The author wishes to thank those organizations and agencies which provided funding that made the various projects described here possible. TU was especially generous in making possible the hiring of an undergraduate assistant over a two year period. Please send questions and suggestions to Clarke Garry . The 23-mile long Kinnickinnic River begins in St. Croix County in western Wisconsin, flows 15 miles southwest to the City of River Falls in Pierce County, and continues westerly another 8 miles before emptying into the St. Croix River, the western geographic boundary of Wisconsin. The Kinnickinnic River can be conveniently divided into two major sections, the Upper Kinni and the Lower Kinni, with the division between the two being the City of River Falls.
Several tributaries enter the mainstem, especially from the south and east.
These are Rocky Branch, the South Fork of the Kinnickinnic, and Ted, Nye, Kelly, and Parker Creeks. The City of River Falls is expected to grow rapidly. Uncontrolled development with its traditional disregard for the importance of impervious structures impacts temperature, sediment, and pollution. Current agricultural practices contribute unfavorably to the quality of the river as demonstrated by the manure runoff event that occurred in May of 1998 on Parker Creek, a major headland tributary. With the potential impacts of development and agriculture on the watershed it is important to build a strong understanding of the physical and biotic nature of this stream for future reference.