The Lower St. Croix National Scenic Riverway includes the lower 52 miles of the St. Croix River between Taylors Falls, Minnesota and St. Croix Falls, Wisconsin and the confluence with the Mississippi River at Point Douglas, Minnesota and Prescott, Wisconsin. The Upper St. Croix National Scenic Riverway, which includes the upper 200 miles of the river north of Taylor's Falls to its headwaters near Gordon, Wisconin, was the first river added to the National Wild & Scenic Rivers Program by Congress in 1968. The Lower St. Croix was added by Congress in 1972.
Unlike the Upper St. Croix, which is managed by the National Park Service, the Lower St. Croix is managed through cooperation between the Minnesota DNR, Wisconsin DNR, National Park Service and local government zoning ordinances.
Land Use Regulations and Administration
- Summary of Lower St. Croix Riverway Land Use Standards - Wild Rivers Conservancy has a number of excellent resources detailing land use regulations in the Riverway. Particularly:
- Lower St. Croix Boundary and Districts – dataset for GIS users
- Review Procedures for Adopting and Amending Wild & Scenic Rivers and Lower St. Croix Riverway Ordinances
- Variances in Shorelands, Floodplains and Other DNR-Protected Waterways
- Wild & Scenic Rivers Laws, Statues and Rules
- Bluff and Slope Protection Resources
Other Resources
- Boat Speeds on the Lower St. Croix
- The Wild and Scenic St. Croix – TPT Video Special, in partnership with St. Croix River Association
- National Park Service: Saint Croix National Scenic Riverway
- Minnesota Wild & Scenic Rivers Program
- Lower St. Croix River: A National Wild and Scenic Treasure
Canoeing and Kayaking
Questions
- Matt Bauman, Central Office LSCR Program Lead, 651-259-5710
- Dan Scollan, Washington County Area Hydrologist, 651-259-5732
- Craig Wills, Chisago County Area Hydrologist, 763-284-7221