Watershed at a Glance. The Cannon River watershed is located south of the Twin Cities and encompasses areas of Dakota, Goodhue, Le Sueur, Steele, Rice and Waseca counties. The watershed drains approximately 1,460 square miles through two main channels, the Cannon and Straight Rivers, to the Mississippi at Red Wing.
While some large industrial, commercial, and electric generation customers receive natural gas directly from high capacity interstate and intrastate pipelines (usually contracted through natural gas marketing companies), most other users receive natural gas from their local gas utility, also called a local distribution company (LDC).
Natural gas is one of the major combustion fuels used throughout the country. It is mainly used. to generate industrial and utility electric power, produce industrial process steam and heat, and heat. residential and commercial space. Natural gas consists of a high percentage of methane (generally above. 85 percent) and varying amounts of ethane, propane, butane, and inerts (typically nitrogen, carbon. dioxide, and helium). The average gross heating value of natural gas is approximately 1,020 British. thermal units per standard cubic foot (Btu/scf), usually varying from 950 to 1,050 Btu/scf.