Minnesota's Watercourse Morphology Dataset

stream cutting through greenery

A professional crowdsourced dataset, this Watercourse Morphology Dataset provides field-based evidence, and byproducts of, Minnesota’s public watercourses.  It serves Minnesota water resource professionals to improve decisions and management strategies of Minnesota’s public watercourses by:

  • Providing a history of public watercourse activities
  • Providing basic watercourse morphology information with supporting field-based evidence
  • Implementing adaptive management strategies into water resource management
  • Implementing natural systems management strategies into water resource management
  • Improving public watercourse infrastructure
  • Fostering transparency, professional growth and professional collaboration
Users of this application access and share information related to watercourse form and/or watercourse composition. To submit or access  watercourse data follow guidelines in Dataset application section. 

Common watercourse data submittals include:

  • Form Data
    • All cross sections and profiles
    • Geomorphic surveys
    • Restoration construction plans
    • Hydrologic studies containing field surveyed information
  • Composition Data
    • Particle size distributions
    • Descriptive bed, bank and floodplain information
    • Quantified sediment data
  • Combination Data
    • dated descriptive information about watercourse
    • Photos of channel (bed, bank) or floodplain
One primary objective is to educate Minnesota’s water resource professionals on past management decisions and improve future decisions. This may require contributors to dig through past files and share watercourse information.

As Dataset grows, improved tools and resources will be available in the Tools & Resources section. All User contributed tools are available in Tools & Resources - User contributed section.

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Dataset application
Minnesota’s Channel Morphology Dataset application provides login access to all contributed watercourse field data. As contributions increase, the dataset will grow. The information is limited to form and/or composition field based information. Each data submittal requires a field collection date and a location within Minnesota.

  • Form: cross sections, profiles, restorations, photos, etc.  Information that describes the watercourse form (i.e., shape) at a point in history
  • Composition: pebble counts, sieve samples, quantifiable estimates, photos, etc. Information that helps professionals understand the watercourse composition at a point in time.

There are two methods to contribute watercourse information:

  1. Through the application: users will submit, review and download all field information through the application.
  2. Email: [email protected]

How to contribute data via email

All contributed watercourse information must include a date of field data collection and the location (UTM) of information.  Return a completed Watercourse Information Submittal form below with information to email address.

Watercourse Information Submittal Form

Tools and Resources
Ecological and Water Resources – River Ecology Unit schedules weekly development meetings. All meetings are open meetings, if you would like to attend, please email [email protected] for details.

Research and Technical Assistance
Ecological and Water Resources – River Ecology Unit schedules open weekly development meetings. If you would like to attend, please email [email protected] for details.

Join our weekly Team planning meetings, Monday's 10:00.am. - 11:00.a.m.

Questions, Comments and Feedback

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