2024 Lower Clearwater Planning Region Water Quality Improvement Projects
The 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 ten sites for implementation of structural agricultural practices based on data analysis obtained from using the Clearwater River CWMP, the Clearwater River WRAPs and TMDL Reports, PTMApp, DNR Stressor ID database, the Water Quality Decision Support Tool for Watershed Management, 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 2023, 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 control 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.
Annie Felix-Gerth
(b) $8,500,000 the first year and $8,500,000 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. 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 318 tons/year and phosphorus by 84 pounds/year (catchment outlet). The average cost effectiveness is $668.00 per ton per year of sediment.
LOCAL LEVERAGED FUNDS