In 2010, Legislation allocated Clean Water Fund (CWF) dollars to the Anoka Conservation District to initiate an 11 county metro subwatershed assessment program. The purpose of subwatershed assessments is to improve water quality, increase groundwater recharge and reduce runoff volumes. These goals are achieved by identifying opportunities in the subwatersheds most contributing to the degradation of the high priority water bodies and developing designs for Best Management Practices (BMPs) that treat stormwater runoff.
The Chain of Lakes Targeted Reduction project will utilize Clean Water Funds to address bank erosion and install vegetated buffers along tributaries to the Eden Valley Chain of Lakes using the SRWD's incentivized Hayed Buffer Program. The Eden Valley Chain of Lakes (Vails Lake, Eden Lake and North Browns Lake) drain into the main segment of the Sauk River Chain of Lakes (SRCL) from the south. Impaired for excessive nutrients, this southern series of lakes is influenced by inflows from private ditches and perennial and intermittent streams.
The LeSueur River has been identified as one of the leading contributors of sediment to the Minnesota River. A majority of this sediment has been determined to come from the banks, bluffs and ravines located along the river. This project focuses on a one mile reach of the LeSueur River where stream channel migration and mass wasting are significantly eroding four bluffs. Two township roads and many houses are in danger of falling into the river.
The Chief's Coulee drainage area, in northern Thief River Falls, has been identified as a source of flooding and water quality concerns through inspection and water quality sampling. Once a natural drainage course, many diverse land uses now surround the Coulee which include agriculture, industrial railroad yards, grain elevators, recycling operators, residential development, and municipal street department facilities. Extremely high concentrations of pollutants and water quality indicators, such as E.
The Chisago Lakes Chain of Lakes Stormwater Retrofit Assessment has assessed 54 small watersheds for the optimal locations for best management practices. A long list of Best Management Practices has been identified, the next step is to design and install the most cost effective projects.
This project aims to reduce pollutant loading to Mille Lacs Lake by working with the City of Wahkon to develop a comprehensive stormwater management plan for the City of Wahkon, located on the south side of the lake. Wahkon has no stormwater facilities and pollutant laden runoff flows into Mille Lacs Lake, untreated. This project will delineate and model stormwater flow in the City of Wahkon watershed, prioritize and target BMPs in the city watershed and conduct outreach to keep all stakeholders informed and build buy-in for future project implementation.
Pine Soil and Water Conservation District is partnering with the City of Sturgeon Lake to seal over 50% of the unused wells in the city limits. The City of Sturgeon Lake recently installed a municipal water supply system, and completed a Minnesota Department of Health approved Wellhead Protection Plan. Residents have connected to the new public water supply system and need to seal their unused wells.
Improving stormwater management in Grand Marais is a priority for the community. The Cook County Comprehensive Water Plan identifies water quality and quantity concerns related to residential development include increased runoff from roads, parking areas, roofs, etc. into Lake Superior.
The City of Brainerd will stabilize the 1.4-acre gulley that has eroded over 8,706 tons of sediment since 1985. The erosion started after the city constructed a conveyance pipe along Buffalo Hills Lane City Road. The current gully is unstable and poses significant risks to city and public infrastructures, three stormwater outfalls, ten private properties, and houses. Since the 1990s, this gully has transported 100 percent of bank and bed erosion to Little Buffalo Creek and the Mississippi River (HR Green Inc.).
This project would educate residents and provide assistance to the City of Le Center in sealing an unused/abandoned municipal well. One municipal well has been identified as a high risk due to impacting the groundwater and drinking water supply to the City of Le Center.
The City of Minnetonka and its residents highly value the water resources within the community, which include approximately ten lakes, four streams, and hundreds of wetlands. The City has been progressive in protecting these resources through policies and management strategies, and now wants to increase their on-the-ground efforts in protecting and improving water quality. The City hopes to conduct targeted watershed assessments for fourteen selected priority water bodies to identify and optimize the type and locations of Best Management Practices (BMPs) to be installed.
With a population of approximately 3,500, the City of Mora is the largest municipality in the Snake River watershed. Monitoring indicates the city's Lake Mora has high levels of total phosphorus, total suspended solids, and other pollutants. This project will develop a plan that identifies several stormwater best management practices (BMPs) for the City of Mora and surrounding rural areas to address these impairments. Modeling and analysis will be used to target projects where they can provide the most benefit.
The purpose of this project is to project the ground water aquifer serving the City of Long Prairie through assisting low income landowners in the replacement of 12 sub-surface treatment systems that have been documented as failing to protect groundwater within the Long Prairie Drinking Water Supply Management Area. Although the primary driver is ground water protection, replacing these failing systems will also protect surface water of which Lake Charlotte is in close proximity.
Sediment and water quality issues are local priorities within the Thief River and Red Lake River watersheds, which have their confluence in the city of Thief River Falls. The 1W1P effort underway in the Red Lake River Watershed will identify opportunities for projects and practices that are targeted and result in measurable water quality benefits throughout the watershed using PTMApp.
The nine member Counties and Soil and Water Conservation Districts of the Greater Blue Earth River Basin Alliance (GBERBA) will be able to enhance our effectiveness to provide elevated levels of technical assistance, education and outreach in the areas of urban stormwater, wellhead protection, nutrient management, conservation agronomy, drainage and agricultural best management practices to reduce nonpoint source pollution in the Blue Earth, Le Sueur and Watonwan River Watersheds.
The City of Forest Lake will install four biofiltration basins and a wet sedimentation pond to treat stormwater prior to discharge into Clear Lake. Clear Lake is identified as a priority lake within the Rice Creek Watershed District's (RCWD) Watershed Management Plan and does not meet the nutrient goals established by the RCWD. Mid-summer algae blooms are common and occasionally severe enough to impact recreation.
This project represents a one-time opportunity to improve the quality of stormwater runoff from the parking lot and access road at Cleary Lake Regional Park. Cleary Lake is listed as impaired for excessive nutrients and is a focal point for many park activities. Three Rivers Park District and Scott County are partnering to reconstruct the park access road and to mill and overlay or conduct full depth reclamation of the parking lot at the park in 2013. Other partners include the Scott Watershed Management Organization (Scott WMO) and the Scott County Public Works Department.
The Clearwater Lake Chain has elevated nutrient levels which lead to poor water quality. The City of Kimball and surrounding agricultural area drains, mostly untreated, into a trout stream which empties into the Clearwater River Chain of Lakes.
This project targets an older residential area that does not have permanent water quality practices. Storm water presently runs directly to the Mississippi River using out of date and under-sized infrastructure. Expanding upon a very successful pilot program for retro-fitting storm water treatment practices in residential neighborhoods, rain gardens will be strategically placed to maximize water quality benefits for each dollar spent. Each rain garden will have a pre-treatment device to help achieve the cost-effective long-term water quality goals of the City.
The Q-Lot at St. Cloud State University (SCSU) is an 8 acre (1,000 spaces) gravel and asphalt parking lot. The parking lot's surface is impervious, which means it doesn't allow for rainfall or snow melt to soak into the ground. Instead, the water runs off directly into storm sewers, taking with it sediment, bacteria, automotive fluids and other pollutants which flow straight into the Mississippi River. SCSU staff has frequently witnessed plumes of sediment the color of chocolate milk where the storm sewer discharges into the river.
This project addresses the northeast St. Cloud drainage basin, the highest priority in the St. Cloud Stormwater Management Plan. St. Cloud has observed and documented ongoing sediment loading to the Mississippi River from the 367 acre watershed. The project is also a companion to the Green Roofs Blue Waters program in which several sediment reduction BMPs are being identified and installed along the Mississippi River.
The Hawk Creek - Middle Minnesota Comprehensive Watershed Management Plan identifies priority concerns, short-term and long-term goals for surface waters, groundwater, habitat and recreation, local knowledge, and land stewardship. Through the plan, specific details for structural and management practices are described in the Implementation Schedule for each of the planning regions and priority areas.
The City of Cold Spring is looking to retrofit 24 acres of existing development within a 138 acre subcatchment of the City to improve the water quality of Cold Spring Creek, a designated trout stream. The large amounts of hard surfaces within the subcatchment area do not allow for rainfall or snow melt to soak into the ground. The stormwater carries with it sediment, bacteria, automotive fluids, and other pollutants. Cold Spring staff has frequently witnessed sediment plumes, the color of chocolate milk, at the storm sewer outfalls.
The Ramsey-Washington Metro Watershed District (District) has determined that large impervious sites (like churches, commercial sites, and schools) are more economical for stormwater management retrofit projects than distributed small projects along roadways. The District began assessing church sites for retrofit opportunities in 2013 and will continue this effort in 2014. Church congregations have been receptive to partnering with the watershed district.
