Project Site
Rochester is located in Central Olmsted County, in Southeastern Minnesota. It resides 80 miles south of the Twin Cities metropolitan area, along the Interstate 90 corridor. Rochester is the third largest city in the state. It occupies 40 square miles of area and has a total population density of 2,170 people per square mile. A majority of the economy is supported by educational, health, and social service jobs. Employment among retail, manufacturing, construction, and professional administrative work are also common.
Hadley Valley Watershed is selected because it falls within Rochester’s urban growth area and occupies land inside the city limits (Figure 1). It is northeast of the city, and contains 312 acres that empty into the Zumbro River. The eastern portion of this watershed is flat and comprised mostly of cropland and pastures
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managed by single family, rural, residential farmsteads. Steep, forested slopes make a horseshoe shape following the northern and southern fringes and meet in the center. The flat western edge moves into the city where impervious land use increases (Figure 2).