2019 - Little Rock Lake Watershed Phosphorous Reduction Initiative
These funds will be utilized in cost-share for landowners to install Agricultural Best Management Practices following Little Rock Lake TMDL Implementation Plan. Example of projects include Feedlot Improvements, Waste Storage Facilities, Erosion Control BMPs, Filter Strips and Streambank Stabilizations. An estimated 830 pounds per year of phosphorus and 800 tons of sediment will be reduced annually.
Little Rock Lake is impaired with severe water quality problems, specifically algae blooms driven by exceptionally high phosphorous levels, and water clarity. The insistent algal issues in Little Rock Lake is the worse known regionally, and is in the top 4% of the most polluted lakes in the state. An extreme blue-green algae bloom in 2007 produced toxin microcystin to the point that it became an acute public health risk around the lake and downstream to the residents of St. Cloud. The lake discharges directly into the Mississippi River, which is the source of drinking water for the communities of St. Cloud, Minneapolis, and St. Paul. Through this project we will reduce phosphorous, improved water clarity, and avoid contamination of drinking water for St. Cloud residents. We will achieve these results by continuing to target many of the similar BMPs that were successful with our 2015 and 2017 CWF grants. Those CWF grants resulted in implementation of over 70 BMPs in the watershed. Pollution reduction estimates, along with recent water quality monitoring suggest we may be approaching our local pollution reduction goals. BWSR calculators estimate we achieved 29% (2,340 pounds) of the TMDL phosphorous reduction goal and corresponding trophic state index values below 80. We estimate this grant will achieve another 5-10% reduction in phosphorous runoff. Our ranking and scoring methods have a tight focus, following the TMDL Implementation Plan. It is critical to continue capitalizing on our momentum and continue to make progress towards our water quality goals with this current effort. Our primary focus is targeting feedlot/livestock BMPs and Ag erosion control BMPs within the Zuleger Creek and Little Rock Creek North watersheds. We would expand to high priority critical projects outside of these areas should they arise. This initiative would complement a 2018 CWF project, the Little Rock Lake/Mississippi River Drawdown that addresses the internal loading of the lake.
Annie Felix-Gerth
(b) $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.
The proposed projects will reduce phosphorus transport in the watershed by an estimated 830 pounds per year, soil loss by an estimated 800 tons per year and reduce harmful bacteria in Little Rock lake and watershed streams.
Grant funds funded this project to reduce 2,200 Lbs/Yr of BOD 5 and 834 Lbs/Yr of Phosphorus and 136,000,000,000,000.00 Cfu of Pathogens (E. Coli) and 886 Tons/Yr of Sediment (Tss) and 1,769 Lbs/Yr of Nitrogen and 1,613.20 Tons/Yr of Soil (Est. Savings).
LOCAL LEVERAGED FUNDS