site identification and prioritization project

The Roseau River Watershed District in partnership with the Roseau County SWCD will complete a study to target and prioritize sites contributing impairments within legal drainage systems. Project partners will utilize data developed by the International Water Institute (IWI) Water Quality Decision Support Application that establishes multivariate scoring of each site based on all relevant features contributing to surface water degradation. This precision conservation method will establish a proactive approach to identifying sites for implementing conservation practices based on their relative contribution to surface water impairments.

Precision tools used to identify and target sites will reduce lengthy field verification process, increase the efficiency of assessing individual sites and reduce overall cost. High priority locations within each drainage system will be verified through site visits. Data will then be submitted to all the partners and be available to the public. The information collected from this analysis will be instrumental in future conservation projects and programs and identify sites for the ditch authority to implement vegetative buffer strips and side inlet controls.

Upon completion of the project, a comprehensive dataset will be distributed to project partners, including a hard copy narrative and description of information. Annual updates to the dataset and narrative will be submitted to project partners, noting locations and information pertaining to conservation activities implemented in legal drainage systems.