The St. Croix watershed faces unique environmental and socioeconomic challenges as well as an international border.
In the past there have been sewage and industry spills within the watershed; Water quality throughout the watershed was highly deteriorated from heavy industry, municipal sewage, and other contaminants. Since the EPA's clean water act, and other effective government regulations, water quality has improved tremendously. In 2017, the Saint Croix International Waterway Commission (SCIWC) began to effectively monitor water quality throughout the St. Croix watershed. Regular water quality monitoring will allow for a timely detection of contaminants, measurable comparisons of historical to current water quality, and will contribute to longstanding data records.