This project will determine the historical distribution, abundance, and toxicity of the invasive blue-green alga, Cylindrospermopsis raciborskii, in Minnesota lakes using a combination of paleolimnological and contemporary monitoring techniques
Design and evaluate 10 market-based scenarios for perennial cropping systems and their potential to improve water quality and provide wildlife habitat. Create awareness through thought-provoking videos, fact sheets, and presentations.
The causes of increased flooding and the most cost-effective solutions for reducing flood risk will be determined for the Cottonwood River watershed and nine other agricultural watersheds in southern Minnesota.
We examine the recent spread, origin, cause, and economic and ecological threat of nuisance rock snot formation in North Shore streams and Lake Superior to inform management and outreach.
We propose conducting the first statewide analysis mapping the extent of Minnesota’s unprofitable cropland and estimating both the water-quality and habitat benefits of converting these lands to perennial crops/vegetation.
We will characterize environmental drivers contributing to the decline of wild rice using lake sediment cores to reconstruct historical wild rice abundance in relation to lake and watershed stressors.
Salt levels are rising in Minnesota lakes, and biological impacts may be worse than we think. We determine effects on water quality and foodwebs, and how to save our lakes.
The Science Museum of Minnesota will relay the results of LCCMR-funded research to public audiences; dissemination will include a free online interactive map, in-depth videos, and public events.
We will reconstruct historical lake conditions to identify factors linked to successful walleye fisheries and guide effective management in the face of warming temperatures, invasive species, and nutrient loading.
Minnesota has widespread water quality impairments due to nonpoint-source pollution generated by agricultural, urban, and other human-altered lands. Mitigation of these impairments requires implementing best management practices (BMPs) that are designed to limit soil erosion and nutrient transport from lands to receiving waters. Long-term data sets of water quality and land-use history are needed to tease apart the many factors that affect water quality. In particular, data sets that span periods before and after BMP implementation are needed to determine BMP effectiveness.
