Mississippi River Headwaters Watershed-Based Implementation
The Mississippi Headwaters Watershed Comprehensive Plan area is located in north-central Minnesota, stretching from lake Itasca in Clearwater County to Lake Pokegama in Itasca county. The Watershed comprises five counties and is 1.2 million acres, of which 53% is publicly owned. The most significant land cover in the watershed is lakes and wetlands (46%), followed by forests (42%). The following actions for plan issues will continue to maintain high-quality resources and improve declining resources. -Lake Stewardship - Increased land-use pressures adjacent to lakes and subsequent drainage areas have altered habitat in near-shore areas. Actions will protect and restore priority lake shorelines, including 2,290 linear feet of buffer, 741 linear feet of shoreline bio-restoration, and several stormwater projects. -Forest Stewardship - High-quality water resources result from largely intact forests. Our actions will be to Increase private forest stewardship and protection by 8,356 acres. -Agriculture Stewardship - Increase soil health BMPs over 1,600 acres, provide no-till equipment and technical services, and implement several pasture BMPs. -Urban Stewardship - Due to local soil conditions, land development has adversely impacted groundwater. The quality and quantity of stormwater runoff actions will include complete retrofit analysis, install four stormwater BMPs, assist municipalities and LGUs in reducing chlorides. -Water Course Stewardship - Disconnection and disrupting water connections impacts habitat and water quality. We will begin by initiating culvert inventory and database, reviewing minimal-use forest roads, completing Mississippi Bluff restoration, and installing ditch checks along Pokegama causeway. -Drinking Water Stewardship - In locations throughout the watershed that have elevated vulnerability our initial actions will include Conducting a survey of wells within the floodplain zone and initiating a geological survey.
http://www.bwsr.state.mn.us/board
http://www.bwsr.state.mn.us/board
Annie Felix-Gerth
2019: (a) $13,591,000 the first year and $13,375,000 the second year are for performance-based grants with multiyear implementation plans to local government units. The grants may be used to implement projects that protect, enhance, and restore surface water quality in lakes, rivers, and streams; protect groundwater from degradation; and protect drinking water sources. Projects must be identified in a comprehensive watershed plan developed under the One Watershed, One Plan or metropolitan surface water management frameworks or groundwater plans. Grant recipients must identify a nonstate match and may use other legacy funds to supplement projects funded under this paragraph. 2021: (a) $21,197,000 the first year and $22,367,000 the second year are for performance-based grants with multiyear implementation plans to local government units. The grants may be used to implement projects that protect, enhance, and restore surface water quality in lakes, rivers, and streams; protect groundwater from degradation; and protect drinking water sources. Projects must be identified in a comprehensive watershed plan developed under the One Watershed, One Plan and seven-county metropolitan groundwater or surface water management frameworks as provided for in Minnesota Statutes, chapters 103B, 103C, 103D, and 114D. Grant recipients must identify a nonstate match and may use other legacy funds to supplement projects funded under this paragraph. This appropriation may be used for:
(1) implementation grants to watershed planning areas with approved plans, including but not limited to Buffalo-Red River, Cannon River, Cedar River, Clearwater River, Des Moines River, Hawk Creek, Lac qui Parle Yellow Bank, Lake of the Woods, Lake Superior North, Le Seuer River, Leech Lake River, Long Prairie River, Lower Minnesota River North, Lower Minnesota River West, Lower Minnesota River South, Lower St. Croix River, Marsh and Wild Rice, Middle Snake Tamarack Rivers, Mississippi East, Mississippi River Headwaters, Mississippi West, Missouri River Basin, Mustinka/Bois de Sioux, Nemadji River, North Fork Crow River, Otter Tail, Pine River, Pomme de Terre River, Red Lake River, Redeye River, Root River, Rum River, Sauk River, Shell Rock River/Winnebago Watershed, Snake River, South Fork Crow River, St. Louis River, Thief River, Two Rivers Plus, Vermillion, Watonwan River, Winona La Crescent, Yellow Medicine River, and Zumbro River; (2) seven-county metropolitan groundwater or surface water management frameworks; and (3) other comprehensive watershed management plan planning areas that have a board-approved and local-government-adopted plan as authorized in Minnesota Statutes, section 103B.801.
The board may determine whether a planning area is not ready to proceed, does not have the nonstate match committed, or has not expended all money granted to it. Upon making the determination, the board may allocate a grant's proposed or unexpended allocation to another planning area to implement priority projects, programs, or practices.
Outcomes include improving soil health on over 1,600 acres, protecting 8,356 acres of forests, 5 tons/yr chloride reduction, 19.47 ton/yr sediment reduction from shoreline restoration, and reduce 477.2 lbs/yr of sediment from stormwater BMPs.
LOCAL LEVERAGED FUNDS