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Hi3 Water

Minnesota Water Assets

Upper Midwest

The Land of 10,000 Lakes has abundant surface water plus productive Prairie du Chien-Jordan aquifer system and glacial drift aquifers.

Regulated Riparian87 counties tracked2158 active alerts
217,414
Total Assets
48.7
Avg WIS
45,408
Verified
1
High WIS (75+)

Minnesota Water Intelligence Report

Hi3 Water tracks 217,414 water assets across Minnesota, spanning 87 counties and 7 distinct asset types. The average Water Intelligence Score (WIS) across Minnesota is 48.7/100, with 1 assets scoring in the high-value range (75+). Minnesota operates under Regulated Riparian water law, which directly affects water rights acquisition and asset valuation in this state.

The dominant water asset type in Minnesota is Well (171,944 assets, avg WIS 44.8). The highest concentration is in Hennepin County with 10,730 tracked assets.

2,158 active regulatory alerts are currently tracked in Minnesota, including EPA violations, drought declarations, and state water board enforcement actions. Always check the regulatory intelligence for any asset before making acquisition decisions.

Data sources: USGS Water Data, EPA ECHO, state water boards, and verified field reports. Water Intelligence Scores are computed across flow rate, geological stability, legal accessibility, sustainability, and rarity. Report last updated: June 29, 2026.

Asset Types in Minnesota

Well
171,944
Avg WIS 44.8
River
42,527
Avg WIS 64.5
Lake
1,754
Avg WIS 42.0
Reservoir
1,125
Avg WIS 57.4
Spring
62
Avg WIS 41.0
Aquifer
1
Avg WIS 69.0
Fossil Water
1
Avg WIS 84.0

Intelligence Grade Distribution

How Minnesota assets are graded

S (≥90) — Exceptional0 (0.0%)
A (75-89) — Excellent1 (0.0%)
B (55-74) — Good43,058 (19.8%)
C (35-54) — Fair174,355 (80.2%)
D (<35) — Limited0 (0.0%)

Regulatory Alerts

Drought, EPA violations, and enforcement actions affecting Minnesota

74
critical
36
high
2026
medium
22
low
0
info
DES MOINES RIVER ABOVE WINDOM, MN — Gage Height 11.1 ft
usgs_flood · flood_warning
MISSISSIPPI RIVER AT BROWNSVILLE, MN — Gage Height 31.4 ft
usgs_flood · flood_warning
MUD LAKE NORTH OF 670TH STREET NEAR WHEATON, MN — Gage Height 73.0 ft
usgs_flood · flood_warning

Top Counties in Minnesota

Hennepin
10,730 assetsWIS 45
Anoka
9,852 assetsWIS 45
Stearns
6,967 assetsWIS 44
Washington
6,354 assetsWIS 43
Dakota
4,443 assetsWIS 43
Sherburne
4,022 assetsWIS 45
St. Louis
3,726 assetsWIS 40
Wright
3,597 assetsWIS 43
Otter Tail
3,515 assetsWIS 43
Nobles
3,506 assetsWIS 40
Ramsey
3,109 assetsWIS 44
Kandiyohi
2,766 assetsWIS 41

Aquifer Type Mix

confined
27,089
Avg WIS 51
unconfined
9,620
Avg WIS 43
fossil
1
Avg WIS 84

Top 10 Water Assets in Minnesota

Ranked by Water Intelligence Score — Minnesota's highest-scoring springs, wells, and aquifers.

View all on map
  1. 1

    Jordan Sandstone Deep Fossil Aquifer — Twin Cities Basin

    Fossil Water
    Hennepin County·500 GPM
    84
    WIS
  2. 2

    Glacial Aquifer System — Central Minnesota

    Aquifer
    Stearns County·800 GPM
    69
    WIS
  3. 3

    Erie Basin 1

    Reservoir
    ·44,883 GPM
    67
    WIS
  4. 4

    Erie Basin 2

    Reservoir
    ·30,072 GPM
    67
    WIS
  5. 5

    Polymet-Ltv

    Reservoir
    ·22,442 GPM
    66
    WIS
  6. 6

    Lake John

    Reservoir
    ·1,436,259 GPM
    66
    WIS
  7. 7

    Bullard Creek No. 6

    Reservoir
    ·192,997 GPM
    66
    WIS
  8. 8

    Belle Creek S-3

    Reservoir
    ·538,597 GPM
    66
    WIS
  9. 9

    Elim Creek

    Reservoir
    ·44,883 GPM
    66
    WIS
  10. 10

    Pleasant Valley No. 1

    Reservoir
    ·504,037 GPM
    66
    WIS
Avg Flow Rate
139,235 GPM
Avg Depth
172 ft
For Sale
0
Fossil Water
1

Explore Minnesota on the Interactive Map

View all 217,414 water assets, aquifer boundaries, water rights data, and regulatory alerts for Minnesota.

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