The Wetland Habitat Protection and Restoration Program implements conservation of high priority wetland habitat complexes within Minnesota's Prairie, Forest-Prairie Transition and Northern Forest areas. Phase 9 of the Wetlands Program will focus on restoration and enhancement of 983 acres of high priority wetlands and associated prairies to benefit important waterfowl and SGCN populations. Restoration and enhancement work will be managed by the Minnesota Land Trust, in partnership with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Through its Wetland Habitat Protection and Restoration Program - Phase 3 grant, the Minnesota Land Trust protected 666 acres and restored/ enhanced 954 acres of high priority wetland habitat complexes in Minnesota's Prairie and Forest-Prairie Transition areas by securing permanent conservation easements within scientifically prioritized habitat complexes and working with partners in restoration/enhancement.
Phase 7 of the Wetland Habitat Protection and Restoration Program will result in the protection of 1,144 acres of high priority wetland habitat complexes in Minnesota's Prairie and Forest-Prairie Transition areas by securing permanent conservation easements within scientifically prioritized habitat complexes. The Minnesota Land Trust will use its innovative market-based landowner bid model to maximize conservation benefit and financial leverage in protection project selection.
Over the past five years, awareness of our organization has spread across the state. As a result, our attendance numbers have grown by 66%. We regularly hit max capacity, and the demand for outreach programs has gone up. Ex-S.T.R.E.A.M. expansion addresses three specific elements: 1) New space: Renting an additional 2,800 sq. ft of exhibit space to address spatial constraints.
Within Whitewater River Watershed, groundwater is the primary drinking water source for both private and community wells. These drinking water aquifers often lack adequate protective layers making them vulnerable to contamination. Unused wells can deteriorate and pose a serious risk to groundwater quality by providing a pathway for contaminants from the surface to easily travel into groundwater. This project will use cost-share funds to incentivize sealing twelve abandoned wells that are contamination risks to vulnerable aquifers.
This program acquired priority lands and developed them as Wildlife Management Areas (WMA) - six parcels protected totaling over 600 acres, Scientific and Natural Areas (SNA) - one parcel of 900 acres (287 acres credited to this funding ), and Native Prairie Bank (NPB) easements - two parcels totaling almost 200 acres. These lands protect habitat and some provide public hunting, trapping and compatible outdoor uses.
This grant will fund about 45 projects in High Groundwater Priority areas, High Surface Water Priority area, and/or in sub-watershed with stressed/impaired streams for the four WinLaC planning regions. These practices will reduce overland total nitrogen loading and loading to groundwater; reduce overland total phosphorous and sediment; and increase headwater storage and/or reduce peak flow rates and sediment loading.
UMN Extension Center for Youth Development will partner with Winona and Rochester ALCs to engage 40 youth in year-long activities that connect, engage, and empower youth as environmental change-agents.
The project is to research, develop, write and publish the rule and regulations for the sport of Sepak Takraw and Tujlub. Rules and guidelines for type material, size, weights, heights, softness, court sizes, court marking for the age appropriate level of plays. The funds will be used to contract local experts in coaching, officiating and other related athletic and educational areas of up to the publication phase.
Adoption of renewable energy technologies and energy conservation practices can contribute in a variety of ways to the environmental and economic health of rural Minnesota communities through costs savings and emissions reductions. Engaging and coaching students as the leaders in the process of implementing such practices provides the added benefit of increasing knowledge, teaching about potential career paths, and developing leadership experience.
Olmsted Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD) will work in coordination with Goodhue SWCD, Wabasha SWCD, and Dodge County Environmental Services to collect water quality and chemistry parameters on 23 MPCA approved sites within the Zumbro River watershed during the 2023-24 sampling season.
In previous phases of work, a Hydrologic Simulation Program FORTRAN (HSPF) model of the Zumbro River Watershed was developed to simulate hydrology and water quality for the 1995-2009 simulation period (Phase I), applied to evaluate various management scenarios for reducing sediment and nutrient loading (Phase II), and used to develop Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs) for impaired stream segments and inform development of a nutrient TMDL for Rice Lake (Phase III).
Completion of the Master Plan for the Zumbro River Regional Water Trail (ZRRWT). Roughly 150 miles of navigable waters that wind through a diverse landscape before joining the Mississippi River.
OVERALL PROJECT OUTCOME AND RESULTS This project identified and prioritized areas in the Zumbro River Watershed that were determined critical for restoring and protecting water quality. Studies suggested that small areas of the landscape contribute disproportionately to nonpoint source pollution. So implementation of conservation projects that focus on those areas will maximize water quality benefits and ensure efficient use of resources.
2019: The Olmsted County Soil and Water Conservation District will assist the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) with water quality monitoring and pollutant load calculations at four sub-watershed sites in the Zumbro River Watershed. Approximately 25 grab samples per site between ice-out and October 31 of 2019 will be collected along with field measurements and observations.
This project will build upon the outreach and education efforts of the Zumbro Watershed Restoration and Protection Strategy (WRAPS). The targeted area will be residents of the Zumbro River Watershed, specifically individuals and organizations that are not professionally involved in managing natural resources. This project will provide necessary outreach and education during the interim between the Zumbro WRAPS and beginning the One Watershed, One Plan process.
The goal of this project is to test the sensitivity of the Zumbro River Watershed Hydrological Simulation Program FORTRAN (HSPF) model management scenario results. Additional goals are to develop Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs) for impaired stream reaches and Rice Lake, which will be documented in a TMDL Report. The consultant will apply the existing calibrated and validated Zumbro River Watershed HSPF model to construct load duration curves to develop TMDLs.
