2023 Lower Clearwater Planning Region Water Quality Improvement Projects

The DRAFT Clearwater River Comprehensive Watershed Management Plan (CWMP) identifies the Lower Clearwater Planning Region as having a current sediment loading from overland sources of 18,491 tons/year at the planning region outlet. The 10-year Plan goal is to reduce loading to the outlet by 4% (767 tons/year). The targeted implementation schedule includes structural agricultural practices with a 10-year measurable outcome of 1,271 tons/year (catchment outlet) to meet the 10-year Plan goal. Red Lake County SWCD has targeted twelve sites for implementation of structural agricultural practices based on data analysis obtained from using the DRAFT Clearwater River CWMP, the Clearwater River WRAPs and TMDL Reports, PTMApp, DNR Stressor ID database, and the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) models. The data identified the Lower Clearwater Planning Region 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 2022, 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 in the Lower Clearwater River by 318 tons/year (catchment outlet), which would achieve 25% progress towards the 10-year Plan goal. 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.