Cedar - Wapsipinicon Implementation
The entities of the Cedar - Wapsipinicon watershed planning area hope to achieve the Cedar - Wapsipinicon Comprehensive Watershed Management Plan goals, including surface water quality, groundwater quality, excessive sedimentation and erosion, and flooding goals. Work includes cost-share incentives, project development, technical/engineering assistance, education/outreach, and administration/grant reporting. Cost-share incentives consists of expanding and accelerating septic assessments, with cost-sharing of inspections, and grants to low-income landowners requiring septic system upgrades for failing systems. Cost-share incentives will fund traditional and innovative conservation practices including but not limited to grassed waterways, water and sediment control basins, saturated buffers, denitrifying bioreactors, multi-purpose drainage management, well decommissioning, soil health practices, and capital improvement projects. It's anticipated that approximately 14 structural/non-structural practices will be installed, working to reduce E. coli loading to surface and groundwater, reducing P loading by an estimated 89 lbs/year, N loading by an estimated 8,617 lbs/year, TSS loading by an estimated 475 T/year, and increasing runoff storage by an estimated 175 ac. ft., focused in targeted areas of the Cedar - Wapsipinicon watershed. Staff time to plan and develop, then survey and design structural/non-structural conservation projects focused in targeted areas will be funded, along with education/outreach activities, including contacting landowners for the septic program, and contacting private well owners for well decommissioning. Additional education/outreach activities will consist of planning and holding soil health and nutrient management field days/workshops, and developing an educational resource access site. It's estimated that 10% will be used for administration of the plan/grant reporting, and approximately 5% on fiscal tracking of the grant.
Annie Felix-Gerth
(a) $13,591,000 the first year and $13,375,000 the second year are for performance-based grants with multiyear implementation plans to local government units. The grants may be used to implement projects that protect, enhance, and restore surface water quality in lakes, rivers, and streams; protect groundwater from degradation; and protect drinking water sources. Projects must be identified in a comprehensive watershed plan developed under the One Watershed, One Plan or metropolitan surface water management frameworks or groundwater plans. Grant recipients must identify a nonstate match and may use other legacy funds to supplement projects funded under this paragraph.
Proposed measurable outcomes include reducing P loading by an est. 89 lbs/year, N loading by an est. 8,617 lbs/year, TSS loading by an est. 475 T/year, and increasing runoff storage by an estimated 175 ac. ft. throughout the watershed.
This project funded 17 agricultural best management practices (e.g., grassed waterways, grade stabilizations), 1115 acres of cover crops, 26 acres of prairie strips, and 5 septic system upgrades in the Cedar-Wapsipinicon Watershed. The work resulted in a reduction of 655 tons/year of sediment, 838 pounds/year of phosphorus, and 3536 pounds/year of nitrogen.
Funds paid for sealing 20 wells. Funds also covered costs of staff to design and engineer projects and work with landowners, including targeted outreach to landowners in priority areas. Most work was done in priority areas and addressed sediment, phosphorus, and nitrogen, all of which are priorities in the plan.
Work was completed on time and on budget. Clean Water Funds provided leverage for the partnership to pursue and secure additional funds totaling $869,000 from the Environmental Protection Agency, the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, and the Hormel Foundation.
LOCAL LEVERAGED FUNDS
[Watershed Based Implementation Funding 2021] (a) $13,591,000 the first year and $13,375,000 the second year are for performance-based grants with multiyear implementation plans to local government units. The grants may be used to implement projects that protect, enhance, and restore surface water quality in lakes, rivers, and streams; protect groundwater from degradation; and protect drinking water sources. Projects must be identified in a comprehensive watershed plan developed under the One Watershed, One Plan or metropolitan surface water management frameworks or groundwater plans. Grant recipients must identify a nonstate match and may use other legacy funds to supplement projects funded under this paragraph.
Funds will be used to implement Comprehensive Watershed Plan, with activities identified in an approved workplan.
LOCAL LEVERAGED FUNDS