Multipurpose Drainage Management - Greater Blue Earth River Basin Alliance

Project Details by Fiscal Year
2017 Fiscal Year Funding Amount
$301,200
Fund Source
Clean Water Fund
Recipient
Greater Blue Earth River Basin Alliance
Recipient Type
Local/Regional Government
Status
Completed
Start Date
January 2017
End Date
December 2019
Activity Type
Grants/Contracts
Counties Affected
Blue Earth
Brown
Cottonwood
Faribault
Freeborn
Jackson
Le Sueur
Martin
Waseca
Watonwan
Blue Earth
Brown
Cottonwood
Faribault
Freeborn
Jackson
Le Sueur
Martin
Waseca
Watonwan
Project Overview

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.

Project Details

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.

Competitive Grant Making Body
Board Members and Qualifications
Advisory Group Members and Qualifications
Conflict of Interest Disclosed
no
Conflict of Interest Contact

Annie Felix-Gerth

Legal Citation / Subdivision
The Laws of Minnesota 2015 First Special Session, Chapter 2, Article 2, Sec 7, (k)
Appropriation Language

$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.

2017 Fiscal Year Funding Amount
$301,200
Other Funds Leveraged
$89,505
Direct expenses
$285,634
Administration costs
$41,194
Number of full time equivalents funded
0.795977011
Proposed Measurable Outcome(s)

69 tons of sediment/year, 84 lbs of phosphorus/year, and 1820 lbs of nitrogen/year

Measurable Outcome(s)

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,

Proposed Outcomes Achieved
Achieved proposed outcomes
Source of Additional Funds

LOCAL LEVERAGED FUNDS

Recipient Board Members
Becky Buchholz,David Bucklin,Herman Bartsch,Jill Sackett Eberhart,Joshua Votruba,Kari Clouse,Kay Gross,Linda Meschke
Project Manager
First Name
Kay
Last Name
Gross
Organization Name
Greater Blue Earth River Basin Alliance
Street Address
339 9th Street
City
Windom
State
MN
Zip Code
56101
Phone
507-831-1153
Email
kay.gross@co.cottonwood.mn.us
Administered By
Administered by
Location

520 Lafayette Road North
St. Paul, MN 55155

Phone
651- 296-3767