Little Rock Lake / Mississippi River drawdown for water quality.
Little Rock Lake water quality problems have been severe. A Total Maximum Daily Load and implementation plan created a roadmap to improve water quality in the lake. Since 2013, over 70 Best Management Practices have been installed in the watershed. This project is the next phase and will draw the water down in the Mississippi River and Little Rock Lake for six weeks, creating enhanced aquatic plant communities and reducing in lake sources of phosphorus by at least 589 pounds. This public/private partnership between Eagle Creek Energy, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, Little Rock Lake Association and Benton Soil and Water Conservation District has overwhelming support of the lake community.
See http://www.bwsr.state.mn.us/aboutbwsr/index.html and http://www.bwsr.state.mn.us/aboutbwsr/boarddirectory.pdf
See http://www.bwsr.state.mn.us/aboutbwsr/index.html
Marcey Westrick
$6,882,000 the first year and $12,618,000 the second year are for grants to protect and restore surface water and drinking water; to keep water on the land; to protect, enhance, and restore water quality in lakes, rivers, and streams; and to protect groundwater and drinking water, including feedlot water quality and subsurface sewage treatment system projects and stream bank, stream channel, shoreline restoration, and ravine stabilization projects. The projects must use practices demonstrated to be effective, be of long-lasting public benefit, include a match, and be consistent with total maximum daily load (TMDL) implementation plans, watershed restoration and protection strategies (WRAPS), or local water management plans or their equivalents. A portion of these funds may be used to seek administrative efficiencies through shared resources by multiple local governmental units.
This project will draw the water down in the Mississippi River and Little Rock Lake, creating enhanced aquatic plant communities and reducing in lake sources of phosphorus by at least 589 pounds and sediment by 368 tons/year.
This project resulted in an estimated annual reduction of 276.84 tons of sediment.
LOCAL LEVERAGED FUNDS