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Sherburne County Multi -Hazard Mitigation Plan, 2020 Figure A - 28 in Appendix A maps pollution sensitivity of near -surface materials from the transmission time of water through three feet of soil and seven feet of surficial geology, to a depth of io feet from the land surface. 3.4.2 Lakes The largest lakes in the county are Lake Fremont (486 acres), located northeast of Zimmerman; Eagle Lake (463 acres), located north of the city of Big Lake; and Briggs Lake (404 acres), located northeast of the city of Clear Lake. There are several waterbodies with wild rice in the county. Due to the cultural and biological significance of wild rice, "these waters may soon be subject to sulfate standards, as research is indicating higher sulfate concentrations can be detrimental to early -stage wild rice growth" (Sherburne Soil & Water Conservation District, 2oi8). 3.4.3 Rivers The Mississippi River flows along the southwestern border of Sherburne County. The county's population is concentrated along the river boundary, with the highest population densities in the southeast area, nearthe Twin Cities, and in the northwest area, adjacent to St. Cloud (Sherburne County, 2019). The Rum River flows through a small portion of the county in its northeastern corner. The river flows south from Lake Mille Lacs to the Mississippi River at Anoka. It is designated as a wild and scenic river by the Minnesota DNR. It is also a state water trail. The Elk River flows through the county, draining a watershed of 63o square miles before flowing into the Mississippi River at the city of Elk River. The river is 84 miles long in total. The St. Francis River is 79 miles in length and a tributary of the Elk River, and flows through the Sherburne National Wildlife Refuge and Sand Dunes State Forest. 3.4.4 Dam & Levee Inventory Dams and levees are artificial barriers that have the ability to impound water, wastewater or any liquid material for the purpose of storage or control and are an important part of Sherburne County's infrastructure. Dams maintain lake levels and impound water for flood control, power production and water supply. A complete listing of dams in the county is provided in Table 4. Levees are used to increase cultivation in agriculture and to protect population and structures from floods. While there are no levees within the boundary of Sherburne County, there is a levee located just south of the town of Elk River on the Mississippi River. A total of .ii square miles are in the leveed area. Page Isg