The Nine Mile Creek watershed is a highly developed, urbanized watershed located in southern Hennepin County. The natural infiltration capacity of soils in the watershed has been diminished by significant coverage with hard surfaces such as streets, parking lots, and buildings. This leads to more rainfall making its way more quickly to Nine Mile Creek. As a result, Nine Mile Creek has experienced stream bank erosion and instream habitat loss due to increases in storm water runoff resulting in the creek to be listed on the State of Minnesota impaired waters list for biotic integrity.
This project combines the use of automated soil moisture probes for irrigation scheduling with diverse cover crop planting to reduce or eliminate leaching of nitrogen and other nutrients on cropland with an early season harvested crop in the rotation. The more efficient use of irrigation waters provides a secondary benefit: less withdrawal from the aquifers that provide recharge for the Mt. Simon-Hinckley aquifer.
Over the last 5 years, Nobles County has identified and targeted waters that have impairments for excess sediment. This project continues this effort by implementing projects that have been identified by the Nobles Soil and Water Conservation District as having the highest benefit for sediment reduction to these impaired waters in the county. The inventory and identification of projects as well as their ranking was based on sediment load reductions. Utilizing a ranking method developed by the Nobles County Local Work Group, sixty-nine projects have been ranked and eighteen selected.
This project engages private property owners in a neighborhood scale effort to install up to 180 stormwater Best Management Practice (BMPs) to protect Lake Nokomis, a water body in Minneapolis impaired for excess nutrients. An analysis of the Lake Nokomis subwatershed identified priority areas for BMP installations based on drainage pattern, land uses and presence of previously-constructed BMPs. The project will install 160-180 BMPs adjacent to alleyways to disconnect residential backyards, rooftops and driveways on 15 residential blocks.
The North Fork Crow River Watershed (NFCRWD) is mainly agricultural and has numerous public and private drainage ditches. Sub-surface drainage are major contributors to the sediment and nutrient loading into the North Fork Crow River and area Lakes. This project help reach the Rice Lake phosphorous reductions goals. Local landowners are willing to contribute land on public drainage systems to retain water and restore wetlands at three locations with total anticipated yearly pollutant removals of 200 tons of total suspended sediment and 235 pounds of phosphorus.
The primary land use within the North Fork Crow River Watershed District is mainly row crop agriculture with extensive public and private drainage systems. A large portion of existing tile lines have open intakes that directly transport sediment and nutrients to open ditches leading to the North Fork Crow River (NFCR). The NFCR flows into Rice Lake that is impaired for aquatic recreation due to excessive nutrients.
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.
Through this project, the North Cannon River Watershed Management Organization (NCRWMO) works cooperatively with the Dakota Soil and Water Conservation District (DSWCD) and landowners to establish best management practices (BMPs) that reduce runoff and decrease the movement of sediment, nutrients, and pollutants into the Cannon River and its tributaries including, Trout Brook, Chub Creek, and Pine Creek.
The North Fork Crow River Watershed District will develop an inventory and inspection database for 103E ditches under their drainage authority. The district will acquire a database software solution to conduct field inspections and to track ditch maintenance projects throughout the district. This software will be used to facilitate statutory compliance including developing a process for completing annual inspection and reporting requirements.
This project will replace a conventional 32 foot wide neighborhood street with a narrowed 22 -24 foot wide street that will include rain gardens, sidewalk, and boulevard trees. North St. Paul is using the term Living Streets to describe a new type of street that will eventually replace most of the city's existing streets. Living streets are narrower and have less pavement than existing streets. Reducing the width of existing streets reduces construction costs and assessments to residents. It allows room for the installation of rainwater gardens to treat stormwater.
The Vermillion River Watershed Joint Powers Organization (VRWJPO), in partnership with the City of Lakeville and Dakota County, are working to systematically address Total Suspended Solids (TSS) sources contributing to the North Creek tributary of the Vermillion River (North Creek) through use of a prioritized, targeted, and measurable subwatershed assessment approach to identify and implement the most cost- effective and feasible projects to address North Creek's TSS, fish, and macroinvertebrate impairments.
Northern white cedar wetland plant communities provide unique ecological, economic, and wetland functions, including high value timber, long-term carbon storage, winter refuge for deer and other wildlife, wildlife habitat, and thermal buffering for brook trout streams. However, these plant communities have been declining in Minnesota for decades mostly as a result of development impacts. The Minnesota Board of Water and Soil Resources is using this appropriation to continue efforts aimed at improving the quantity and quality of white cedar wetland plant communities in Minnesota.
The MWMO , City of Minneapolis and Minneapolis Park & Recreation Board are partnering to implement stormwater projects that reduce pollutant loading to the Mississippi River, reduce flooding and improve ecological function. Three regional Best Management Practices are being proposed in the northern portion of Columbia Golf Course, in Northeast Minneapolis, capturing and treating stormwater from 600-acres of mixed urban landuse.
The Northwood Lake Improvement Project will treat storm water runoff from over 110 acres of currently untreated urban land through a variety of practices at two different locations adjacent to the lake. Northwood Lake is an impoundment of the North Branch of Bassett Creek located in the City of New Hope within the Bassett Creek Watershed Management Commission (BCWMC). Northwood Lake is a shallow lake with a fully developed watershed of 1,341 acres that provides very little stormwater treatment.
The Rum River is designated as a 'Wild and Scenic River' and is the major watershed in Mille Lacs County. Maintaining and protecting its water quality is a significant concern. The Clean Water Fund grant will result in the timely and successful implementation of ten nutrient management plans resulting in land management changes with an estimated average reduction of 30 pounds of Phosphorus and 40 pounds of Nitrogen per year on almost 2,000 acres.
Regionally, nitrate nitrogen concentrations are continuing to increase in both surface water and ground water based on monitoring data. The increasing trends are thought to be attributable to over application of manure and commercial nutrients on row-cropped fields. In order for nitrate concentrations to decrease, nutrient management is needed throughout the basin. Two nutrient management specialists will assist landowners in the eleven-county Southeast Minnesota Area with writing nutrient management plans and implementing conservation practices for manure and fertilizer use.
Within an 11-county area in southeastern Minnesota, two Nutrient Management Specialists will work directly with producers to reduce nitrogen, phosphorus, and fecal coliform runoff into surface and ground water in the region and the Mississippi River. The specialists will help producers create or revise nutrient management plans, implement Best Management Practices for manure and fertilizer use, and set up on-farm demonstration projects to support farmer-to-farmer learning.
This project will assist farmers across Southeast Minnesota by providing guidance on management of nutrient sources including livestock manure, commercial fertilizers, and legumes. This project is important because excess nutrients and bacteria are causing negative impacts to the quality of waters. Two Nutrient Management Specialists will work one-on-one with farmers to develop 70 plans each year. Over time, it is anticipated that the number of new nutrient management plans will decrease as acres with plans increase.
Oak Glen Creek is immediately upstream of drinking water intakes for Minneapolis and St. Paul. When it rains, the runoff along Oak Glen Creek runs down bare soil cliffs that are 20 to 30 feet high, causing large amounts of sediment to erode into the creek and make its way to the Mississippi River. This corridor stabilization project will address multiple local and regional priorities and will benefit both cities source water projection efforts.
This Oak Glen Creek stormwater pond expansion and enhancement using an iron enhanced sand filter (IESF) is a partnership between the Anoka Conservation District (ACD) and a private company to protect a downstream corridor stabilization and improve the quality of stormwater discharged to the Mississippi River. Very little stormwater infrastructure currently exists in the 573 acre Oak Glen Creek subwatershed, and it discharges 147,519 pounds of sediment and 353 pounds of phosphorus to the Mississippi River annually.
Little Lake Johanna is not meeting state water quality standards due to excessive phosphorus. The Rice Creek Watershed District, in partnership with the City of Roseville, will improve the water quality of stormwater runoff into Little Lake Johanna through installation of an iron-enhanced sand filter. The Oasis Pond Iron-Enhanced Sand Filter Project will annually remove approximately 34 pounds of phosphorus from runoff to Little Lake Johanna annually. This is equal to nearly 20% of the needed load reduction as established by the Southwest Urban Lakes Total Maximum Daily Load Study.
Residents of Oronoco historically depended on individual wells for all of their potable water needs. Most of these wells are shallow or sand point types and may have elevated levels of nitrates.The City of Oronoco recently completed the first phase of a municipal water system project that will lessen the citizen dependence on individual wells. As residents are connected to the municipal system their existing wells are no longer needed. The wells should be sealed to prevent possible contamination of the city wells.Grant funds will be used to assist with the cost of sealing these wells.
The Otter Tail County Soil and Water Conservation Districts will work to complete individual lake assessments on thirty-eight lakes in Otter Tail County that have enough data for an assessment. These assessments will be incorporated into the County Water Plan and can be used by individual lake associations in completing a lake management plan. These assessments will greatly assist the County and the Soil and Water Conservation Districts prioritize future efforts for water quality improvements and protection projects.
The Otter Tail County Community Conservation Sub-grant Program enables community groups to go beyond planning and take action to protect their water resources. This grant program provides community groups with the means to make positive improvements now, and a venue to grow community and identify further water quality opportunities. Engaging community members in the identification of water protection opportunities helps build connections and foster a stewardship ethic.
This grant program provides community groups with the ability to make positive improvements, a venue to grow community and identify water quality opportunities. Engaging community members in the identification of water protection opportunities helps build connections and foster a stewardship ethic. Selecting projects requires community groups to collaboratively develop priorities among the range of water quality impacts. Implementing projects provides a unique active social enviroment that helps build connections and energy to motivate and grow the community into the next project.
The Otter Tail County Community Partners Grant Project will enable community groups to go beyond planning and take action to protect their water resources. This grant program will provide targeted community groups with the means to make positive improvements now and identify high priority projects for future opportunities. Engaging community members in the identification of water protection opportunities with the data in recently completed lake assessment reports will help build connections and foster a stewardship ethic.
This Initiative is a nine-year plan to take a systematic approach to inventory and analyze all Public Waters within the County. Phase 1 includes identifying areas of concern through GIS analysis of current landuse along Public Waters, and the development of a database of non-compliant landowners which will be updated and maintained. Once landowners have been identified they will receive a joint letter and map stating that they may not be in compliance.
The Otter Tail Water Management District (OTWMD) manages the wastewater for nearly 1,750 private residences near Otter Tail Lake, Deer Lake, and Lake Blanche. There OTWMD is responsible for 101 monitoring wells that were installed in 1984 and 1985 that are no longer being used and need to be properly sealed. The goal of this project is for the East Otter Tail Soil and Water Conservation District (EOTSWCD) to assist the OTWMD in properly sealing 100% of the monitoring wells that are located within the Otter Tail Surficial Aquifer.
The purpose of this project is to develop a detailed tool that can be used in all watersheds within the Otter Tail and Becker counties to prioritize, target, and measure implementation practices at the field scale. The PTM App will significantly increase the targeting capabilities in Otter Tail and Becker Counties. The Watershed Restoration and Protection Strategy has not been completed for Otter Tail County, yet, and the PTM App will be able to assist targeting and prioritizing when those documents are created.
The Otter Tail River is located in west-central Minnesota. Its Lower Otter Tail River (LOTR) reach is impaired for sediment. The LOTR begins at the dam of Orwell Reservoir near Fergus Falls and ends 48 river miles downstream at the confluence with the Bois de Sioux River at Breckenridge. No point sources contribute directly to the LOTR. Consequently, the turbidity impairment must be addressed through non-point measures. Current stream instability and bank erosion is largely a result of an 18-mile channel straightening completed by the Army Corps of Engineers in the 1950s.
This restoration and protection project will reduce the loading of sediment to the Otter Tail River by 440 tons/year. This is about 6.5% of the total reduction needed to meet the goals of the Lower Otter Tail TMDL Implementation Plan. The Otter Tail River downstream of Orwell Dam is impaired due to sediment, with stream bank erosion being the primary contributor. This stream bank restoration will include the installation of woody toe debris benches and the installation of a vegetated slope along a 1,400 foot reach of the river.
Watershed based implementation funds will be used to target conservation practices utilizing the principles associated with Prioritize, Target and Measure as referenced in our Local Comprehensive Watershed Management Plan. Implementation Funds are budgeted for the installation of best management practices and to support staff capacity necessary to implement the plan.
The Otter Tail River is impaired for turbidity. This project involves the installation of 45 side-inlet structures into Wilkin County Ditch 3-2 and 7-1 and 22 acres of buffer strips along the entire systems. Eleven miles of continuous berm will also be constructed along the ditch. When installed these water quality practices will become a permanent part of the ditch system and will be maintained by the ditch authority. These ditches outlet to the Otter Tail River just upstream from Breckenridge, MN. Together these water quality BMPs will reduce sediment loading by 1,375 tons/year.
