Missouri River Watershed 2020-2021 Implementation Grant

This grant will fund priority structural practices, land management practices, education efforts and grant administration.

The Missouri Comprehensive Plan identifies priority concerns and short-term and long-term goals for surface water and groundwater enhancement and protection. Targeted implementation schedules were developed in the Upper Big Sioux, Lower Big Sioux, Rock River and Little Sioux River planning regions identifying practices needed to meet each region's measurable goals.

A sub-watershed prioritization process was completed to ease grant implementation. The results, shown in Appendix O, used PTMApp to identify high, medium and low priority areas for surface water, groundwater, land stewardship and fish and wildlife habitat practices. Composite maps show HUC-12 boundaries where targeted practices are prioritized. The Joint Powers Board adopted a scoring worksheet to assess practice eligibility and priority. Practices in high and medium high priority areas on the composite map will be scored and ranked for implementation.

The plan outlines a field walkover process to review priority catchments within each prioritized HUC-12 watershed. Existing staff and contract staff will verify catchment pollution delivery to impaired streams, provide options, cost estimates along with site survey and project design. This grant will fund expected 151 structural storage practices and 116 structural filtration practices. Structural practices targeting storage include water and sediment control basins, grade stabilization structures, wetland restorations, and ponds for water use. Practices targeting filtration include filter strips, grassed waterways, saturated buffers, bioreactors, alternative tile intakes. Incentives will be utilized to encourage BMPs to improve nitrogen management in DWSMAs, improve soil health practices and improve pasture management in riparian areas for 50 landowners including 4 workshops and field days.