant community would be the “Floodplain Forests,” which includes
silver maple, green ash, river birch, cottonwood, American elm, and black willow.
Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. Minnesota Biological Survey. Accessed May 23,
2014 at http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/mbs/index.html
A project to enhance our knowledge of the distribution and status of Minnesota’s flora, fauna,
and native plant communities. To date, 81 of 87 counties (including all in the Zumbro
Watershed) have been surveyed and the results are easily accessible on line. Detailed maps for
each county can be viewed online or downloaded.
Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. “Minnesota’s Remaining Native Prairie 100 Years
after the Public Land Survey.” On line map. St. Paul: Minnesota Dept. of Natural
Resources, March 2009. Accessed May 23, 2014 at
http://files.dnr.state.mn.us/eco/mcbs/prairie_map.pdf.
Shows prairie mapped by the Minnesota Biological Survey as of March 2009 as well as natural
vegetation reported at the time of the public land survey 1847-1908. A color map available on
line. Demonstrates how extensive prairie was within the Zumbro watershed and how prairie
lands are now mostly gone.
Wendt, Keith M. A Guide to Minnesota Prairies. St. Paul: Natural Heritage Program, Minnesota
Dept. of Natural Resources, 1984.
An introduction to the diversity of prairie types found in Minnesota, and in particular on prairie
preserves as of the date of publication. Within the watershed, the guide highlights the "dry
sand" prairie at the Kellogg-Weaver dunes in Wabasha County and the tiny bits of "Southern
Oak Barrens" left in Dodge and neighboring counties.
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F. Demography and land use
Department of Administration. “Minnesota State Demographic Center webpage.” Accessed on
January 29, 2014 at http://www.demography.state.mn.us/index.html
Portal to state demographic information based on US census data and other sources, including
estimates and projections beyond the 2000 and 2010 census. For example, the population of
the city of Rochester was 85,806 in 2000 and was estimated to be 108,814 in 2012.
United States Census Bureau. Quick Facts. Accessed April 4, 2014 at http://www.census.gov/#.
The web page of the Census Bureau offers easy access to a wealth of data organized by state
through the Quick Facts service. In March 2014 for example, the Census Bureau released new
population estimates for 2013 broken down by state and county. Most of the watershed
counties showed little population growth. However, Olmsted, which had a population of
144,248 in the 2010 census, was estimated to be 149,226 in mid-2013. Presumably these
numbers reflected the growth of Rochester’s population.
University of Minnesota Remote Sensing and Geospatial Analysis Laboratory. “Land Cover and
Impervious Surface Area.” Accessed on January 29, 2014 at http://land.umn.edu.
An interactive state wide map that allows access to land cover data for 2000 broken down by
county, township, urban, and also watershed. Land cover is broken down into agricultural,
grass/shrub/wetland, forest, water, and urban. A printout of the data of land cover by
percentages appears with each map. For example, the Zumbro Watershed is about 67%
agricultural, 9% grass/shrub/wetland, 15% forest, .25% water, and 9% urban (with 2.51%
impervious surfaces).
G. Agricultural use
1. Farms, farm organization, and land tenure
Hart, John Fraser. The Changing Scale of American Agriculture. Charlottesville: University of
Virginia Press, 2003.
Hart, a rural geographer from the University of Minnesota, wrote this book to examine why and
how the 5.4 million American farms in 1949 shrunk to 1.9 million in 1997. He focuses on the
farmer-entrepreneurs who organized larger and larger units of production. He tends to see this
process as inevitable and unstoppable. His concluding sentence: “The farm that seems large in
2002 will seem small in 2022.” (p. 264)
The FarmLASTS Project. Farm Land Access, Succession, Tenure and Stewardship. Research
Report and Recommendations. 2010. Accessed December 23, 2013
http://www.uvm.edu/farmlasts/FarmLASTSResearchReport.pdf
This USDA-funded project investigated how farms and ranches nationwide are acquired and
held by farm entrants. It found that farm real estate values doubled from 2002 to 2008. About
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70% of farm land will change hands over the next 20 years, but most retiring farmers have no
set succession strategy. Given this and other factors, the report recommends that government
policy needs to create opportunities for new farmers to enter the field. The report takes the
position that something must be done to ensure long term farm viability and land stewardship.
U. S. Department of Agriculture. 2007 Census of Agriculture: United States—Summary and
State Data. Issued February 2009; updated December 2009. Available online at
http://www.agcensus.usda.gov/Publications/index.php
Starting in 1840, the US Bureau of Census collected agricultural data as part of the decennial
census of the population, although there were mid-decade agricultural censuses in 1925, 1935
and 1945. After that, the government conducted an agricultural census in years ending in 4 and
9. Since 1976, the five year cycle has changed to years ending in 2 and 7. Since 1997, this work
has been done by the Department of Agriculture. The data is organized on a national, state and
county level.
U. S. Department of Agriculture. 2012 Census of Agriculture: United States: Summary and
State Data. Vol 1. Geographic Area Series. Part 51. Issued May 2014. Accessed on
May 12, 2014 at
http://www.agcensus.usda.gov/Publications/2012/Full_Report/Volume_1,_Chapter_1_U
S/usv1.pdf
The new census shows a continued decline in the number of farms (down 4.3% since 2007) and
a rise in the size of the average farm (up 3.8% since 2007). The average farmer was older than
ever (58.3 years) and there were fewer farmers who have been on their current operation for
less than 10 years (down 20% since 2007). Minnesota continued to be in the top 10 in number
of farms and in agricultural sales, but showed a significant decrease in the number of farms. The
data is organized on a national, state and county level. You can take any county in the
watershed and compare its data to comparable data from other counties, or you can use the
data to see how the county has changed since the last census and beyond.
U. S. Department of Agriculture, National Agricultural Statistics Service. Farms and Land in
Farms--Final Estimates 2003-2007. Washington: US Department of Agriculture, 2009.
Accessed January 23, 2014 at
http://usda01.library.cornell.edu/usda/nass/SB991/sb1017.pdf
Numbers of farms and farm size, broken down by state.
2. Crops and livestock
Minnesota Office of the Legislative Auditor. Evaluation Report: Agricultural Commodity
Councils. March 2014. Accessed March 22, 2014 at
http://www.auditor.leg.state.mn.us/ped/pedrep/agcouncils.pdf
Some insight in how hard it will be to change the agricultural status quo can be gained from the
state legislative auditor’s report on the 13 commodity councils which are funded by a “checkoff’ system. The councils support promotion, research and market development that benefits
their commodity. The auditor recommended greater financial transparency and legislative
46
oversight. It also thought the legislature should tighten restrictions on using the money for
lobbying. The report notes, for example that the Corn Council has a budget of more than $11
million, $4.8 million of which it paid to the Minnesota Corn Growers Association for services,
which does participate in lobbying.
University of Minnesota, Center for Integrated Natural Resources and Agricultural Management.
Developing High-Efficiency Agriculture for Farmers, Rural Communities and the State of
Minnesota—“A Forever Green Initiative.” March 27, 2013. Accessed April 2, 2014 at
http://www.cinram.umn.edu/forevergreen/Agrinitiative%20Forever%20Green.pdf.
This university project researches the possibility of adding “winter-annual” and perennial crops
to Minnesota’s current repertoire of mostly “summer-annual” crops like corn and soybeans.
They argue that diversifying along those lines would enhance the yields of summer crops, enable
production of new commodities, enhance our soils and wildlife, and improve our water
resources. As of this writing, the center was seeking legislative funding to put its research into
practice. Examples of “winter-annuals” include field pennycrest and winter malting barley; the
perennials they refer to include intermediate wheatgrass and perennial flaxseed.
U. S. Department of Agriculture, National Agricultural Statistics Service. Quick Stats 2.0.
Accessed January 23, 2014 at http://www.nass.usda.gov/
This excellent tool allows easy access to crop and livestock statistics for the entire country
broken down by state and county. With just a few clicks you can access the 1972-2012 data for
the acres planted in corn, soybeans, or oats, or the acres of hay harvested, in each of the six
counties within the watershed. While only part of each county is within the Zumbro Watershed,
this is the best trend data available. The forty year data here shows what many people have
suspected. We have seen a dramatic (in many cases 50%) reduction in water-absorbing
landscapes like hayfields and an increase (in many cases a doubling to tripling) in the acres of
water-shedding crops like corn and soybeans. For example, the statistics show that there were
more acres planted in corn in Dodge County in 2012 than ever before (134,000 acres).
http://quickstats.nass.usda.gov/results/0F5D2D79-CB7B-3E51-A5B2-2304719CE3C3. On the
other hand, hay harvested in Dodge County in recent years is considerably less than 50% of what
was harvested throughout the 1980s. http://quickstats.nass.usda.gov/results/CD6F3CB4-08813BF1-9598-E4BA7B72A4E2.
Wright, Christopher and Michael Wimberly. “Recent land use change in the Western Corn Belt
threatens grasslands and wetlands.” Proceedings of the National Academy of Science. 110
(2013) No 10, 4134-4139. Accessed May 12, 2014 at
http://www.pnas.org/content/110/10/4134.full
The authors found that a recent doubling in commodity prices has created incentives for
landowners to convert grassland to corn and soybean cropping. Using 2006-2011 land cover
data from five states including North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Minnesota, and Iowa,
they saw elevated rates of grass-to-corn/soy conversion, with corn/soy production expanding
onto marginal lands characterized by high erosion risk and vulnerability to drought. Overall,
they see rapid movement toward increased corn and soybean cultivation, and a closing window
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of opportunity for realizing the benefits of a biofuel industry based on perennial bioenergy
crops, rather than corn ethanol and soy biodiesel.
3. Farming practices (see Section I for pesticide/fertilizer use)
Environmental Working Group. Broken Stream Banks: Failure to Maintain “Buffer” Zones
Worsens Farm Pollution. Washington D.C.: Environmental Working Group. 2014.
Asscessed April 28, 2014 at http://cdn3.ewg.org/sites/default/files/EWG-Broken-StreamBanks2014.pdf
This new report used high-resolution aerial photography to study buffering of ditches and
streams in the southern half of Minnesota. They found that the state rule requiring a 50 foot
buffer was poorly followed and little enforced. Generally counties in the watershed got a C or D
grade (less than 70% of required buffers in place) except for Dodge which earned a B-. The
report noted that ditches were the least likely to have the required buffers.
Hatfield, Jerry L. The Farmer’s Decision: Balancing Economic Successful Agriculture
Production with Environmental Quality. Ankeny, Iowa: Soil and Water Conservation
Society, 2005.
A series of articles which explore ways in which balancing economic succss and environmental
quality can be a win-win situation; however, to explore the endless possibilities that constitute
acceptable solutions is extremely difficult. Hatfield argues that the key is providing more
information to the American producer that would help them evaluate different scenarios in
their farming systems and evaluate potential alternatives through a combination of simulation
tools and decision support systems.
King, James A. and W. S. Lynes. Tile Drainage. Why Tile Drainage Benefits Wet Land and
Increases Farm Income. Information for Laying out and Installing Simple Drainage
Systems. 4th Ed. Mason City, Iowa, Mason City Brick and Tile Co., 1946.
This book was first published in 1918, and then again in 1923 and 1931. In this fourth edition,
James King, an expert on tiling, and Lynes, a soil scientist, make the case for why farmers should
tile their lands and how they should go about it. Many benefits are outlined (lengthening the
growing season, lowering cost of production, stopping erosion, etc.). No downsides are
mentioned.
Moechnig, Howard. Managing Grazing in Steam Corridors. St. Paul: Minnesota Department of
Agriculture, 2007.
A how-to manual for farmers specifically geared to southeastern Minnesota.
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Petersen, A., and B. Vondracek. “Water Quality in Relation to Vegetative Buffers around
Sinkholes in Karst Terrain.” Journal of Soil & Water Conservation 61, No. 6 (December
11, 2006): 380–90.
The authors studied sinkholes in the karst region of southeastern Minnesota including the
Zumbro watershed and demonstrate that buffers around sinkholes could reduce
agricultural runoff of pollutants into groundwater sources.
Raymond, Kara L. and Bruce Vondracek. “Relationships among Rotational and Conventional
Grazing Systems, Stream Channels, and Macroinvertebrates.” Hydrobiologia 669, No. 1
(July 2011): 105–17. Accessed April 16, 2014 at
http://wordpress.cfans.umn.edu/mnfwcoop/files/2012/09/Raymond-and-Vondracek2011-Hydrobiologia.pdf.
A new study found that cattle grazing and water quality could be compatible. Studying areas
including southeastern Minnesota, the authors found that rotationally grazed sites were
associated with more stable stream banks and higher quality aquatic habitat when compared to
conventionally gazed riparian areas.
Schnepf, Max and Craig Cox, editors. Environmental Benefits of Conservation on Cropland: the
status of our knowledge. Ankeny, Iowa: Soil and Water Conservation Society, 2007.
A USDA sponsored review of the present state of the scientific literature on the environmental
impact of a variety of conservation systems, including soil management, water management,
nutrient management, pest management, and landscape management, each study done by a
lead author experienced in the field.
Uri, Noel D. Agriculture and the Environment. Commack, N.Y.: Nova Science Publishers, 1999.
An examination of the environmental issues raised by agricultural chemical use and other
farming practices on water, soil and air quality.
4. Soils and Soil Conservation
Note: County soil surveys are listed in Part II under the appropriate county.
Hellerstein, Daniel R. and Scott A. Malcolm. The Influence of Rising Commodity Prices on the
Conservation Reserve Program. USDA Economic Research Report No. 110.
Washington, D.C.: U.S. Dept. of Agriculture, Economic Research Service, 2011.
Accessed May 12, 2014 at http://www.ers.usda.gov/media/131209/err110.pdf.
The authors conclude that under several higher crop price scenarios, including one that
incorporates 15 billion gallons of crop-based biofuels production, maintaining the CRP as
currently configured will lead to significant expenditure increases. If constraints are placed on
increasing rental rates, it might be possible to meet enrollment goals with moderate increases in
CRP rental rates—but this will mean accepting lower average Environmental Benefits Index
scores as landowners with profitable but environmentally sensitive lands choose not to enroll.
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Izaak Walton League. The 2012 Farm Bill: Stewardship, Prosperity, and Fairness. St. Paul,
MN, n.d. Accessed on March 12, 2014 at
http://www.iwla.org/index.php?ht=display/ContentDetails/i/26508/pid/203
During the debate on the legislation now called the 2014 Farm Bill, the Izaak Walton league
provided a good introduction to the issues and argued that the bill should re-establish the
original connection between conservation compliance and federal crop insurance premium
subsidies, enact a nationwide “Sodsaver” provision, and ensure conservation programs achieve
real conservation results and receive fair treatment with respect to all other Farm Bill spending
programs by
 Maintaining the unique purposes of the conservation title’s suite of conservation programs.
 Establishing continuing-baseline status for all conservation program spending, as exists for
commodity and crop insurance programs.
 Ensuring no changes are made in annual mandatory spending.
Land Stewardship Project. The Conservation Stewardship Program in Minnesota. August 2013.
Access on line on January 3, 2014 at
http://landstewardshipproject.org/repository/1/986/csp_report_2013_layout_9_27_13.pdf
Notes that Minnesota is one of the main users of this voluntary program that rewards farmers
for adopting conservation practice on working lands.
Lewandowski, Ann, with Mark Zumwinkle. Assessing the Soil System: A Review of Soil Quality
Literature. St. Paul: Minnesota Department of Agriculture Energy and Sustainable
Agriculture Program, 1999). Accessed on January 3, 2014 at
http://www.mda.state.mn.us/news/publications/protecting/soilprotection/sqlitreview.pdf
An introduction to the literature on soil quality for non-specialists. “Soil Quality” means the
capacity of soil to sustain biological productivity, maintain environmental quality, and promote
plant and animal health. Gauging soil quality implies assessing how well it fulfills various
functions including as a regulator of water flow in the environment.
Osmond, Deanna L.et al. eds. How to Build Better Agricultural Conservation Programs to
Protect Water Quality: The National Institute of Food and Agriculture, Conservation
Effects Assessment Project Experience. Ankeny, IA: Soil and Water Conservation
Society, 2012. Accessed May 23, 2014 at
http://www.swcs.org/en/publications/building_better_agricultural_conservation_program
s/
A collection of case studies and lessons learned from hands-on experience.
Ruhland, Vic. Through These Eyes: The First 70 Years of Soil and Water Conservation in
Minnesota. Minneapolis: Minnesota State Office, USDA Natural Resources Conservation
Service, 2005.
A brief history of soil conservation in Minnesota written by a retired employee of the Soil
Conservation Service (later Natural Resources Conservation Service. Traces the origins back to
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the New Deal and the CCC camps dedicated to fighting soil erosion, two of which were at
Zumbrota and Rochester.
United States General Accounting Office. Agricultural Conservation: USDA Needs to Better
Ensure Protection of Highly Erodible Cropland and Wetlands (Washington: GAO,
2003). Accessed on December 23, 2013 at http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d03418.pdf
This GAO report to Senator Tom Harkin as a member of the Senate’s Committee on Agriculture,
Nutrition and Forestry found that almost half of the Natural Resources Conservation Service’s
field offices do not enforce the conservation provisions of the Food Security Act of 1985. In
addition, the GAO found that the Farm Service Agency, the agency which is responsible for
withholding benefits for violations identified by the Conservation Service, often waives these
noncompliance determinations without adequate justification.
H. Wetlands and drainage
Baerwald, Thomas. “Forces at Work on the Landscape.” In Minnesota in a Century of Change:
The State and Its People Since 1900, edited by Clifford E. Clark, 19-53. St. Paul:
Describes the impact of agriculture on the Minnesota landscape, including the origins of ditching
and tillage of farm fields in Minnesota, including a photo of a ditch and tile machine working in
1910.
Biebighauser, Thomas R. Wetland Drainage, Restoration, and Repair. Lexington: University
Press of Kentucky, 2007.
A detailed analysis of wetlands management which covers the past, present and future of
wetland recovery in the United States. The book includes a historical overview of wetland
destruction and repair over the past two hundred years and also serves as a resource for anyone
interested in the process of wetland restoration.
CapX2020, Public Notice of Application for permit to cross navigable waters of the United
States and to discharge dredged and fill material into wetlands for the construction of
pole structures, access roads, and associated substation facilities in conjunction with the
construction of a new 345 kilovolt (kV) transmission line and a 161 kV transmission line,
in southeastern Minnesota and southwestern Wisconsin. Accessed May 23 2-14 at
http://www.mvp.usace.army.mil/Portals/57/docs/regulatory/MNStandard/2008001307PN.pdf
Xcel Energy’s power line project will cross the Zumbro several times. In this application they
propose mitigation of the wetland damage it will cause.
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King, K. Elton. “A history of drainage law in Minnesota, with special emphasis on the legal
status of wet lands.” Limnological Contribution No. 11, Dept of Biological Sciences,
Mankato State University. Minneapolis: Water Resources Research Center, University of
Minnesota Graduate School: 1980.
Good historical overview of the development of drainage law in Minnesota and also of attitudes
toward wetlands in general, from an 1887 Minnesota Supreme Court case which called surface
water “the common enemy, which an owner , in the necessary and proper improvement of his
land, may get rid of as best he may” to changes which began after the Depression and drought
of the 1930s.
Minnesota Board of Water & Soil Resources. Minnesota Wetland Report. 2001-2003. St. Paul,
Minn.: Minnesota Board of Water and Soil Resources, 2005. Available on line at
http://www.bwsr.state.mn.us/wetlands/publications/wetlandreport.pdf
The most recent report as of the time of this writing, it assessed Minnesota’s progress under the
Wetland Conservation Act of 1991.
Minnesota Center for Environmental Advocacy. Minnesota Wetlands Protection Report 2006.
St. Paul: Minnesota Center for Environmental Advocacy, 2006. Available online at
http://mncenter.org/Portals/0/6%20%20publications/research%20reports/Wetlands%20R
eport.pdf.
Presents the argument that “despite the wetland protection laws at the state and federal levels,
and a broad, shared concern for wetlands by the public, our history of wetland loss in Minnesota
continues today.” Asserts that the primary reason for wetland loss and destruction are
exemptions from wetland protection laws, inadequate enforcement, and the byzantine and
often outdated structure of drainage laws.
Schottler, S. P., Ulrich, J., Belmont, P., Moore, R., Lauer, J. W., Engstrom, D. R. and
Almendinger, J. E. “Twentieth century agricultural drainage creates more erosive
rivers.” Hydrological Processes 28, Issue 4 (15 February 2014): 1951–1961. Accessed on
January 28, 2014 at http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/hyp.9738/abstract.
In the upper Mississippi basin, crop conversions have led to an intensification of artificial
drainage. At the same time, much of the region has experienced increased annual rainfall. To
disentangle the effects of climate and land-use, the authors compared changes in precipitation,
crop conversions, and extent of drained depressional area in 21 Minnesota watersheds over the
past 70 years (unfortunately the Zumbro was not included although the Cannon was). They
found that changes in precipitation and crop evapotranspiration explained less than one-half of
the increase, with the remainder highly correlated with artificial drainage and loss of
depressional areas.
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Tiner, Ralph W. Wetlands of the United States: Current Status and Recent Trends. Washington,
D.C.: National Wetlands Inventory, Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Dept. of the Interior,
1984.
Good introduction to the nature of wetlands nationally and the emerging recognition of their
worth. Focuses on several problem areas, one of which is the “prairie pothole” wetlands of
Minnesota and their significance as waterfowl habitat and flood damage protection. Noted that
Minnesota had lost 9 million acres of original wetlands by 1981 and that the trend continued.
United States Fish and Wildlife Service. National Wetlands Inventory. Accessed on November
7, 2013 at http://www.fws.gov/wetlands/
Fish and Wildlife produces wetland maps and geospatial wetland data for the nation on and
makes it available on this searchable site. Their inventory is called the National Wetlands
Inventory, and classified and locates wetlands nationally.
United States General Accounting Office. Agricultural Conservation: USDA Needs to Better
Ensure Protection of Highly Erodible Cropland and Wetlands (Washington: GAO,
2003). Accessed on December 23, 2013 at http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d03418.pdf
This GAO report to Senator Tom Harkin as a member of the Senate’s Committee on Agriculture,
Nutrition and Forestry found that almost half of the Natural Resources Conservation Service’s
field offices do not enforce the conservation provisions of the Food Security Act of 1985. In
addition, the GAO found that the Farm Service Agency, the agency which is responsible for
withholding benefits for violations identified by the Conservation Service, often waives these
noncompliance determinations without adequate justification.
Van der Valk, Arnold, ed. Northern Prairie Wetlands. Ames, Iowa: Iowa State University Press,
1989.
This is a collection of essays on the various aspects of the ecology of prairie wetlands specific to
the northern prairies of the Canada and the U.S., specifically Iowa, Minnesota and the Dakotas.
Though the region of prairie potholes is west of our geographic region some of the essays are
relevant in their studies of nitrogen and phosphorous runoff, vegetation, and the politicoeconomics of wetland.
I. Run-off pollution (agricultural and urban)
Barr Engineering. Detailed Assessment of Phosphorous Sources in Minnesota’s Watershed. St.
Paul: Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, 2014. Accessed April 24, 2014 at
http://www.pca.state.mn.us/index.php/water/water-monitoring-and-reporting/waterquality-and-pollutants/phosphorus/detailed-assessment-of-phosphorus-sources-tominnesota-watersheds-2004-legislative-report.html.
The legislature funded this study of the source of phosphorous in Minnesota waters. The
consultants founds that about 2/3 of the total load comes from non-point sources like crop and
pasture run-off, about 31% came from point sources such as wastewater treatment plants and
industrial facilities, and about 3% from automatic dishwashing detergents.
53
Blue Thumb—Planting for Clean Water. A Year-Round Guide to Yard Care. Accessed on
March 12, 2014 at
http://www.bluethumb.org/media/docs/Blue%20Thumb%20guide%20to%20yard%20car
e.pdf
Part of the MS4 Toolkit (see below), it provides homeowners with a wealth of ideas for reducing
harmful runoff from their gardens and lawns.
Center for Food Safety. Heavy Costs: Weighing the Value of Neonicontinoid Insecticides in
Agriculture. Washington: Center for Food Safety, 2014. Accessed March 26, 2014 at
http://www.centerforfoodsafety.org/files/neonic-efficacy_digital_29226.pdf.
Based on a literature review, this report argues that neonicontinoid insecticides provide little
benefit but have negative environmental consequences, possibly including the ongoing crash of
bee colonies. Most corn and soybean seedlings in Minnesota are coated with these insecticides,
as well as many plants and shrubs bought in nurseries. The manufacturers argue that the
insecticides have not been proven to harm pollinators. This report argues that the
Environmental Protection Agency should suspend all existing registrations of neonicontinoid see
treatment products until a thorough cost/benefit study can be completed.
Clayton, Andrew, C, Edo D Pellizzari, Roy W Whitmore, James J Quackenboss, John Adgate,
and Ken Sefton. “Distributions, Associations, and Partial Aggregate Exposure of
Pesticides and Polynuclear Aromatic Hydrocarbons in the Minnesota Children’s Pesticide
Exposure Study (MNCPES).” Journal of Exposure Analysis & Environmental
Epidemiology 13, no. 2 (March 2003): 100.
A scholarly study of the exposure of children in the Twin Cities and also in Rice and Goodhue
counties to a variety of pesticides including atrazine.
Dolliver, Holly and Satish Gupta. “Antibiotic losses in leaching and surface runoff from
manure-amended agricultural land.” Journal of Environmental Quality 37, No. 3 (May
2008): 1227-1237.
A three year study that quantified leaching and run-off losses of antibiotics from applications of
liquid hog and beef manure in both chisel and no-tillage systems in a karst geology area of
southwestern Wisconsin. Found that small quantities of dissolved antibiotics could potentially
reach surface and ground waters in karst areas.
Fallon, James D. Pesticides in Streams in Part of the Upper Mississippi River Basin, Minnesota
and Wisconsin, 1974-94. USGS Fact Sheet 066--00. Moundsview, MN: United States
Geological Survey, May, 2000.
Historical analysis of data for a study area just north of the Zumbro watershed which
included the Cannon River.
54
Delgado, Jorge A., and R. F. Follett. Eds. Advances in Nitrogen Management for Water Quality.
Ankeny, Iowa: Soil and Water Conservation Society, 2010.
A collection of articles describing and assessing a variety of strategies for reducing nitrogen
migration into groundwater sources.
Minnesota Department of Agriculture. Non-Agricultural Pesticide Sales 2008-2009. St. Paul:
Minnesota Department of Agriculture, 2013.
In response of the 2006 Legislative Auditor’s report on pesticide regulation (see below), the
department has stepped up monitoring, at least of sales. It found that non-agricultural pesticide
amounted to 54% of the total pounds of all pesticide active ingredient sales in Minnesota in
2009.
Minnesota Department of Agriculture. “Water Quality Best Management Practices for All
Agricultural Herbicides.” (March 2010) Accessed on line on January 3, 2014 at
http://www.mda.state.mn.us/~/media/Files/protecting/bmps/bmpsforagherbicides.ashx
To protect Minnesota’s water resources, the MDA and U of M Extension developed a set of core
voluntary Best Management Practices for applying herbicides. This four page handout sets out
the BMPs and provides a guide to further information.
Minnesota Office of the Legislative Auditor. Pesticide Regulation: Evaluation Report. St. Paul,
Minn.: Office of the Legislative Auditor, Program Evaluation Division, 2006.
This report found that overall, the Department of Agriculture was doing a good job of regulating
and monitoring pesticides although some improvements were noted. The report also said that
the department has not done near enough to regulate urban pesticide use.
Minnesota Pollution Control Agency. The Minnesota Nutrient Reduction Strategy (draft) St.
Paul: MPCA, October 7, 2013. Accessed January 30, 2014 at
http://www.pca.state.mn.us/index.php/view-document.html?gid=20213
To counter the threat of nutrients, primarily nitrogen and phosphorous, in Minnesota water
resources including the Mississippi and Lake Pepin (not to mention the “dead zone” in the Gulf
of Mexico), several agencies published a 285-page draft strategy paper in October and asked for
comments through December 18. The strategy sets goals and intermediate milestones,
including a 35% reduction in phosphorous and a 20% reduction in nitrogen by 2025 in the
Mississippi River basin. The proposed strategies focus on education and incentives.
Minnesota Pollution Control Agency. Nitrogen in Minnesota Surface Waters: Conditions,
Trends, Sources, and Reduction. St. Paul: MPCA, 2013
This study found elevated nitrate levels, harmful to fish and wildlife, particularly in the southern
third of Minnesota. The investigators, led by David Wall, estimated that 70% was coming from
cropland, and that the most common pathway was tile drainage. It recommends better
management of fertilizer use and tile drainage, and also landscape diversification. The report,
55
which is more than 500 pages long, is available in book form or on line. There is also a useful 24
page executive summary.
Ribaudo, Marc, et al. Nitrogen in Agricultural Systems: Implications for Conservation Policy.
USDA Economic Research Report No. 127. Washington, D.C.: United States Department
of Agriculture, 2011.
A study of the impact of large scale use of nitrogen as an agricultural input. Finds that 2/3 of
cropland are not following “best management practices” with respect to rate, timing and
method of application. Notes that corn is the most intensive user of nitrogen fertilizer and that
fertilizer applied to corn is least likely to follow the “best management practices.” Includes
policy recommendations for encouraging farmers to improve nitrogen management.
Sebilo, Mathieu, et al. “Long-term fate of nitrate fertilizer in agricultural soils.” Proceedings of
the National Academy of Science. 110 (2013) No 45, 18185-18189.
This long-term tracer study revealed that three decades after application of isotopically labeled
fertilizer nitrate to agricultural soils in 1982, 12–15% of the fertilizer-derived nitrate was still
residing in the soil organic matter, while 8–12% of the fertilizer nitrate had already leaked
toward the groundwater. Part of the remaining fertilizer nitrate still residing in the soil is
predicted to continue to be taken up by crops and to leak toward the groundwater in the form
of nitrate for at least another five decades, much longer than previously thought.
J. Water sustainability: quality and quantity
1. General
Freshwater Society Guardianship Council. Water is Life: Protecting Critical Resource for
Future Generations. Excelsior, MN: Freshwater Society, 2008.
A good general introduction to the issues related to ground and surface waters in Minnesota
and recommendations for a sustainable approach.
Metro Watershed Partners, MS4 Toolkit. Accessed March 21, 2014 at
http://cleanwatermn.org/MS4-Toolkit.aspx
A collection of educational resources for communities subject to the Municipal Separate Sewer
System (Ms4) general permit as mandated by the Clean Water Act.
Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. “History of Water Protection.”
http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/waters/watermgmt_section/pwpermits/history.html (Accessed
October 1, 2013)
Brief history of how Minnesota has regulated water use, pollution and protection from 1897 to
the present.
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Swackhamer, Deborah. Minnesota Water Sustainability Framework. St. Paul: University of
Minnesota Water Resources Center, 2011. Accessed on April 17, 2014 at
http://wrc.umn.edu/prod/groups/cfans/@pub/@cfans/@wrc/documents/asset/cfans_asset_
292471.pdf.
Commissioned by the legislature, the University’s Water Resources Center has authored a firstever, comprehensive report designed to serve as a legislative roadmap with timelines and
benchmarks for future investments in water resources, including the estimated $86 million a
year dedicated for the protection of water as a result of Minnesota’s Clean Water, Land and
Legacy Act. For each of nine issues (including environmental, economic and social), there is an
analysis and recommendations. In the section on governance, the report recommends, among
other things, the creation of Watershed Soil and Conservation Authorities in each watershed
which would eventually replace other planning entities such as Soil and Water Conservation
Districts and watershed management organizations.
2. Groundwater
Freshwater Society. Minnesota’s Groundwater: Is our use sustainable? A Freshwater Society
Special Report. Excelsior, MN: Freshwater Society, 2013.
A follow up to the society’s Water is Life in 2008, this report maintains that current levels of
groundwater pumping are already unsustainable in some parts of the state. The society is
alarmed by the dramatic shrinkage of White Bear Lake due to increased pumping by cities near
the lake. It calls on the DNR to go beyond well-by-well approach to permitting and consider
cumulative impact. It notes that the DNR has included Rochester on its list of “groundwater
areas of concern.” The concern is whether the growing population of Rochester can find
sustainable sources of clean water during severe droughts.
Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. Evaluation of Models and Tools for Assessing
Groundwater Availability and Sustainability: Priorities for Investment. St. Paul:
Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, 2010. Accessed April 17, 2014 at
http://files.dnr.state.mn.us/publications/waters/modelsandtools.pdf.
In response to a resolution of the Minnesota Environmental Quality Board, the DNR convened a
“Groundwater Technical Workgroup.” They arrived at a consensus of recommendations for
what was needed state wide in terms of mapping, monitoring and managing groundwater
resources. The recommendations are focused on quantity rather than quality issues.
Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. Groundwater Management Program: Draft
Strategic Plan. St. Paul: Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, October 2013.
Accessed April 17, 2014 at http://files.dnr.state.mn.us/waters/gwmp/gwsp-draftplan.pdf
Although most of the state is not yet in a “crisis” mode, the DNR takes the view that increased
use of groundwater and more frequent droughts are leading to leading to conflicts, business
shutdowns, curtailment of recreational use as “water is becoming scarce in parts of Minnesota.”
This draft plan seeks public input on the DNR’s groundwater management plan.
57
Minnesota Pollution Control Agency. The Condition of Minnesota’s Ground Water, 2007-2011.
St. Paul: MPCA, 2013
This recent report found high levels of chloride in the groundwater in urban areas, especially in
the Twin Cities Metro Area, which has led the MPCA to recommend that Minnesotans cut back
greatly on the amount of salt that is used to de-ice roads and walkways.
Porcher, Eric. Groundwater Contamination Susceptibility in Minnesota. St. Paul: Minnesota
Pollution Control Agency, 1988.
Statewide study which assessed the relative susceptibility to ground water contamination using
previously published data. The study concluded that the highest susceptibility was in areas
dominated by sand and gravel aquifers (predominately central Minnesota) and in southeastern
Minnesota where karstic bedrock is near the surface.
3. Surface Water
Minnesota Pollution Control Agency. 2010 Report on the Water Quality of Minnesota Streams:
Citizen Stream Monitoring Program. St. Paul: MPCA, July 2011.
Report of citizen-collected data on transparency, water level, temperature, and precipitation at
numerous sites including many on the various forks of the Zumbro during the spring, summer
and fall of 2010.
Minnesota Pollution Control Agency webpage. “Zumbro River Watershed.” Accessed
September 13, 2013 at http://www.pca.state.mn.us/index.php/water/water-types-andprograms/watersheds/zumbro-river.html#overview.
Provides access to the MPCA’s work in studying the water quality in the Zumbro and
participating in the development of a watershed development plan.
United States Environmental Protection Agency. Watershed Assessment, Tracking &
Environmental Results System (WATERS). Assessed February 27, 2014 at
http://water.epa.gov/scitech/datait/tools/waters/index.cfm.
An excellent webpage which delivers water quality information from a variety of government
sources and packages it in various useful ways. A few example of the many tools it has: “How’s
my watershed” provides user-friendly information about requested portions of specific
watersheds. “MyWATERS mapper” displays data connected to specific locations.
Statistics. “Zumbro River at Zumbro Falls. Suspended sediment concentration. Monthly
Mean Sediment Mg/l. 1971-1975. Accessed October 1, 2013.
amp;por_05374000_5=900655,80154,5,1971-03,1975-08&start_dt=197103&end_dt=197508&partial_periods=on&format=html_table&date_format=YYYY-MMDD&rdb_compression=file&submitted_form=parameter_selection_list
58
Statistics. “Zumbro River at Zumbro Falls. Suspended sediment discharge, Monthly
Mean Tons/day. 1971-1975.” Accessed October 1, 2013.
amp;por_05374000_6=900655,80155,6,1971-03,1975-08&start_dt=197103&end_dt=197508&partial_periods=on&format=html_table&date_format=YYYY-MMDD&rdb_compression=file&submitted_form=parameter_selection_list
These two data files show a four-year data set of river sedimentation. Highest sediment loading
takes place in March-June, with relatively little sedimentation during other parts of the year.
Zumbro Watershed Partnership. Zumbro River Watershed Comprehensive Management Plan
(September 30, 2007). Accessed February 28, 2014 at
http://www.zumbrowatershed.org/Resources/Documents/zwp_managplan_final_web.pdf.
Zumbro Watershed Partnership. Zumbro Watershed Comprehensive Management Plan:
Sediment Reduction Component (August 9, 2012). Accessed March 21, 2014 at
http://www.zumbrowatershed.org/Resources/Documents/Zumbro%20W%20Plan%20Sed
iment%207_17_2012.pdf.
The ZWP’s first watershed plan was in 2007. In response to a turbidity study of the Zumbro
approved by the EPA in 2012, this second plan seeks to move in the direction of a
comprehensive watershed management plan.
K. Flooding and flood control
(Note: Flood Insurance Studies for specific towns and counties are listed in Part II under
the appropriate county.)
Catton, Theodore. Steward of Headwaters: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, St. Paul District,
1975-2000. St. Paul, MN : U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, St. Paul District, 2012.
A Corps-sponsored overview of the activities of
the St. Paul District (most of Minnesota,
western Wisconsin and eastern North Dakota).
On pages 96-101, the authors present a
description of the flood control project on the
South Fork Zumbro at Rochester from the point
of view of the Corp of Engineers. The project is
presented as “probably the best example of
citizen cooperation on a civil works project.”
They acknowledged that there were
environmental concerns about the project, but
conclude that they were largely mitigated and
that the project “was a showcase for the St.
Paul District’s competence in civil works.”
59
Druschel, Stephen J. with Sarah L. Green. Flood Mitigation Study: Zumbro River Watershed,
Minnesota, Final Report (December 31, 2013) Accessed February 27, 2014:
http://www.zumbrowatershed.org/Resources/Documents/Zumbro%20Flood%20Mitigatio
n%20Final%20Report%20123113.pdf
A study of the Zumbro River flooding of Zumbro Falls, Pine Island and elsewhere in 2010
conducted by Minnesota State University, Mankato faculty and students.
Flood of Memories, Memories of Flood. Rochester, Minn: Rochester Neighborhood Resource
Center, 2004.
A collection of photographs and personal stories about the July 1978 flood in the city of
Rochester. Concludes with a brief essay by Gary Neuman, Assistant City Administrator,
explaining how the city, the county and the Corps of Engineers responded with a $97 million
flood control project.
Kuehnast, Earl L. Donald G. Baker, James A. Zandlo. Sixteen Year Study of Minnesota Flash
Floods. St. Paul, Minn.: Minnesota Dept. of Natural Resources, Division of Waters, State
Climatology and University of Minnesota, Soil Science Dept., 1988.
Provides climatological data and facts on 57 flash floods between 1970 and 1985, including the
two flash floods which struck Olmsted County in 1978. A flash flood is defined as 6 inches or
more of rain in a 24 hour period.
National Weather Service, La Crosse, WI Weather Forecast Office. “Major Historical Floods
and Flash Floods in the La Crosse (ARX) Hydrologic Service Area.” Accessed October
1, 2013 at http://www.crh.noaa.gov/arx/?n=historicalfloods.
Historical information about flooding events in Southeastern Minnesota from the 1850s to
today based on local newspaper accounts. Generally tends to show that the frequncy and size
of flood events have increased since 1940. There are several factors that could explain this
increase in flood events and volumes, including improved artificial drainage systems on farms
and cities, changing farm land use to water-draining row crops, increasing rainfall due to climate
changes), and increased impervious surfaces.
Photographic Collection, Research Center, History Center of Olmsted County, Rochester, MN.
1. Flooding: The History Center hold extensive
photographs of Zumbro River flooding in
Rochester including the floods of 1908, 1925,
1951, 1965 and 1978. A portfolio of the
1978 flood done by the Corps of Engineers
includes aerial shots.
2. Flood control: The History Center hold
several sets of photographs documenting the
construction of the Zumbro River flood
control project in Rochester.
60
Raging Waters: The Flood of 1978-- and How It Changed Rochester, A Post Bulletin Special
Report, Rochester Post-Bulletin, Vol 73, no 160 (July 8, 1998).
A newspaper looks back on its reporting of the great Rochester flood.
Weiss, John. “Taming the Zumbro: the Rochester Flood Control Project.” Rochester Post
Bulletin, September 14, 1995, pp 1B, 5B, 6B.
A series of articles by the veteran local journalist summing up the reasons for and the results of
the flood control project on the occasion of its completion in 1995. He followed this up with a
commentary piece in which he wrote that the Zumbro River within Rochester was no longer a
river but rather an “attractive flood control canal with an excellent recreation trail.” September
15, 1995, p. 6D.
L. The built environment along the river
1. Urban development/infrastructure including storm water and wastewater
management
Holst, James Edward. Studies on the Rochester Sewage Disposal Plant and the Zumbro River.
Masters of Science Thesis. University of Minnesota, 1929.
A detailed analysis of the effectiveness of the sewage disposal plant which Rochester built in
1926. The author found that although the general condition of the river was good, the sewage
plant effluent placed an appreciable load on the oxygen resources of the river. He noted that
Rochester’s population was around 20,000 at that time, and expected to double, and that this
would lead to trouble in dry years because the limited volume of water in the river
Kroska, Nicholas. Serving the Community: The History of Rochester Public Utilities. Rochester,
Minn.: Rochester Public Utilities, 1988.
Useful for background on two major infrastructure projects on the Zumbro owned by the city of
Rochester: the 1919 hydroelectric plant at Lake Zumbro and the Silver Lake Plant, which
depended for cooling purposes on a dam created on the Zumbro for recreational purposes in
1937.
Minnesota Center for Environmental Advocacy. Audit of Minnesota Wastewater Permits. St.
Paul: Minnesota Center for Environmental Advocacy, 2010. Accessed January 28, 2014
at http://www.mncenter.org/Portals/0/6%20%20publications/research%20reports/Wastewater%20Permit%20Audits.pdf.
This report audits effluent discharge and reporting between 2005 and 2009 of municipal and
industrial facilities permitted by the MPCA under the Clean Water Act. The focus was on
discharge into lakes, streams and wetlands. The report finds major violations of permit
requirements, serious reporting violations, and enforcement efforts against only 11% of
violations.
61
Rochester, Minn. Sewage Treatment Plant. Rochester, 1952. Available at Research Center,
History Center of Olmsted County, Rochester, MN
For decades the city emptied its raw sewage directly into the Zumbro. When downstream
farmers complained, the city installed a pioneering sewage treatment plant in 1926. This
booklet commemorates that history and celebrates the opening of a new sewage plant in 1952.
2. Dams and mills
Hess, Jeffrey. “Lake Zumbro Hydroelectric Generating Plant.” National Register of Historic
Places Registration Form, United States Department of the Interior, National Park
Service, October 1989. Available at the Minnesota Historical Society’s National Register
Database (http://nrhp.mnhs.org/)
Rochester completed the 900 ft long hydroelectric
dam on the Zumbro in 1919. Located in Wabasha
County about 15 miles downstream from the city,
the dam created Lake Zumbro. The structure,
shown here under construction in 1918, was added
to the National Register in 1991 for its significance
in the history of engineering. It was designed by
Hugh Lincoln Cooper, an internationally known
designer of hydroelectric dams who got his start in
Rochester as an apprentice to bridge designer
Horace Horton.
Frame, Robert M., and Historical Society Minnesota. Millers to the World: Minnesota’s
Nineteenth Century Water Power Flour Mills. St. Paul: Minnesota Historical Society,
Division of Field Services, Historic Sites, and Archeology, 1977.
Provides a brief history of water-powered flour mills in Minnesota with an emphasis on
describing the mills still standing in 1976 which included only 24 of the more than 1000 built in
nineteenth century. There were no extant mills in the Zumbro watershed, but for a time the
Rochester mill built by Frederick Olds in 1856 was the state's largest. It was razed in 1953 (p. 21)
Photographic Collection, Research Center, History Center of Olmsted Count, Rochester, MN
The History Center holds several collections of photographs documenting the construction of
the Lake Zumbro Hydroelectric Generating Plant in 1919 and 1920.
Zumbro River Power Development General Plan. January 31, 1917. Hugh Cooper & Co., St.
Paul, MN. Ten blueprints, Research Center, History Center for Olmsted County,
Rochester, MN.
A collection of oversized blueprints from the original drawings for the Lake Zumbro
Hydroelectric Plant. One lists the land owners and their holdings, including who lost property to
the project. There is a map of the original river with the future lake superimposed over it. Also
architectural drawings of the dam and plant.
62
3. Highways, roads, and bridges
Anderson, David. “Walnut Street Bridge.” National Register of Historic Places Registration
Form. United States Department of the Interior, National Park Service, 2002. Available
at the Minnesota Historical Society’s National Register Database (http://nrhp.mnhs.org/)
In 1904, the city of Mazeppa built this steel Pratt through
truss bridge over the Zumbro on Walnut Street to replace
an existing but condemned bridge. It was Mazeppa’s the
only bridge across the river until 1922, when the state
built a bridge at Maple Street to carry Highway 60 over
the river. In 1980, the Walnut Street bridge was
restricted to pedestrian traffic and in 1995 it was closed
to all traffic. In 2002 it was rehabilitated, and now serves
as a pedestrian walkway to a park on the east side of the
river (the north fork of the Zumbro runs south through
town.) The bridge and park provide scenic view of the
river and its steep banks.
Frame, Robert. “Frank’s Ford Bridge.” National Register of Historic Places Nomination Form,
United States Department of the Interior, National Park Service, 1980. Available at the
Minnesota Historical Society’s National Register Database (http://nrhp.mnhs.org/).
.
This 1895 through truss metal bridge designed by Horace E. Horton carried vehicles on Olmsted
County Road 125 across the south fork of the Zumbro in Oronoco Township for many years. It
has survived many floods, including 2010, but now carries only pedestrians.
Gardner, Denis. Wood, Concrete, Stone, and Steel: Minnesota’s Historic Bridges. Minneapolis:
This comprehensive review of historic bridges in Minnesota documents extant historic bridges
over the Zumbro, including three in Wabasha County, three in Olmsted County, and the 1869
bridge at Zumbrota in Goodhue County, which is the only remaining covered bridge in
Minnesota (see below).
Katz, Joel. From Footpaths to Freeways: A Survey of Roads and Highways in Minnesota. St.
Paul: Minnesota Department of Transportation, 2009.
Illustrated with a wealth of historic photographs, this history of the Minnesota road system,
including the Interstate system in Minnesota, was commissioned by the Department of
Transportation. Katz writes in detail about the upgrade of the Highway 52 freeway through
Rochester that was completed in 2005. The project provided three lanes of traffic each way, 26
new bridges, one new interchange, major retaining walls, a huge rock excavation, new and
rebuilt frontage roads, and major landscaping. It was the largest highway project in the state at
the time and cost the $240 million.
63
Nystuen, David W. “Zumbrota Covered Bridge.” National Register of Historic Places
Nomination Form, United States Department of the Interior, National Park Service, 1975.
Available at the Minnesota Historical Society’s National Register Database
(http://nrhp.mnhs.org/).
Built over the Zumbro in 1869, Minnesota’s last
covered bridge, shown here, carried Highway 58
traffic until 1932 when the highway department
built a new bridge. It was then moved to the
county fairgrounds, and in 1970 moved to a new
Zumbrota city park on the Zumbro. In 1990 it
was reestablished as a working bridge, although
only for pedestrians, over the Zumbro in this city
park, 250 feet from its original location. The
online file here contains also Thomas Zane’s 1990
report on the final relocation.
M. Recreational use
Billig, Jim. Ed. Southern Minnesota All-outdoors Atlas. Superior, WI: Sportsman’s Connection,
2007.
A detailed atlas of southern Minnesota based on quadrangle maps (about 24 by 24 miles) which
are keyed to recreational activities including fishing, hunting, camping, canoeing, hiking, biking,
skiing, and wildlife viewing. Areas of the Zumbro appropriate for canoeing are highlighted.
Breining, Greg. Paddling Minnesota. A Falcon Guide. Helena, Montana: Falcon, 1999.
A comprehensive although now dated guide to paddling throughout the state, it includes
information and maps on all three forks and the main stem. Published in 1999 with the support
of the Department of Natural Resources, it was the “official guide” in its time.
Diebel, Lynne Smith. Paddling Southern Minnesota: 85 Great Trips by Canoe and Kayak. Trails
Books Guide. Madison, WI: Trails Books, 2007.
The most recent guide as of this writing, it has excellent maps and information on six canoe trips
on the Zumbro. Although it includes routes on the North Fork and the Middle Fork, it does not
provide any information on the South Fork upstream of Lake Zumbro.
Humphrey, Jim and Bill Shogren. Trout Streams of Wisconsin and Minnesota” A fly-angler’s
guide to more than 150 rivers and streams. 2nd Ed. Woodstock, VT: Backcountry
Guides, 2001.
Covers trout fishing in Zumbro watershed streams including West Indian Creek, Middle Creek,
Long Creek, Mazeppa Creek and Cold Spring Brook.
64
Johnson, Mickey O. Fly fisher’s Guide to Minnesota. Belgrade, MN: Wilderness Adventure
Press, 2001.
A guide to fishing for all kinds of fish. In the Zumbro watershed, covers the well-known trout
streams but also the Zumbro itself.
Lind, David J. Canoeing the Driftless: a Paddlers Guide for Southeastern Minnesota.
Bloomington, Minn.: First Books, 2004.
Because this paddler's guide concentrates on southeastern Minnesota, it has detailed
information on canoeing the Zumbro, not only the well-traveled routes below Lake Zumbro, but
also less travelled routes on the North, Middle, and South forks, as of the date of publication.
Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, “Zumbro River: A State Water Trail Guide.”
(2012)
Handy map of the Zumbro and Whitewater areas
with information on plants and wildlife as well as
route description of each fork of the Zumbro.
Available free from the DNR Information Center
(www.mndnr.gov). Shown here is the boat landing
and outfitter at Zumbro Falls.
Waters, Thomas F. The Rivers of Minnesota: Recreation, Conservation. 1st ed. St. Paul, Minn:
Riparian Press, 2010.
In this review of recreational opportunities on Minnesota's rivers, Waters states that "the
Zumbro River has a reputation of having the most spectacular scenery in the Driftless Area." He
notes the complexity of the watershed and highlights the best places for fishing and canoeing.
N. The Zumbro Watershed in the arts and humanities
Marvin, Marie, Editor. It's all One Water: Reflections on Water in Poetry, Prose, and
Photography. Zumbrota, MN: Crossings at Carnegie, 2012.
A collaboration between Crossings at Carnegie (shown
here) and the Zumbro Watershed Partnership, this is a
collection of poetry and short essays paired with
photography which explores water and watersheds
from the standpoint of the arts and humanities.
Features the work of 53 writers and photographers,
many from in and around the Zumbro River Waters
65
Slossen, Lucy. “The Zumbro.” In Zumbrota: the First 100 Years, edited by the Zumbro Valley
Historical Society, 42. Zumbrota, Mn: Zumbro Valley Historical Society, 1956.
In 1906, a resident of Zumbrota composed a poem in celebration of the fifty year anniversary of
the arrival of her pioneer ancestors on the Zumbro to establish a new community in 1856.
Excerpts are reprinted on the next page.
Watkins, Justin and Mike Schad, Poet Artist Collaboration: “Li Bai at the South Fork.” Crossing
at Carnegie, Zumbrota. May 2013. Accessed April 7, 2014 at
http://www.crossingsatcarnegie.com/page0002.html.
Rochester-based fisherman/poet Justin Watkins, who fishes the cold water streams in the
watershed, collaborated with painter Mike Schad to both depict a fishing scene on the Zumbro
as it might have been experienced by an ancient Chinese poet.
.
66
The Zumbro (excerpts)
By Lucy Slossen
They sing of the Swanee River
Of the Mohawk, and Wabash too;
But dearer than all is the Zumbro
With its waters of turquoise blue.
They suffered the winter hardships,
As only first settlers do,
But were loyal to each other,
And proved themselves true blue.
It goes laughing down the valley
As if in a beautiful dream;
Sometimes it seems in a hurry
To reach the larger stream.
And now in the fertile valley
Along the Zumbro’s banks
To the early settlers the people
Today give heartfelt thanks.
Its banks are green and fertile
Shaded by beautiful trees
And you hear the sound of wild birds
Wafted on every breeze.
They have built another city
Just over the bridge, you know,
Where rest the forms of many
We loved long years ago.
Twas in ’56 some families
Wended from the east their way,
To the banks of the Dear old Zumbro
And decided there to stay.
And when we cross Death’s river,
Just over the bridge, you know
Let us hope our rest may be peaceful
Near the banks of old Zumbro.
(Written in 1906 to commemorate the 50 year anniversary of the founding of Zumbrota, MN )
The Zumbro from a window of the covered bridge at Zumbrota
67
Appendix A: For Further Research
I.
Historical Societies with research facilities in the watershed
Dodge County Historical Society
PO Box 456
Museum: 615 North Main Street
Mantorville, MN 55955
507-635-5508
www.dodgecountyhistorical.org
Zumbrota Area Historical Society
55 East 3rd Street
Zumbrota, MN 55992
Hours: 10 am to 1 pm Saturdays
www.zumbrotahistoricalsociety.org
Goodhue County Historical Society
1166 Oak Street
Red Wing, MN 55066
651-388-6024
http://goodhuecountyhistory.org/
Rice County Historical Society
1814 2nd Avenue NW (Museum)
Faribault, MN 55021
507-332-2121
www.rchistory.org
Olmsted County Historical Society
History Center of Olmsted County
1195 West Circle Drive SW
Rochester, MN 55902
507-282-9447
www.olmstedhistory.com
Steele County Historical Society
1700 Austin Road
Owatonna, MN 55060
507-451-1420
http://www.steelecohistoricalsociety.org/
Pine Island Area Historical Society
314 North Main (museum)
PO Box 165
Pine Island, MN 55963
218-356-4168
www.pineislandhistory.org/home
II.
Wabasha County Historical Society
PO Box 255
Lake City, MN 55041
651-343-7072
(Museum at 70537 206th Avenue
Reads Landing, MN 55968)
www.wabashacountyhistory.org.
Regional and on-line libraries serving the watershed
Buckham Memorial Library
11 Division Street East
Faribault, MN 55021
http://www.faribault.org/library/
Dodge Center Public Library
13 First Avenue NW
Dodge Center, MN 55927
507-374-2275
http://www.ci.dodgecenter.mn.us/
Electronic Library for Minnesota
http://www.elm4you.org/
Fitzgerald Library
Saint Mary's University of MN
700 Terrace Heights
Winona, MN
507-457-1561
www2.smumn.edu/deptpages/winlibrary/
Kasson Public Library
(Serving the Kasson-Mantorville area)
16 1st Avenue NW
Kasson, MN 55944
507-634-7615
http://www.kasson.lib.mn.us/
Kenyon Public Library
709 2nd Street
Kenyon, MN 55946
5-7-789-6821
http://kenyon.lib.mn.us/
Maxwell Library
Winona State University
175 W. Mark Street
Winona, MN 55987
507-457-5140
https://www.winona.edu/library/
Minnesota Historical Society
345 Kellogg Blvd West
St. Paul, MN 55102
651-259-3300
http://www.mnhs.org/
Minnesota Reflections
Project of the Minnesota Digital Library
(Photos, maps, documents available on line)
http://reflections.mndigital.org/cdm/
Owatonna Public Library
105 North Elm Avenue
Owatonna, MN 55060
507-444-2460
http://ci.owatonna.mn.us/library
Red Wing Public Library
225 East Avenue
Red Wing, MN 55066
651-328-2300
http://redwing.lib.mn.us/
Rochester Public Library
101 2nd Street SE
Rochester, MN 55904
507-328-2300
http://www.rochesterpubliclibrary.org/
Van Horn Public Library
115 3rd Street
Pine Island, MN 55963
507-356-8558
http://pineisland.lib.mn.us/
Wabasha Public Library
168 Allegheny Avenue
Wabasha, MN 55981
651-565-3927
http://wabasha.lib.mn.us/about/
Zumbrota Public Library
100 West Avenue
Zumbrota, MN 55992
507-732-5211
http://www.zumbrota.inf
III.
Environmental Learning Centers
The Bell Museum of Natural History
University of Minnesota
10 Church Street SE
(University at 17th Ave SE)
Minneapolis, MN 55455
(612) 626-9660
http://www.bellmuseum.umn.edu/index.htm
(Including “The Watershed Game” online)
Cascade Meadow Wetlands
and Environmental Science Center
2900 19th Street NW
Rochester, MN 55901
(507) 252-8133
http://www.cascademeadow.org/
National Eagle Center
50 Pembroke Ave
Wabasha, MN 55981
(651) 565-4989
(877)-332-4537
http://www.nationaleaglecenter.org/
Quarry Hill Nature Center
701 Silver Creek Road
Rochester, MN 55906
507-328-3950 |
http://www.qhnc.org/index.html
River Bend Nature Center
PO Box 186,
1000 Rustad Rd,
Faribault, MN 55021-0186
(507) 332-7151
http://www.rbnc.org.
Cascade Meadow
Environmental
Science Center
Appendix B: Oral History Interviews
The 10 hours of Zumbro Watershed Oral History Interviews collected for this project are
available as M4V (MPEG_4) video files for viewing in the History Center of Olmsted County
Archives (www.olmstedhistory.com) and at the office of the Zumbro Watershed Partnership
(www.zumbrowatershed.org). A copy of signed Zumbro Watershed Oral History Interview
Agreements appears on Disk 5.
Disk 1
Janice Domke (41 minutes)
Domke is a member of the Hammond City Council. She explains how the Zumbro River has
impacted her city through history and how the historic 2010 Flood almost destroyed the
community.
Sue Kruger (32 minutes)
Kruger is a retired farmer, a business owner, a rural landowner, and homeowner on Lake
Zumbro. She explains how land use affects the river and how landowners can work for cleaner
water and fewer floods.
Larry Liffrig (37 minutes)
Liffrig grew up in the Mazeppa/Rochester area and has lived there his whole life. His grandfather
managed the Lake Zumbro Dam. He gives a 50-year perspective on the river and the watershed.
Disk 2
Tim Buri (23 minutes)
Buri has worked at Oxbow Park near Byron, Minnesota since the 1980s. He tells how 1980-era
Conservation Reserve landscapes seemed to soak up rainfall and how recent and historic
flooding in the park correlates with the change of land from grasslands and pasture to watershedding row crops like corn and soybeans.
Bill Plantan (42 minutes)
Plantan is a canoe-builder and fishing guide on the Zumbro River. His property borders the
South Fork Zumbro River near Rochester, Minnesota. He describes how he has seen the river
change through the flood mitigation project in Rochester and how the fishing has changed over
time.
Rod Sommerfield (1 hour 40 minutes)
Sommerfield farms corn and soybeans near Mazeppa, Minnesota. He uses low-till and no-till
practices to build healthier soils and to absorb and capture more rainfall. He tells a story about
how most of the 13 inch rain that fell on his farm in September 2010 (causing the devastating
2010 Zumbro River Flood) soaked into his healthy soil.
Disk 3
George Poch (1 hour 4 minutes)
Poch had a long career working in conservation agencies in the Zumbro Watershed. He describes
the land use changes over the past 60 years as pasture and hayfields have been replaced with row
crops like corn and soybeans. This seems to have increased erosion, river sedimentation, and
high water and flooding events.
Randy Domke (28 minutes)
Randy Domke is the owner of the Hammond Bar and a longtime resident of Hammond. He
explains how human behavior has affected the river and how the historic 2010 Zumbro River
Flood affected Hammond.
Tom Gosse (1 hour 8 minutes)
Gosse spent most of his career working for the Wabasha County Soil and Water Conservation
District on the eastern end of the Zumbro Watershed. In retirement he raises walnut trees on the
floodplain of the Zumbro River farming “other people’s (river-deposited) soil.” He describes the
changes in land use that he has witnessed over 40 years and describes how federal farm polices
encourage aggressive farm practices that lead to erosion and river pollution.
Disk 4
Bill Beckman (1 hour 9 minutes)
Beckman lives next to the North Fork Zumbro River just upstream of Mazeppa. As an
agronomist, he helps farmers grow healthier soil and more profitable crops. He explains how he
has convinced farmers to adopt new farming practices and how some new (or very old) farming
practices could lead to cleaner water and fewer floods in the Zumbro Watershed.
Vernetta Pahl (1 hour)
Pahl is a retired farmer and resident of Pine Island, Minnesota. She grew up in the watershed and
shares 80 years of history, including the 2010 Zumbro River Flood in Pine Island.
Disk 5
Gary Neumann (1 hour)
Neumann is the Assistant City Administrator in Rochester and was instrumental in that city’s
Flood Prevention Projects in the 1980s and 1990s. He describes the process for planning, getting
funding, and installing the projects. He tells how 1978 flood spurred government action and how
the Rochester projects affect water flow in the rest of the watershed.
Scans of signed Zumbro Watershed Oral History Interview Agreements

Zumbro Watershed History Bibliography

Transcription

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