Two ecoregions comprise the watershed. The Red River Valley ecoregion makes up the western half of the watershed, while the North Central Hardwood Forests ecoregion occupies the eastern half of the watershed. Primarily to accommodate agriculture, much of the mouth of the watershed has been extensively drained. Ground water is not plentiful in the watershed. Recharge and discharge occurs in the moraine and beach ridge area in the upper reaches of the watershed.
Ground water is moderate to high in hardness, but generally suitable for most uses.
About 469 acre-feet per year of ground water is pumped for public and industrial uses. The following charts show the assessments of water quality of streams in the watershed. Water management in the watershed is overseen by the Sand Hill River Watershed District. For more information about Minnesota, visit the Northstar Web site.