Multipurpose Drainage Management - Greater Blue Earth River Basin Alliance
The Greater Blue Earth River Basin Alliance (GBERBA) along with Soil and Water Conservation Districts, Counties, landowners, and drainage authorities in the ten member counties will install conservation drainage practices to improve water quality. 103E drainage systems with documented sediment or water quality issues are the focus with the goal of installing 52 practices such as improved side inlets (grade stabilization structures), alternative tile inlets, denitrifying bioreactors, saturated buffers, storage wetlands and others. The estimated benefit of these practices are reducing 69 tons of sediment, 84 pounds of phosphorus, and 1,820 pounds of nitrogen per year.
The Greater Blue Earth River Basin Alliance (GBERBA) along with SWCD's, Counties, landowners, and drainage authorities in the ten member counties will install conservation drainage practices to improve water quality. We have Letters of Intent to Partner from all 10 County drainage authorities. 103E drainage systems with documented sediment or water quality issues are the focus. GBERBA and member staff will be using hydro-conditioned digital elevation models (developed for the Greater Blue Earth River Basin via a FY2016 CWF grant) to model surface water flow through these priority ditch watersheds to efficiently target the locations where multiple practices will work on specific drainage paths. We expect to install an estimated 52 practices such as improved side inlets (grade stabilization structures), alternative tile inlets, denitrifying bioreactors, saturated buffers, storage wetlands and others. GBERBA has been awarded a federal 319 grant for conservation drainage which will assist with matching these CWF dollars, and allow for more efficient cost share use.
Annie Felix-Gerth
$750,000 the first year and $750,000 the second year are for technical assistance and grants for the conservation drainage program in consultation with the Drainage Work Group, coordinated under Minnesota Statutes, section 103B.101, subdivision 13, that includes projects to improve multipurpose water management under Minnesota Statutes, section 103E.015.
69 tons of sediment/year, 84 lbs of phosphorus/year, and 1820 lbs of nitrogen/year
This project has resulted in an estimated annual reduction of 3353 lbs of Nitrogen, 913.54 lbs of Phosphorus, 330.74 tons of Sediment, 355.77 tons of Soil Loss,
LOCAL LEVERAGED FUNDS