The Crow River is a major river system in Wright County that is of local and regional significance. It is a major recreation area in its own right but also flows into the Mississippi River 20 miles from the Minneapolis Drinking Water Plant intake. Elevated sediment levels in the river increases the cost of treating the river water and threatens fisheries habitat.
The Wright Soil and Water Conservation District has partnered with the Crow River Organization of Waters (CROW) and the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) on phase two of this comprehensive sediment reduction project to focus on stabilizing five of the most active gully erosion sites in targeted subwatersheds on the North Fork Crow River, as well as use the installed best management practices to help promote future conservation practices.
The Wright Soil and Water Conservation District has partnered with the Crow River Organization of Water and the Natural Resources Conservation Service on phase three of a comprehensive sediment reduction project that focuses on stabilizing seven of the most active gully erosion sites on the North Fork Crow River. These seven areas were chosen due to the high level of turbidity and low dissolved oxygen within that stretch of the North Fork Crow River, which has led to biological and turbidity impairments.
The Wright Soil and Water Conservation District (Wright SWCD) has partnered with the Crow River Organization of Waters (CROW), the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and Wright County Planning and Zoning on this bacterial impairment reduction project to bring feedlot operations into compliance in the targeted North Fork Crow River (NFCR) impaired Unnamed Creek watershed. An analysis of the NFCR TMDL for Bacteria, Nutrients, and Turbidity was done to determine the area to be prioritized for further review of livestock operations in order to reduce the E.
Carver County has identified water quality improvement of Carver, Bevens and Silver Creek as a water management priority. This project will identify storage or wetland restoration sites that are highly effective at reducing pollutant loading to downstream impaired waters using high-resolution Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) data and Geographic Information System (GIS) processes. The watershed landscape has been highly modified for agricultural production land development; less than 50 percent of pre-settlement wetland acres remain in Carver County.
The downtown Chanhassen stormwater best management practice (BMP) retrofit assessment project will reduce watershed phosphorus loads to Rice Marsh Lake and improve the water quality in downstream Lake Riley, impaired for excess nutrients. This project will identify innovative BMP retrofit opportunities that target soluble phosphorus and promote infiltration and groundwater recharge within this highly-developed area. The downtown Chanhassen BMP retrofit assessment project will be performed in partnership with the City of Chanhassen.
Currently, there are approximately 5,050 feedlots with fewer than 300 animal units that need to come into compliance with State feedlot rules. Clean Water Feedlot Water Quality Management Grant funds are being used to provide financial assistance to landowners with feedlot operations less than 300 animal units in size and located in a riparian area or impaired watershed.
Currently, there are approximately 5,050 feedlots with fewer than 300 animal units that need to come into compliance with State feedlot rules. Clean Water Feedlot Water Quality Management Grant funds are being used to provide financial assistance to landowners with feedlot operations less than 300 animal units in size and located in a riparian area or impaired watershed.
Funding is prioritized to structural and non-structural practices within the Upper Mustinka and Fivemile Creek planning regions. In addition, a primary goal will be to complete a feasibility study for the Fivemile Creek Restoration as well as completion of the final phase of the Lake Traverse Water Quality Improvement Project. The BdSWD will focus on 4 CIPs within the Bois de Sioux River planning regions; WCD Sub-1, WCD 35 and WCD 20 & 25 drainage retrofit projects.
The purpose of this project is to identify effective irrigation and nutrient management best management practices and technologies and the barriers that prevent irrigators, producers, and other agricultural partners from adopting them in Otter Tail County. The primary goal is to reduce nitrate in areas where groundwater is susceptible to contamination as mapped by The Minnesota Department of Health by identifying effective BMPs and addressing the barriers to their adoption.
The Riley-Purgatory-Bluff-Creek Watershed District and the City of Eden Prairie are working together to implement projects to remove Lake Riley and Rice Marsh Lake from the impaired waters list. One key emerging issue is to evaluate potential internal phosphorous loading within stormwater ponds in the lakes? subwatersheds. This project will also use updated pond data from the city?s intensive pond inspection program to identify other phosphorus reduction opportunities. The proposed assessment will quantify formerly undocumented P loading to Rice Marsh Lake and Lake Riley.
As lake-focused development continues these high quality waters will see increasing amounts of land use change. The State Demographer projects that the targeted lake catchments will see population increases of 25-62% within 20 years. Isolating these contributing areas permits the Lake Protection Analysis project to perform multiple GIS analyses to accurately inform water quality discussions. The final framework will allow local water managers to prioritize across their water bodies, target activities to specific subsheds, and develop measurable goals.
This is a joint grant application from the Riley-Purgatory-Bluff Creek Watershed District (RPBCWD) and the City of Chanhassen. In 2010, the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency listed Lake Susan as a shallow lake impaired for excess nutrients. A 2013 report recommended a project located at the park pond immediately northwest of Lake Susan as the most cost-effective watershed implementation project. The project calls for an outlet control structure at a higher elevation that will provide increased dead pool storage and the installation of a Minnesota Filter to treat dissolved phosphorus.
The Lake Ida and Ditch 23 Wetland Feasibility Project will investigate and review the phosphorus loading of Lake Ida and design a project to protect Lake Ida water quality. Lake Ida is a 'high quality, unimpaired lake at the highest risk of becoming impaired' according to MPCA's Lakes of Phosphorus Sensitivity Significance. With the County Ditch 23 inlet identified as a priority area to reduce phosphorous, a professional engineering firm will explore the best solution to reduce phosphorus.
Due to its high water quality, protecting Martha Lake is a prioirty for Wright County. A monitoring study of the tile system outlet that flows into Lake Martha revealed high amounts of dissolved phosphorus were entering the lake through the tile system. This validated the concerns of the Lake Martha Lake Association.
It is critical to train new staff, create modeling protocols for new BMPs, refine and calibrate models, and test ever-advancing modeling applications. The Metro Conservation District?s (MCD) Sub-Watershed Analysis (SWA) program provides these capacity-building services and unites efforts across 11 SWCDs. MCD proposes to analyze an additional 15 subwatersheds. The analyses will identify the location and estimated cost/benefit relationship for BMPs, evolve with new technology, and share discoveries metro-wide.
Through a long standing partnership, this project will continue to implement a process formalized with a 2010 Clean Water Fund Grant to conduct stormwater sub-watershed assessments. The goal of the sub-watershed assessments is to accelerate water quality improvements by focusing efforts in high priority areas. Specifically, subwatershed assessments are a tool used to identify the most effective urban stormwater conservation practice by location.
The Mustinka River winds through five counties in west central Minnesota and empties into Lake Traverse, a border waters lake with excellent fishing and recreational opportunities. For several years, sections of the river have been negatively impacted from too much soil/sediment eroding from the land and washing away into the water. Excess sediment degrades aquatic habitat and feeds algae blooms. This project continues a 2012 Clean Water Fund collaborative effort to develop a plan to reduce the amount of sediment washed into the river.
The Mustinka River winds through five counties in west central Minnesota and empties into Lake Traverse, a border waters lake with excellent fishing and recreational opportunities. For several years, sections of the river have been negatively impacted from too much soil/sediment eroding from the land and washing away into the water. Excess sediment degrades aquatic habitat and feeds algae blooms.
This project continues a 2011 Clean Water Fund collaborative effort to develop a plan to reduce the amount of sediment washed into the river.
The Mustinka River winds through five counties in west central Minnesota and empties into Lake Traverse, a border waters lake with excellent fishing and recreational opportunities. For several years, sections of the river have been impaired for turbidity due to too much soil/sediment eroding from the land and washing away into the water. Excess sediment degrades aquatic habitat
and feeds algae blooms.
The North Fork Crow River Watershed planning workgroup has based its comprehensive watershed management plan on seven planning regions. Each planning region has a list of prioritized resource concerns, measurable goals and implementation actions. Implementation actions are targeted in locations within each planning region, prioritized based on local concerns, programs, etc.
The Partners for Clean Water program will enable community groups to take action to improve their water resources. Engaging citizens directly in project development and installation efforts provides immediate water quality benefits and develops a community of active stewardship. Installation of projects previously developed by Douglas County community groups will shift the currently dormant water quality protection efforts.
The Douglas County Partners for Clean Water program enables community groups to take action and improve their water resources. Engaging citizens directly in project development and installation efforts provides immediate water quality benefits and cultivates a community of active stewardship.
The Pomme de Terre River watershed is located in west central Minnesota and occupies a portion of six counties. For many years surface water quality within the watershed has been a concern to local government. In 1982 the Pomme de Terre River Association Joint Powers Board (JPB) was formed to begin addressing this issue. In 2002 the Pomme de Terre River was placed on the Impaired Waters list for turbidity. The goal of the JPB is to improve the local water resources within the watershed through voluntary efforts and building relationships with local landowners.
The Pomme de Terre River watershed is located in west central Minnesota and occupies a portion of six counties. For many years surface water quality within the watershed has been a concern to local government. In 1982 the Pomme de Terre River Association Joint Powers Board was formed to begin addressing this issue. In 2002 the Pomme de Terre River was placed on the Impaired Waters list for turbidity. This project is a continuation of a 2011 Clean Water Fund project.
