The Cannon River and its subwatersheds are priority resources in multiple local and regional plans including the NCRWMO Watershed Plan, Cannon River Comprehensive Watershed Management Plan and the Dakota County Groundwater Plan. Agricultural BMPs, both structural and non-structural, are targeted based upon cost/benefit. The outreach, planning, and feasibility activities will further the goals of the Plans listed above.
The proposed project will provide cost share funding and technical assistance for landowners to design and implement medium-sized water quality BMPs. The installation of these projects will have measurable outcomes that will benefit water quality. BMPs could include gully stabilizations, infiltration basins, bioretention basins, hydrodynamic separators, other stormwater runoff controls and streambank and shoreline protections.
The Vermillion River and its subwatersheds are priority resources in local and regional plans including the Vermillion River Watershed Management Plan and the Dakota County Groundwater Plan. Prioritized agricultural BMPs and nitrate reduction BMPs, a subwatershed analysis, and project development of irrigation and groundwater protection practices will further the goals of the plans above.
Over the past 10 years, the Chisago SWCD has invested heavily in the Chisago Lakes Chain of Lakes watershed. In 2020, the fruits of that investment paid off when North and South Center Lakes, formerly impaired for excess nutrients, were de-listed from the MN Impaired Waters List. The other 16 lakes within the watershed are showing improving trends in Total Phosphorus (TP) and Chlorophyll-a concentrations and increasing clarity of the water.
The St. Croix River escarpment has been a focal point for the Chisago SWCD for over 11 years with a multi-phase targeted plan to reduce Total Phosphorus (TP) and sediment loading to the St. Croix River and Lake St. Croix. The Lower St. Croix River Comprehensive Watershed Management Plan (LSC CWMP) prioritizes the continuation of improving trends of TP and sediment to the St. Croix River and Lake St. Croix. In 2011, the SWCD received a Clean Water Fund (CWF) to complete an assessment of erosion along the St. Croix River escarpment.