2020 Lower Clearwater River Subwatershed Water Quality Agricultural Practices (Phase II)
The DRAFT Clearwater River WRAPs identified the Clearwater River (AUID 501), located within the Lower Clearwater River subwatershed (0902030507), as having a current sediment load of 7,327.59 tons/year at S002-118 (Clearwater River in Red Lake Falls). The target is to reduce loading by 2,471.25 tons/year, which is a 33.73% reduction.
Red Lake County SWCD has targeted ten sites for implementation of structural agricultural practices based on data analysis obtained from using the DRAFT Clearwater River WRAPs and TMDL Reports, Water Quality Decision Support System (WQDSS) tool, DNR Stressor ID database, and the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) models. The data identified the Lower Clearwater River subwatershed as having the highest sediment yield in the Clearwater River Watershed, highlighted fields in the subwatershed with the highest sediment loading, and even showed specific locations in the field which were most vulnerable to erosion. Red Lake County SWCD conducted an Erosion Site Inventory in 2019, which verified the information from the tools/models and found landowners in these priority areas that were eager to fix the erosion problems on their fields.
The structural agricultural practices will include, but are not limited to, grade stabilization structures, grassed waterways, and water & sediment basins. The implementation of these practices is estimated to reduce sediment loading to the Clearwater River (AUID 501) by 793.28 tons/year, or 32% of the TMDL required annual load reduction. This will improve water quality, recreation, fish habitat, and aesthetics. Further downstream, the City of East Grand Forks pulls its drinking water from the Red Lake River, making these projects a regional concern as well.
Annie Felix-Gerth
$16,000,000 the first year and $16,000,000 the second year are for grants to local government units
to protect and restore surface water and drinking water; to keep water on the land; to protect, enhance, and restore water quality in lakes, rivers, and streams; and to protect groundwater and drinking water, including feedlot water quality and subsurface sewage treatment system projects and stream bank, stream channel, shoreline restoration, and ravine stabilization projects. The projects must use practices demonstrated to be effective, be of long-lasting public benefit, include a match, and be consistent with total maximum daily load (TMDL) implementation plans, watershed restoration and protection strategies(WRAPS), or local water management plans or their equivalents. A portion of this money may be used to seek administrative efficiencies through shared resources by multiple local governmental units. Up to 20 percent of this appropriation is available for land-treatment projects and practices that benefit drinking water.
The ten practices will reduce sediment loading by 793.28 ton/year, soil loss by 1958.82 tons/year, and phosphorus by 569.38 pounds/year. The average cost effectiveness is $409.75/ton/year of sediment and $570.88/pound/year of phosphorus.
This project has resulted in an estimated annual reduction of 977.63 lbs of Phosphorus, 1399.1 tons of Sediment, 3454.4 tons of Soil Loss,
LOCAL LEVERAGED FUNDS