This proposal seeks to enhance and restore 35 acres of fish and wildlife habitat on the lower Mississippi River in Houston County benefiting bluegill, crappie, bass, deer and Blue-winged and Prothonotary warblers. Sedimentation in Upper Mississippi River (UMR) backwaters and declining UMR floodplain forests are a concern to resource managers, anglers, hunters and recreational users.
This project will revise a recently completed draft Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) report for the Lower Minnesota River Watershed Project. The revision is to correct wasteload allocations for regulated stormwater entities.
The Rice Creek Watershed District is proposing to improve water quality and habitat in Locke Lake and Lower Rice Creek by stabilizing stream banks and bluffs on Lower Rice Creek, reducing in-stream erosion and sediment delivery to Locke Lake, and improving in-stream habitat complexity for fish and invertebrates. Eleven bank stabilization practices would be installed over a continuous 5,400-foot reach in Lower Rice Creek. The anticipated outcome of this project is the prevention of 2,874 tons per year of sediment, which is 58% of the sediment reduction goals for Lower Rice Creek.
This Corridor Habitat Restoration Project is a cooperative effort between the District (WRWD), MN Board of Soil and Water Resources (MNBWSR), MN DNR, and Red River Watershed Management Board (RRWMB). This is a voluntary program with the long-term goal to restore a natural corridor area along the Lower Reach of the Wild Rice River. When completed, the project will restore 23 channelized river miles to 50 miles of natural stream channel.
The United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) requires the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) to carry out the Total Maximum Daily Load Program (TMDL) in the state of Minnesota. Minnesota has an abundance of lakes and river reaches, many of which will require a TMDL study. In an effort to expedite the completion of TMDL projects, the MPCA constructs watershed models. These models support the development of TMDL studies for multiple listings within a watershed. In 2017 the Lake of the Woods (LOW) watershed HSPF model was extended through 2014.
The purpose of this work is to develop a Watershed Restoration and Protection Strategy (WRAPS) and associated Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) documents for the Lower Rainy River and Rainy River Rainy Lake Watersheds.
The goal of the Dakota History Symposium at Lower Sioux Agency is to reclaim Dakota voice in a narrative that under-represents Dakota perspective and cultural worldview while providing opportunity for exiled Dakota to reconnect to their shared history, disrupting dominant power dynamics that restrict Dakota truth-telling. Hosting a Dakota-led educational event will enhance public understanding, broaden worldviews perspective and increase access to historic truths of the State of Minnesota.
The goal of the Cansayapi Dakota Iapi (Language) Program is to establish a permanent Dakota language program at Lower Sioux that promotes continuous language learning and speaking opportunities across the generations and community.
Channelization of the Lower Otter Tail River in the early 1950s converted 18 miles of sinuous river channel to 11 miles of straight channel and resulted in the loss of several thousand acres of wetland, and prairie habitat within the river's corridor. Through a partnership between the Buffalo-Red River Watershed District, the Wilkin Soil & Water Conservation District, and the Minnesota Board of Water and Soil Resources, this proposal will permanently protect 410 acres (est.) of private lands in easements.
Objective 1: Increase Dakota language immersion capacity of at least 30 early childhood educators and staff. Objective 2: Introduce and expand Dakota language learning among up to 26 students in grades 9-12 at Cedar Mountain Secondary School. Objective 3: Promote 15 K-8 youth, family, and community engagement in the language through classes, apprenticeships, and community events at the new Lower Sioux Intergenerational Incubator.
Objective 1: By 06/30/2024, increase Dakota language immersion capacity of at least 30 early childhood educators and staff. Objective 2: By 06/30/2024, introduce and expand Dakota languages learning among up to 26 students in grades 9-12 at Cedar Mountain Secondary School Objective 3: by 06/30/2024, promote 150 K-8 youth, family and community engagement in the language through classes, apprenticeships, and community events at the new Lower Sioux Intergenerational Incubator.
Objective 1: By September 30, 2025, increase full time teachers with at least intermediate-mid fluency from 2 to 3 at Lower Sioux/Cansayapi. Objective 2: By September 30, 2025, increase Dakota fluency of two (2) early childhood language nest teachers' Dakota language fluency to at least intermediate low as measured by the ACTFL fluency scale. Objective 3:By September 30, 2025, increase language speaking at home from weekly to daily among 50 families and increase fluency of 20 families by .5-1 level on the ACTFL fluency scale.
Objective 1: By 06/30/2024, increase Dakota language immersion capacity of at least 30 early childhood educators and staff. Objective 2: By 06/30/2024, introduce and expand Dakota languages learning among up to 26 students in grades 9-12 at Cedar Mountain Secondary School Objective 3: by 06/30/2024, promote 150 K-8 youth, family and community engagement in the language through classes, apprenticeships, and community events at the new Lower Sioux Intergenerational Incubator.
This Sauk River Watershed District project will conduct the Whitney Park river clean-up, adopt a river program and other community events as part of their healthy living programs; will collaborate with the city of St. Cloud to install a rain garden demonstration site at Whitney Park; use local radio and public television stations to promote the District’s “neighborhood rain garden initiative” and other incentive programs.
This project will include analysis of existing and newly collected water quality data to verify the impairments on the currently listed reaches and to determine the status of the remaining river reaches as being either impaired or currently meeting standards. Stakeholder involvement and public participation will be a focus throughout the Watershed Approach Project. The project provides an opportunity to assess and leverage the capacity for the local community to engage in the process of watershed management and to adopt protection and restoration practices.
This program resulted in permanent protection of three parcels totaling 350 acres. All three parcels are now being managed as Wildlife Management Areas (WMA) by MN DNR. This exceeds the original goal of 319 acres. Acquisition of two other parcels were attempted, but the offers were turned down by the sellers.
Objective 1: By July 14 2020, increase Dakota language speaking among 20 preschool students age, 3-5 years. Objective 2: Extend Dakota language speaking supports and success through family language training, reaching at least 10 families, or 50% of student families by July 14,2020. Objective 3: By July 14 2020, continue to develop Dakota language resources and materials for learners of all ages, including at least 4 new Dakota language books and 10 short Dakota language videos.
Objective 1: By July 14 2020, increase Dakota language speaking among 20 preschool students age, 3-5 years. Objective 2: Extend Dakota language speaking supports and success through family language training, reaching at least 10 families, or 50% of student families by July 14, 2020. Objective 3: By July 14, 2020, continue to develop Dakota language resources and materials for learners of all ages, including at least 4 new Dakota language books and 10 short Dakota language videos.
Objective 1: By July 14, 2020, increase Dakota language speaking among 60 children ages. Objective 2: Introduce and expand Dakota language learning among 45 secondary students by July 2020. Objective 3: By July 14, 2021, promote family and community engagement in the language, reaching at least 100 adults through classes and social media.
Objective 1: By July 14, 2020, increase Dakota language speaking among 60 children ages birth to 5 years. Objective 2: Introduce an expand Dakota language learning among 45 secondary students by July 2020. Objective 3: By July 14, 2021, promote family and community engagement in the language, reaching at least 100 adults through classes and social media.
The Lower Mississippi River Habitat Restoration Partnership is a long-term effort to restore habitat connectivity and improve water quality in critical areas along the Mississippi River corridor from the Twin Cities to the Iowa border by reconnecting tributaries to their floodplains, revitalizing backwaters and channels, and protecting and restoring floodplain forests, wetlands, and prairies that are essential to sustaining the incredible diversity of plants, animals, and human uses provided by this great river.
Channelization of the Lower Wild Rice River in the early 1900s converted 50 miles of sinuous river channel to 23 miles of straight channel and resulted in the loss of several thousand acres of wetland and grassland habitat within the river's corridor. Through a partnership between the Wild Rice Watershed District and the Minnesota Board of Water and Soil Resources, this proposal will permanently protect 430 acres of private lands in easements.
With a new grant from MIAC, CWOO will focus on expanding Dakota language teaching capacities for Lower Sioux. In the 2020 Lower Sioux Annual Community Survey, the Community reported that 27% of the membership are learning Dakota, up from 20% in 2019 but not yet at our target of 33% by 2022. Respondents (representing half of the enrolled adult members of the tribe) revealed that only 13% of members speak Dakota daily. This is not adequate to revitalize our mother tongue. To achieve more consistent speaking of Dakota, Lower Sioux must expand its efforts.
The purpose of Cansayapi's 2022/2023 Immersion grant request is to leverage and strengthen the new foundation for Dakota language learning and speaking we've built, thanks in part to continuous MIAC support over the past five years. Previous MIAC grants have helped us with hiring the first Dakota language teacher in our community and adding Dakota language classes into the two nearby high schools and supporting staffing and activities within basic operations in our new immersion school, CWOO.
The Lower Mississippi River Habitat Partnership included three distinct project components. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service enhanced 700 acres of wetland and bottomland forest habitat on the Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge’s (Refuge) Root River Tract in Houston County.
This project is designed to reduce sediment in the Wild River River based on a state approved plan (TMDL). The estimated water quality benefits completed by this project are 12,980 (120 truckloads) tons of soil saved per year, which will assist in reducing turbidity impairments downstream on the LWRR.
This project will reduce sediment and nutrient loading to the main stem and local tributaries of the Lower Minnesota River (LMR) by providing cost share for practices that treat ravine headcut and channel erosion, streambank/shoreline erosion, ephemeral gully erosion, and direct-discharging open inlet drainage systems. Targeted Best Management Practices (BMPs) will include but not be limited to grade control structures, grassed/lined waterways, water & sediment control basins, shoreline/streambank stabilization and alternative tile inlets.
The Lower Mississippi River Feedlot Management in MN project will be leveraging State funding from BWSR to provide match for a United States Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service (USDA-NRCS) Regional Conservations Partners Program (RCPP). BWSR will provide technical and financial assistance to plan and design projects to mitigate feedlot runoff from smaller (less than 300 animal units or AUs*), open lot feedlots in southeastern Minnesota.
This project builds on the momentum of previous Clean Water Fund grants in making significant and quantifiable sediment, nutrient and runoff volume reductions to address the turbidity, dissolved oxygen and other impairments of the Lower Minnesota River (LMR). These water quality improvements will be achieved by constructing on-the-ground conservation best management practices (BMPs) in the targeted watersheds -including specifically Sand and Roberts Creek - and near channel sources.
The goal of this project is to develop draft Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) computations for six impaired lakes and two impaired streams, and to provide TMDL development documentation for selected draft TMDL report sections.
This project will plan, implement, and report on a community engagement strategy for identifying community/landowner opportunities, obstacles, and opinions on land management and water quality that will result in the identification of Watershed Restoration and Protection Strategies (WRAPS) input for the Sibley, Nicollet, Renville, McLeod, Rice, and LeSueur County areas of the Lower Minnesota River watershed.
The project will plan, implement, and report on a community engagement strategy for identifying community/landowner opportunities, obstacles, and opinions on land management and water quality that will result in the identification of Watershed Restoration and Protection Strategies (WRAPS) input for the Sibley, Nicollet, Renville, McLeod, Rice, and Le Sueur County areas of the Lower Minnesota River watershed.
Radio Tower Bay: 115,000 cubic yards of wood material was removed to increase water depth, provide greater habitat diversity, promote native aquatic vegetation and increase recreational access.Knowlton Creek: 6,500 linear feet of degraded stream was restored by reshaping and creating new stream channels; constructing instream structures; and native planting and seeding to stabilize the stream and minimize sediment into the Estuary.21st Ave W/Interstate Island: Restored 2 acres of critical nesting habitat for the Common Tern and Piping Plover.Wild Rice: Restored 133 acres of wild rice in the
Reestablish the Lower Sioux Cultural Resource dedicated solely towards tribal youthby hiring workforce to manage and oversee programming. Increase cultural, language and beliefs into all youth programs - develop and format cultural based youth programming. Strengthen and open dialogue between the youth and elder populations to pass on language and cultural knowlege; build partnership with Lower Sioux Senior Services. Utilize technology to aid in education and awareness; create technological resources geared specifically toward youth language learning.
