Six more ways of seeing the St. Croix: Highs and lows

Editor’s note: More than 7,700 square miles of land and water in Minnesota and Wisconsin drain toward the St. Croix River. Back in 2022, St. Croix 360 published a series of six maps showing different information that illustrates unique attributes of this region. We’re going to do that again.

Previously:

Map #1: Where the white pines were

Historic surveys documented the old-growth white pines that once stood across much of the region.

Map #2: Where the wild rice grows

Beloved grain, bountiful in the upper St. Croix River watershed, has provided priceless nutrition for countless generations.

Map #3: Precious waters

The lakes and streams designated as outstanding and significant are special waters requiring careful stewardship.

Map #4: Highs and lows

The hills and valleys of the St. Croix River watershed create their own kind of art.

The above map shows the elevation of the St. Croix River watershed. Green is lower and orange is higher. Places where contour lines are closer together are steeper and hillier. Places where the lines are farther apart are flatter.