Thief River Falls Streambank Stabilization Projects
Three streambank stabilization projects have been identified as high priority projects in the Thief River Falls Water Quality Study completed in 2017. The proposal will use a combination of bendway weirs, toe protection by building a floodplain bench and live stake plantings. It has been estimated that a total of 385 tons per year of sediment from these three locations is entering the river contributing to the impairment downstream.
Three streambank stabilization projects have been identified as high priority projects in the Thief River Falls Water Quality Study completed in 2017. The study identifies the Hartz Park, Greenwood, and Wenzloff sites as the highest priority projects along the Red Lake River within the City of Thief River Falls. The project sites will provide protection for high quality unimpaired waters and reduce loading to an impaired reach downstream on the Red Lake River. Other studies, such as The Erosion, Sedimentation and Sediment Yield Report completed in 1996 by the USDA NRCS, Pennington and Marshall-Beltrami SWCDs have shown that a majority of the sediment originates from the streambanks. These projects will reduce the amount of sediment entering the river which will improve water quality, drinking water, recreation, fish habitat and aesthetics. These streambank stabilization projects, in conjunction with current projects including the Thief River Westside Project and installation of side water inlets along CD 96, 21, 16, will have direct benefits to the impaired reach of the Red Lake River starting downstream of CD 96. The proposal will use a combination of bendway weirs, toe protection by building a floodplain bench and live stake plantings. It has been estimated that a total of 385 tons/year of sediment from these three locations is entering the river contributing to the impairment downstream. These streambank stabilization projects will also protect residential homes, infrastructures such as a transportation bridge and walking bridge, a force main for the city and open park lands that many residents use for recreation, while providing improved water quality for aquatic life and drinking water. Further downstream, the City of East Grand Forks pulls its drinking water from the Red Lake River, making it a project of regional concern also.
Annie Felix-Gerth
(b) $6,882,000 the first year and $12,618,000 the second year are for grants to protect and restore surface water and drinking water; to keep water on the land; to protect, enhance, and restore water quality in lakes, rivers, and streams; and to protect groundwater and drinking water, including feedlot water quality and subsurface sewage treatment system projects and stream bank, stream channel, shoreline restoration, and ravine stabilization projects. The projects must use practices demonstrated to be effective, be of long-lasting public benefit, include a match, and be consistent with total maximum daily load (TMDL) implementation plans, watershed restoration and protection strategies (WRAPS), or local water management plans or their equivalents. A portion of these funds may be used to seek administrative efficiencies through shared resources by multiple local governmental units.
The three streambank stabilization projects would reduce 385 tons of sediment per year and 367 pounds of phosphorus per year. The average cost effectiveness is $1,250 per ton per year of sediment and $1,351 per pound per year for phosphorus.
Grant funds funded two of the three streambank stabilization projects were completed resulting in a reduction of 220 tons of sediment per year and 227 pounds of phoshporus per year.
LOCAL LEVERAGED FUNDS