Water Quality Parameter Fact Sheets

The Red River supplies water for homes and industry and is a resource for recreation and wildlife.

The Red River in the Fargo-Moorhead area supplies water for drinking, household use, and industry use. The Red River is also an important wildlife habitat and is used for swimming, boating, and fishing.

Municipal, state, and federal agencies track the quality of water in the river and in the human use cycles in Fargo and Moorhead by monitoring key parameters or characteristics. By ensuring that the waters meet certain criteria, codified in state and federal regulations, the health of the river environment and the health of the local population are safeguarded. Click here to learn more about water regulation.

FM River student volunteers help monitor Red River water quality.

Click on the names below to bring up various water quality Fact Sheets. Each offers a description of a key parameter; describes its importance to human health, aquatic life, and/or the environment; and provides information on levels in the Red River and/or the water in the human water use cycle in Fargo and Moorhead.