2021 Priority Implementation Targeting Lawrence Creek, Dry Creek, and Direct Drainage to the St. Croix River

The St. Croix River escarpment has been a focal point for the Chisago SWCD over the past 8 years in a multi-phase targeted plan to reduce phosphorus and sediment loading to the St. Croix River and Lake St. Croix. The Lower St. Croix River Comprehensive Watershed Management Plan (LSC CWMP) prioritizes treatment of agricultural runoff. In addition, the planning team for the Lower St. Croix Watershed Conservation Planning Initiative (WCPI) named the escarpment and direct drainage area as a key priority area. A recent rural assessment examines smaller catchments within the Lawrence Creek, Dry Creek, and Direct Drainage subwatersheds to determine those with the highest potential phosphorus and sediment loading.
Eight Clean Water Fund grants have allowed the Chisago SWCD to complete an assessment and successfully implement phase 1: installing practices along the escarpment (26 WASCOBs, 10 grassed waterways, 9 clean water diversions, and 34 other water quality BMPs) along the St. Croix River escarpment since 2011. Through this application, phase 2 expands the focal area to the Dry Creek, Lawrence Creek, and Direct Drainage subwatersheds, which are upstream of the escarpment and contribute to many of the phase 1 gullies, or drain directly to the St. Croix River. Lawrence Creek and an unnamed direct drainage stream are the County's only listed trout streams and are Regionally Significant Streams for Pollution Reduction in the LSC CWMP.
A minimum of 20 projects, such as those listed in the previous paragraph, will reduce the phosphorus loading by at least 140 lbs/yr and sediment loading by at least 140 tons/yr, contributing 3.1% of the required phosphorus load reduction for Chisago County identified by the Lake St. Croix Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL). Targeted outreach began in the fall of 2019 and field visits began in the spring of 2020, indicating there is considerable interest by landowners in this area.