Stream hydrology
The Anoka Conservation District conducts stream hydrology monitoring on streams, rivers, and a few ditches throughout the county. Hydrology is the study of water quantity and movements. Records of the quantity of water flowing in a stream helps engineers and natural resource managers better understand the effects of rain events, land development and storm water management. The data is used for tracking and predicting flooding, engineering solutions to flooding problems, calculating pollutant loadings in streams, and computer modeling.
Most of our stream hydrology monitoring is done with electronic devices that record water levels every four hours, and are periodically downloaded. We use the WL, Ecotone, and WM series of devices from Remote Data Systems, Inc. We install the gauges at ice-out in spring, and only pull them out of the stream when ice formation threatens to freeze them into the streams in the fall. Each year we survey the gauges so the readings correspond to sea level elevations. At some sites, we have determined rating curves (mathematical relationship between the water level and flow), which allows us to estimate flow from the water level data.
Streams monitored by the Anoka Conservation District, and the funding agencies include:
| Stream | Location | Funding Source | Rating Curve |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ditch 58 | Andover Blvd, Andover | Coon Creek Watershed District | |
| Sand Creek | Xeon St , Coon Rapids | Coon Creek Watershed District | |
| Trott Brook | Hwy 5, Ramsey | Anoka Conservation District | |
| Ford Brook | Hwy 63, Ramsey | Anoka Conservation District | |
| Coon Creek | Coon Creek Hollow, Coon Rapids | Coon Creek Watershed District | X |
| Rum River | Anoka Dam, Anoka | Metropolitan Council | X |
| Data Creek | Typo Creek Dr, Isanti County | Sunrise River Watershed Mgmt Org | X |
| Typo Creek | Typo Creek Dr, Linwood | Sunrise River Watershed Mgmt Org | X |
| Ditch 20 | West of Typo Creek Drive, Isanti County | Sunrise River Watershed Mgmt Org | x |
| Ditch 13 | Hwy 20, Isanti County | Sunrise River Watershed Mgmt Org | x |
| Cedar Creek | Hwy 9, Oak Grove | Anoka Conservation District | |
| Pleasure Creek | 86th Ave. NW, Coon Rapids | Six Cities Watershed Mgmt Org | |
| Seelye Brook | Hwy 7, Oak Grove | Anoka Conservation District |
To view or download raw data about a particular stream from this website, use our Data Access tool. To read the latest narrative summary for a particular stream, go to AnokaNaturalResources.com and use the links in the Streams and Rivers Directory.
Related Information on ANR.com: Streams
ACD Contact : Jamie Schurbon 763/434-2030 ext. 12
Links: Stream Hydrology Monitoring Methods
USGS - Rum River Real-Time Hydrology
USGS - Mississippi River Real-Time Hydrology