Kanabec - Knife River Clean Up

The Knife River Watershed, upstream of our popular Knife Lake has a water quality impairment for aquatic macroinvertebrates. Our goal in this grant application is to remove this impairment through implementing conservation practices. We plan to complete 4-6 Best Management Practices (BMPs) on the Knife River, which outlets into the Knife Lake. Projects targeted for implementation include pasture management practices, as identified in the Snake River Watershed Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) report and streambank erosion protection practices. The pasture management practices may include livestock fencing exclusions with the option of providing alternative watering facilities and/or enhancing buffer strips in pasture stream corridors. Other projects may include streambank erosion protection projects. Sedimentation control project are well supported by the members of the Knife Lake Sportsman's Club and the Knife Lake Improvement District. By completing these projects; our estimated pollution reduction numbers are 8 Tons of soil saved per year and 40 pounds of Phosphorus per year in the Knife River Watershed upstream of the popular Knife Lake. Our ultimate goal is to remove the aquatic macroinvertebrate impairment on the Knife River by targeting the sedimentation sources upstream. The Knife River outlet sedimentation into Knife Lake is a concern for the lake residence. By installing soil saving practices we are helping to clean-up of the impaired Knife Lake. Knife lake is impaired for nutrients and biological indicators. Total grant request: $70,000
The Kanabec SWCD does not have any competitive CWF grants with the exception of the Snake One Watershed One Plan (1W1P) CWF grant (<2% spent). Our District Technician on staff is not extensively involved in the Snake 1W1P, so his time is available for project development within the Knife River Watershed.