The Jackson County Soil and Water Conservation District will collect water quality and chemistry parameters on two stream sites in the Des Moines Watershed during the 2022 – 2023 sampling seasons. The sites will be monitored according to the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency’s (MPCA) water monitoring standard opperating procedures. All samples will be sent to an approved laboratory and all data will be analyzed and interpreted by the MPCA.
Jackson SWCD will collect water chemistry data at three sites; West Fork Little Sioux River, Little Sioux River, and the Loon Lake Outlet. A full suite of lab and field parameters will be collected May - September in 2011 and 2012 at all three sites.
The goal of this project is monitoring, assessment and data collection in six un-assessed streams and three lakes in the Snake River watershed, in addition to the implementation of sixteen approved Best Management Practices (BMP's), ten forest stewardship plan developments, community outreach, education and civic engagement activities.
This project encompasses surface water quality sampling within the Snake River Watershed over a period of two years (2017-18). This is the cycle II monitoring as follow-up to the original Snake River Watershed monitoring 10 years ago as part of the Watershed Restoration and Protection Strategy Report (WRAPS). This project shall provide follow-up data on the waters in the Snake River Watershed in regards to changes in water quality over this 10-year cycle. The current sampling project will entail sampling 5 lakes and 11 stream sites.
Revise Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) lesson plans about karst geology and groundwater protection, to align with new Minnesota Science Standards (2019) and provide grade level recommendations. The project will add or remove activities so that the lessons better support grade-specific standards and approaches to learning. The plans will also provide recommendations regarding communicating to local teachers in southeast Minnesota and how to support the use of the lesson plans.
This project will gather watershed data necessary for the development of a comprehensive watershed management plan with parameter-specific thresholds that will maintain or improve water quality for the Kawishiwi Watershed.
The purpose of this work is to develop Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs; a federal clean Water Act requirement) for streams and lakes in the Kettle River and Upper St. Croix watersheds. This and other technical information will be used to develop a separate report called a Watershed Restoration and Protection Strategy (WRAPS) report.
This project is to initiate a basic outreach and education plan for the Kettle River Watershed as a first step in a longer-term strategy to engage citizens in watershed problem solving and actions to restore or protect waters. Carlton County has developed the following vision for civic engagement in the Kettle River Watershed: To educate and inspire Kettle River Watershed residents to become more involved and engaged in Water Quality protection and restoration efforts.
Starting in 2016 the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) will be collecting monitoring data on many lakes and streams in the Kettle River and Upper Saint Croix Watersheds. While this information will be useful to assess the overall health of the watershed, it will miss locations in the watershed that can provide critical information to local implementers, local governments, and citizens.
Project between Minnesota Department of Natural Resources and United States Army Corp of Engineers at Knowlton Creek Watershed to address a large amount of sediment deposited into the St. Louis River Area of Concern (AOC).
The goal of this project is to develop, implement, and evaluate the impacts of co-developed civic engagement outcomes for the Big Fork and Littlefork River Watersheds.
The Big Fork River Watershed Assessment will include the waters of the Big Fork, Sturgeon River, Caldwell Brook, Bear River, and Bowstring River. This Assessment will also include Mirror Lake, Battle Lake, Bass Lake, Larson Lake, Gunn Lake, Coon Sandwick Lake, Busties Lake, Dead Horse Lake, North Star Lake, Burns Lake, Big Ole Lake, Big Island Lake, Bello Lake, Maple Lake, Long Lake, Jessie Lake, Trestle Lake, Clear Lake, Dora Lake, Moose Lake, Shallow Pond Lake, and Island Lake.
The Koochiching County SWCD staff will collect water chemistry and field parameters at specific times to determine amount of contaminant load into each stream. These sites will coincide with locations where stream flow data is also being collected. This project will focus on watershed load monitoring in both the Big Fork and Little Fork River watersheds.
Lac qui Parle-Yellow Bank Watershed District will collect water chemistry samples from the three lakes and twenty-nine stream sites in the Lac qui Parle and Minnesota Headwaters watersheds following the MPCA’s Intensive Watershed Monitoring (IWM) plan for lakes and streams. Eleven samples will be collected at each lake from May through September during 2015 and 2016. Eleven samples will be collected at each of the twenty-nine stream sites in 2015. In addition, sixteen samples at each stream site will be collected in 2015 and 2016 following the E.
The primary goal of this project is to partner with stakeholders in the development of a comprehensive Watershed Restoration and Protection Strategies (WRAPS) report to be used on the local level. Achieving this goal will require sound working relationships between local government units (LGUs), watershed citizens, and state and federal government. Gathering input from these groups will be critical when the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) drafts a WRAPS Report that can be utilized by local decision-makers.
The goal of this project is to establish load reduction requirements for impaired waters and to develop restoration strategies to improve water quality for impaired waters and protection strategies to maintain the quality of water for water bodies meeting standards.
Previous research by the St. Croix Watershed Research Station (SCWRS) has identified lake physics (temperature and oxygen) and nutrient recycling (nitrogen and phosphorus) as key drivers of lake algal blooms. SCWRS will conduct monitoring consistent with the prior research efforts by re-deploying three moored buoys to collect data throughout the 2019 ice-free season, including surface water samples. Additionally, SCWRS will deploy an in situ flourometer to measure total algae and cyanobacteria concentrations and will collect and analyze cyanobacterial toxins.
The purpose of this project is for Lake County Soil and Water Conservation District to continue to assist with the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency’s watershed approach and Watershed Restoration and Protection Strategy (WRAPS) process in the Rainy River Headwaters and Cloquet River watersheds. As part of this, Lake County Soil and Water Conservation District will lead efforts to increase levels of civic engagement and community participation in support of the current WRAPS process.
Contractor will address MPCA comments to the pre-public notice draft Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) study for the Lake of the Woods watershed and produce a revised study ready for public notice. RESPEC will also prepare for and participate in two webinar-style public meetings once the study is on public notice.
This project will collect water quality data for four stream sites and six lake sites within the Lake Superior South major
watershed as part of the 10-year cycle for monitoring Minnesota's waters. Due to the large number and geographic extent of
The purpose of this project is to continue supporting the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency in responding to public comments on the Lake Pepin Watershed Phosphorus Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) study, which was prepared by LimnoTech under previous work orders.
This project will compile and review previously conducted studies and will prioritize best management practices (BMPs) based on a cost-benefit analysis of their pollutant load reductions and life cycle costs. It will also support the design and construction of BMPs, such as rain gardens and infiltration practices, within the Villa Park subwatershed of the Lake McCarrons watershed.
The goal of this project is to assess and leverage the capacity for the local community to engage in the process of watershed management in the Lake Superior Basin within Lake County and to adopt protection and restoration practices.
The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) will partner with the Science Museum of Minnesota Saint Croix Watershed Research Station (SCWRS) - to collect sediment cores from six basins in the Lake of the Woods (LOW) to analyze the total sediment phosphorus inventory in each basin and compare those results to results from a similar study conducted in 2012.
Lake of the Woods Watershed Assessment will include the tributary waters of Zippel, Williams and Bostic Creeks in Lake of the Woods (LOW) County. This assessment focuses on collection of water chemistry and field parameters at three key sites identified by the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) and field parameters only at one site identified by LOW SWCD. Two of the sites will have extra phosphorus and chlorophyll analysis completed as identified by the MPCA for collecting river nutrients.
The consultant LimnoTech will support response to Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) comments the peer review process, United States Environmental Protection Agency and public notice. They will then revise the TMDL document as needed and attend internal and external project meetings.
The goal of this project is to finalize the Lake Pepin Watershed phosphorus total maximum daily load (TMDL) report by using the existing information and documentation prepared under previous contracts to prepare one TMDL report that addresses the impairments on the mainstem of the Mississippi River. Information developed to date for draft TMDLs on the Minnesota River mainstem will be documented for later use by the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency.
This project will complete data collection on 11 lakes over a 2 year period in the Pomme de Terre Watershed. The data collected will be be used in the Major Watershed Project proposed for this watershed.
Improved levels of civic engagement and community participation in support for the Watershed Restoration and Protection Strategy (WRAPS) processes in the St. Louis River, Lake Superior South, and Cloquet River Watersheds. Monitoring plans and compiled field data will be provided and summarized that will aid in the future completion of Total Maximum Daily Load Reports (TMDLs) in these watersheds and in the Lake Superior North Watershed.
The goal of this project is to support the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) in responding to public comments on the Lake Pepin Watershed Phosphorus Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs), which were prepared by LimnoTech under previous phases of the project.
This project is to conduct water chemistry monitoring at two subwatershed sites and two major watershed sites based on flow conditions, targeting runoff events using protocols defined in the Watershed Pollutant Load Monitoring Network (WPLMN) Standard Operating Procedures and Guidance. The data collected will be submitted to Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) and used for calculating pollutant loads. This loading information, in turn, will be used at both the state and local level to guide policy and strategies for the restoration and protection of Minnesota’s waters.
This project will determine pre- and post-settlement nutrient trends from sediment chronology, fossil diatom assemblages, and from sediment profiles representing human history in the region (i.e., at least 150 years). Project activities include sample collection; sample preparation; diatom analysis; database creation and management; and data interpretation. Sample cores will be taken on the Lake of the Woods in five major bays (i.e., Four-mile, Muskeg, Sabaskong, Little Traverse, and Big Traverse) in the southern basin.
This project, beginning in Spring of 2014 and lasting until December 2015, will collect water quality data for 16 sites (7 lakes and 4 stream sites) within the Rainy River - Headwaters Major Watershed as part of the 10-year cycle for monitoring Minnesota's waters. Due to the large number and geographic extent of monitoring sites Lake County Soil and Water Conservaion District (SWCD) has coordinated site selection with North St. Louis County Soil and Water Conservaion District (SWCD) and will monitor sites within the southwestern (Kawishiwi River) portion of the watershed.
The purpose of this project is to gain an understanding of modern and historical nutrient and thermal dynamics in Lake of the Woods using modeling, monitoring, sediment core analysis, and whole basin techniques.
The goal of this project is to prepare a draft Lake Pepin Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) Report. Lake Pepin is impaired by high levels of nutrients that cause excessive growth of algae.
This project will provide monitoring of four of the major watersheds (8-digit Hydrologic Unit Codes) in the western part of the Rainy River Basin. Staff from the Lake of the Woods SWCD will conduct water quality sampling, review, manage and provide collected data to the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA).
This project will repair and upgrade the water control structure and provide water quality enhancement measures on Oasis Pond in Roseville, Minnesota. This project will also protect the quality of downstream receiving waters; specifically Lake Johanna, by reducing phosphorus pollutant loads.
