2021 East Branch Chippewa River Targeted Subwatershed Implementation Project
This project targets restoration and protection of the East Branch Chippewa River, a major tributary to the Chippewa River, one of the largest basins of the Minnesota River Basin. It will address non-point source pollution from agricultural lands, specifically those on steep, erodible slopes and ravines (root cause) that are delivering sediment and phosphorus to the East Branch Chippewa River, an important local resource as it passes through several highly recreated and populated lakes within Pope and Swift Counties along with highly productive agricultural and wildlife lands. These lands have been converted to row crop production. Pope and Swift SWCDs have partnered and have 10 landowners ready to implement 65 erosion and sediment control practices. A Stream impairment for Turbidity/TSS in the East Branch is the lower reach from Mud Creek to Benson. Any work done upstream could impact this reach. The Chippewa Turbidity TMDL (2014, pgs. 3-11 and 4-11) and the Chippewa WRAPS Report (2017, pg. 81) both state that this reach needs an average 44% reduction in daily TSS load. Comparing this % reduction to table 3-7 in the Chippewa Turbidity TMDL, this translates to an average daily TSS reduction of 24.3 Tons/day or 8877 tons/year. This project would meet 16% of the Chippewa Turbidity TMDL TSS annual reduction goal. These SWCDs partnered and completed a Water Quality Decision Support Application (WQDSA) for the East Branch of the Chippewa River. Based on averages calculated from recently constructed WASCOBs in the West Central Area II these projects have the potential to reduce TSS by 1,462 T/year, and 1,260 lbs/year of TP. Secondary benefits will be helping to meet TMDL reduction goals for Lake Hanson this project will meet 11% of the TP lbs/year goal.
Annie Felix-Gerth
(b) $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.
65 Erosion and Sediment control BMPs will reduce TSS by 1,462 T/year and 1,260 lbs/year. This will meet 16% of the Chippewa River Turbidity TMDL TSS annual reduction goal (8877 tons/year) and 11% of the TP lb/year goal for Lake Hanson.
The LGU installed 41 projects that were less than the proposed amount. However, the modeled reduction of pollutants exceeded the proposed amount with there being 2406 LBS of phosphorous, 2708 tons of soil, and 2181 tons of sediment prevented from entering the local waterways. Therefore, they have significantly exceeded the proposed measurable outcomes.
LOCAL LEVERAGED FUNDS