Water Storage
This initiative is for the design and implementation of projects in Wildlife Management Areas (WMAs), or other state administered lands that increase water storage while also stabilizing streambanks in impaired watersheds where watershed restoration and protection strategies or comprehensive watershed management plans developed under the One Watershed, One Plan program have identified the need for water storage and water quality improvements. Initially, these funds will be used to design and construct water storage projects on state administered WMAs in southern Minnesota. The foundation of the effort is comprehensive assessments of water pollution and supply problems within the state’s 80 major watersheds and prioritized strategies to address these problems.
The DNR manages many acres of land at 408 WMAs across southern Minnesota. There are about 813 miles of altered natural watercourses within these WMAs. Many of them are potential candidates for restoration projects that would enhance water storage, restore river functions, promote floodplain connectivity, improve water quality, provide improved fish and other aquatic species passage, and provide greater resiliency to climate change. The DNR has identified pilot project sites to demonstrate these benefits in areas where water storage was identified as a strategy to improve water quality.
$500,000 the first year and $500,000 the second year are for implementing water storage projects on state-administered land to enhance water quality and ecological benefits.
The DNR was solicit Requests for Proposals to for professional services to prepare construction plans and specifications, provide construction inspection and contract administration services for the Skandia Wildlife Management Area (WMA) Stream and Wetland Restoration project.
$500,000 the first year and $500,000 the second year are for implementing water storage projects on state-administered land to enhance water quality and ecological benefits.
The DNR will complete engineering design and construction for two water storage projects in the southwestern Minnesota. Restoring about 75 acres of drained wetlands and enhancing water storage on two Wildlife Management Areas in SW MN.
The DNR has completed a conceptual design for the Skandia WMA stream and wetland restoration project. This conceptual design includes channel and floodplain excavation, wetland scrapes, and potential road crossing modification. The project proposes converting a channelized section of stream to add approximately 1,200 feet of Unnamed Stream and reconnecting the adjacent floodplain while protecting Skandia WMA Fen-a and Skandia WMA Fen-b, high quality calcareous fens located upstream of the project area. The project includes wetland scrapes outside of the adjacent floodplain to help with flood storage and water quality treatment.