JD 15 BMP Inventory - Implementation (MDM Grant)

The Wright SWCD applied for, and received, a Soil Erosion and Drainage Law Compliance grant in 2015. This grant was used to inventory Joint Ditch 15 (JD 15) for areas that could benefit from the installation of Side Inlet Control Structures (SICS) and vegetated buffer strips (buffers). JD 15 is known to have areas of significant erosion that effect both benefited landowners as well as a number of impaired waters downstream. The impaired downstream waters include Sucker Creek, Cokato Lake, and the North Fork Crow River. The JD 15 Inventory was completed during the summer of 2015. The goal of this project is to implement best management practices (BMP's) that will address the issues identified in the JD 15 Inventory. Given the JD 15 Inventory prioritized resource concerns along JD 15, the current project will focus on addressing the most significant areas of erosion and coordinating with the Wright County Drainage Authority to address lower priority areas. With the recent buffer legislation a lower priority will be given to buffer establishment along JD 15, however, the results of the JD 15 inventory will still be presented to landowners to promote the voluntary adoption of buffers. The implementation of BMP's along JD 15 and within its watershed will reduce the amount of sediment and nutrients transported downstream as well as reduce the rate at which water enters JD 15.