Lower Otter Tail River Gully Stabilization Project

The Wilkin Soil and Water Conservation District will partner with the Buffalo Red River Watershed District and the Natural Resource Conservation Service to stabilize 20 high priority gullies that are contributing sediment to the Lower Otter Tail River. When all 20 gullies are stabilized, Sediment Load will be reduced by 850 tons per year, Total Phosphorus will be reduced by 786 pounds per year, and Total Nitrogen will be reduced by 168 pounds per year. The sediment reduction associated with this project is 12 percent of the 6,868 tons per year goal set by the TMDL plan at the sampling site in Breckenridge. The Lower 8.2 miles of the Otter Tail River is listed as an impaired water for exceeding the turbidity standard for aquatic life. The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency completed a Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) report for the Lower Otter Tail River and determined that 6,868 tons of sediment per year need to be removed in order for the Lower Otter Tail River to no longer be listed as impaired. The Stream Power Index (SPI) tool was used to identify each gully location and the and the Prioritize, Target, and Measure application (PTMapp) was used to prioritize each gully and to quantify the sediment, total phosphorus and total nitrogen loads to the Otter Tail River.