Red Lake Watershed District

What Red Lake Watershed District does

The Red Lake Watershed District (RLWD) is a special-purpose unit of government and political subdivision of the State of Minnesota that manages water resources across approximately 1,929 square miles in northwestern Minnesota. Its jurisdiction encompasses all of Red Lake County, most of Pennington County, and parts of Marshall, Polk, Clearwater, and Beltrami Counties, covering subwatersheds that include the Clearwater River, Thief River, Red Lake River, Upper and Lower Red Lakes, and Grand Marais Creek. The district serves residents, landowners, local government entities, and agricultural landowners through flood control infrastructure, water quality monitoring, permit processing, drainage management, and watershed planning, with the City of Thief River Falls as a named municipal partner.

RLWD operates a portfolio of water management assets including 13 major impoundment and dam projects (Brandt, Euclid East, Parnell, Good Lake, Moose River, Black River, Schirrick Dam, Pine Lake Outlet, Lost River, Elm Lake-Farms Pool, Louisville-Parnell, Tiedemann Site, and North Parnell Site 2/Gasper Site), drainage structures, hydrodynamic separators, sand filter systems, and gated outlet works with emergency spillways. Recent flagship initiatives include the Chief's Coulee Stormwater Project (hydrodynamic separators, underground piping, 970-foot grassed waterway), the Mud River Enhancement Project in Marshall County, and the Turtle, Connection and Cross Lake Project. The district runs a Water Quality Program recognized as a regional and statewide leader in establishing quality control standards for sample collection and analysis, and operates interactive ArcGIS-based mapping tools in collaboration with Houston Engineering.

RLWD is funded through property tax levies within its jurisdiction, state grants (notably from the Minnesota Board of Water and Soil Resources via Clean Water Fund Grants and the BWSR Flood Storage Easement Pilot), federal sources, and project-specific grants from the Red River Watershed Management Board and Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. The organization does not charge for core regulatory services; project costs are typically shared among the district, local municipalities (e.g., City of Thief River Falls contributed $800,000 to the $2.3 million Chief's Coulee project), and state/federal agencies. RLWD is governed by a 7-member Board of Managers (one per constituent county) and operates with a staff of 8 led by Administrator Tammy Audette.

Name

Red Lake Watershed District

Legal name

Red Lake Watershed District

Website

https://redlakewatershed.org

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Red Lake Watershed District is a Minnesota special-purpose government entity that manages flood control, water quality monitoring, and watershed planning across approximately 1,929 square miles in northwestern Minnesota, serving residents, landowners, and municipalities including the City of Thief River Falls.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Watershed Management

NAICS

Administration of Air and Water Resource and Solid Waste Management Programs (92411)

SIC

Electric, Gas & Sanitary Services (4900)

akta.pro primary industry

Water Resources Administration (Watersheds, Rivers, Groundwater) (BPAIAMAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Stormwater Collection & Conveyance (Inlets, Catch Basins, Pipes, Channels) (EUANAEAA), Detention, Retention & Storage Systems (Ponds, Tanks, Vaults) (EUANAEAD), Water Supply & Wastewater Utilities Administration (BPAIACAG)

Keywords

• Watershed management
• Water quality monitoring
• Flood control infrastructure
• Stormwater management
• Impoundment engineering

Headquarters

HQ city

Thief River Falls

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Infrastructure, Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Government Funding and Grants: The district operates as a special purpose unit of government funded through property tax levies, state grants from Minnesota Board of Water and Soil Resources, federal funding, and project-specific grants from entities like the Red River Watershed Management Board and Minnesota Department of Natural Resources.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Red Lake Watershed District is a government watershed management agency that plans, constructs, and maintains flood control infrastructure (impoundments, dams, drainage structures), operates a regional water quality monitoring and reporting program, manages stormwater improvement projects such as Chief's Coulee, administers permits for construction and water management activities within its jurisdiction, and delivers environmental education programs. Services are funded through property tax levies and government grants rather than user fees.

Product overview

Red Lake Watershed District is a government water management organization providing watershed services across northwestern Minnesota. The organization operates a unified portfolio of water management services including engineering/impoundment structures (dams and flood control infrastructure like the Brandt, Euclid East, and Parnell Impoundments), a Water Quality Program (monitoring, testing, and reporting), and specialized projects (stormwater management like Chief's Coulee, habitat enhancement like Mud River). Core supporting services include permits, education programs (River Watch, River of Dreams), interactive mapping, and district facilities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Engineering / Impoundment Structures Flood control and water management infrastructure including impoundments, dams, and outlet structures (e.g., Brandt, Euclid East, Parnell, Moose River, Good Lake, Schirrick Dam) built to reduce flooding, retain water, and protect downstream communities within the watershed district.
• Water Quality Program Regional water quality monitoring, testing, and assessment services delivered to residents, municipalities, and partner agencies, including annual and monthly water quality reports, water quality data collection, and blue-green algae monitoring.
• Chief's Coulee Stormwater Project Stormwater management project designed to filter pollutants from runoff entering Chief's Coulee before discharge to the Red Lake River, using hydrodynamic separators, underground piping, sand filter systems, and a 970-foot grassed waterway to protect municipal drinking water and reduce downstream flooding.
• Mud River Enhancement Project Habitat improvement project restoring natural functions and enhancing floodplains of the Mud River in the Agassiz Pool area of Marshall County, Minnesota.
• Turtle, Connection and Cross Lake Project Flood reduction project using existing dam locations at Turtle, Connection, and Cross Lakes, documented through an Environmental Assessment Worksheet.
• Watershed District Permits Regulatory permit services for construction, drainage, and water management activities within the district's jurisdiction.
• Education Programs (River Watch, River of Dreams, Watershed Education) Environmental education programs serving students and residents, including the River Watch student water monitoring program, River of Dreams curriculum, and watershed education materials and fact sheets.
• Interactive Mapping Tools Online interactive mapping tools providing watershed visualization and data access, including interactive maps, basemaps, and continental watershed maps, built with engineering partner Houston Engineering.

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• City of Thief River FallscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Multi-phase collaboration to address pollution in Chief's Coulee, a tributary threatening the city's drinking water intake on the Red Lake River. RLWD contributed $800,000 toward the $2.3 million water quality and flood damage reduction project.
• Pennington Soil and Water Conservation DistrictcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated on the multi-phase effort to address pollution in Chief's Coulee and protect drinking water intake.
• Minnesota Board of Water and Soil ResourcescoreGTM or Marketing PartnerProvided Clean Water Fund Grant and BWSR Flood Storage Easement Pilot funding for water quality and flood control projects.
• Red River Watershed Management BoardcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerProvided grant funding for water quality and flood damage reduction projects, including Chief's Coulee stormwater project.
• Minnesota Department of Natural ResourcescoreGTM or Marketing PartnerProvided Flood Hazard Mitigation Grant funding for stormwater and flood control projects.
• Red Lake Band of Chippewa IndianscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-funded the Good Lake Impoundment Project 67 along with RLWD, Red River Watershed Management Board, and State of Minnesota. The project lies entirely within the Red Lake Indian Reservation.
• West Polk Soil & Water Conservation DistrictcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization for Red Lake River One Watershed One Plan (1W1P) implementation and watershed management planning.
• Middle Snake Tamarac Rivers Watershed DistrictcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborating watershed district partner for Grand Marais Creek watershed management and shared watershed restoration efforts.
• Ducks UnlimitedcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrimary funder of Elm Lake-Farms Pool Project (Project 52), which was the largest Ducks Unlimited project in the lower 48 states at the time of construction in 1991.
• U.S. Fish and Wildlife ServicecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCooperative partner in Elm Lake-Farms Pool Project along with Minnesota DNR, RLWD, and Ducks Unlimited.
• Minnesota Department of Natural ResourcescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOriginal funder and builder of Lost River Impoundment in mid-1970s; cooperative partner in Elm Lake-Farms Pool Project.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Minnesota Department of Natural Resources: State agency with overlapping jurisdiction over floodplain management, dam safety, and habitat programs. Funds RLWD projects (Flood Hazard Mitigation Grants) and is a co-funder/cooperator on multiple impoundments including Elm Lake-Farms Pool.
• Red River Watershed Management Board: Multi-county joint powers board providing grant funding and basin-wide coordination to member watershed districts including RLWD. Operates at a larger geographic scope with significant capital influence over RLWD's project pipeline.
• Minnesota Board of Water and Soil Resources (BWSR): State agency that oversees Minnesota's watershed districts and soil and water conservation districts. Provides Clean Water Fund grants, Flood Storage Easement Pilot funding, and policy direction that shape RLWD's mandate and funding.

Direct peers

• Middle-Snake-Tamarac Rivers Watershed District: Adjacent Minnesota watershed district directly partnering with RLWD on watershed management and Grand Marais Creek restoration. Operates as a special-purpose government entity under identical Minnesota statute with analogous flood control and water quality mandate.
• Wild Rice Watershed District: Minnesota watershed district with statutory authority over water resources and flood control in northwestern Minnesota. Directly comparable in governance structure, funding model (property tax levies + state grants), and impoundment/drainage portfolio.
• Roseau River Watershed District: Minnesota watershed district managing flood control and water quality in the Roseau River basin. Closely mirrors RLWD in jurisdiction scope, impoundment infrastructure, Red River Valley location, and state grant dependencies.
• West Polk Soil & Water Conservation District: Partner SWCD for the Red Lake River One Watershed One Plan. Delivers comparable conservation, water quality, and drainage programs at county level; jointly plans watershed restoration with RLWD.
• Kittson County Watershed District: Small Minnesota watershed district in the Red River watershed managing flooding and drainage infrastructure. Operates under the same Minnesota Watershed District statute with comparable governance by county-appointed board of managers.
• Pennington Soil and Water Conservation District: County-level Soil & Water Conservation District directly partnering with RLWD on the Chief's Coulee project. Performs adjacent conservation, drainage, and best-management-practice work for agricultural landowners within the same jurisdiction.
• Buffalo-Red River Watershed District (formerly Two Rivers): Minnesota watershed district operating in the western Red River Valley with analogous flood control, drainage, and water quality programs. Comparable regulatory authority, project size, and state/federal funding profile to RLWD.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCLalv2W86JjawvzFvnlcgNg
• Facebookfacebook.com/pages/Red-Lake-Watershed-District/266521753412008
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/red-lake-watershed-district

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Red Lake Watershed District