Funds for RIM conservation easements build on Clean Water Fund (CWF) investments for restoration and protection projects that "stack" habitat and clean water benefits. Projects will be identified in watershed plans developed through BWSR's One Watershed, One Plan program, in which local governments strategically set priorities for clean water and habitat, target implementation, and set measurable goals. BWSR currently distributes CWF dollars to partnerships with approved plans for water quality projects.
Improvements and reconstruction of Locomotive Park, a National Historic Landmark, through interpretation signage at different locations on the site to tell the story of Mountain Iron mine and the miner's heritage in the community.
The Works Museum will design, fabricate, and install a new exhibit with partners from Minnesota's East African, Hmong, and Latinx communities that forwards elementary education goals and celebrates Minnesota's rich cultural diversity.
In order to more closely meet national museum standards, the MDC purchased the StEPS program and created a PastPerfect database that recorded information on 4,037 objects in their collections. Objects documenting Iron Range history were identified and inventoried. The inventory process included moving an object to a processing location, writing descriptions, researching the objects function and name, noting the objects location and then entering the data collected into the database. Then the object was re-packaged and returned to its home location.
A 1’ scale model of the gallery, developed a visitor traffic flow plan, developed specs for new exhibit walls/structures, researched & developed major exhibit themes & topic areas and developed preliminary activities for these topic areas. The exhibit design allows free movement within the gallery, allowing visitors to enter from either the south or the north door. Visitors move about freely with no dead-ends or backtracking required, which accommodates large groups of school children without diminishing their experience.
Banners, displays and educational tools were used to create an exhibit telling the history of the Iron Range through the personal narrative of 10 area residents. Research of these individuals was conducted using primary sources from the Iron Range including: oral histories, census reports, newspaper articles and maps. The life and times of each individual gives a perspective of the Iron Range from a specific time period and cultural climate.
Funding supports an Irrigation Specialist to develop guidance and provide education on irrigation and nitrogenbest management practices (BMPs). In this position, Dr. Vasu Sharma provides direct support to irrigators onissues of irrigation scheduling and soil water monitoring. She is collaborating on the development of new irrigationscheduling tools that help irrigators manage water and nitrogen resources more precisely. These tools help reducenitrogen leaching losses in irrigated cropping systems.
Woody biomass energy systems have shown themselves to offer more locally-based, stable energy supplies for some communities. Itasca Community College is using this appropriation to design a renewable energy system based on woody biomass that will serve as a demonstration and educational tool in the region.
The Kairos Alive! Cultural Wisdom Immersion and Sharing Project collaborates with Centro Tyrone Guzman, Augustana Open Circle, Walker West Music Academy and outstate Developmental Achievement Centers to explore and exchange joyful cultural meaning through music, dance, song and story via 2-way Zoom webcast. Project explores cultural heritage and identity expression, and how it relates to the universality of human experience, in an environment of creative safety and intercultural exchange.
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.
To hire a qualified and experienced HVAC engineer to evaluate the current system in preparation for better control of the Kensington Area Heritage Society museum environment.
In order to update a control system that had surpassed its life-expectancy and to maintain a proper museum environment, the SCHS upgraded the HVAC system control software and front end computer. They were replaced with a new KMC LAN controller and Total Control software. The new system provides improved emvironmental control and energy conservation.
Historic Knife River flooding has led to stream channel degradation. This degradation resulted in slumping streambanks, sediment discharge exceeding the total maximum daily load (TMDL) and the loss of instream trout habitat. This is LSSA's 6th LSOHC Grant proposal in the Knife River. Since the LSSA began grant work on the Knife River (2013), the DNR has observed a 215% increase in the adult steelhead population. Our LSOHC projects have also stabilized ~2 miles of stream channel, restored ~15,000 feet of streambanks and reduced annual sediment discharge by 700 tons.
The Knife River is a popular trout fishing river along the North Shore of Lake Superior. In 1998, it was listed as "impaired" by the MPCA for turbidity (being too muddy). In 2010, a Total Maximum Daily Load, or, water clean-up plan was approved. The major recommendations were to address peak flows (fast
Phase I work was conducted on the main Knife River and its Main West Branch tributary. Primary goals were met and these goals include: stream connectivity, riparian zone tree planting, stream assessment and black ash stand identification. • Stream Connectivity - repaired Second Falls on the main Knife River. • Tree Planting - two volunteer and one CCM projects where several thousand trees were planted.
The goal of PH II-Knife River Habitat Rehabilitation project was to improve instream habitat, stabilize slumping streambanks and restore the immediate riparian zone.
Instream habitat and streambank stabilization was achieved by rehabilitating a 2200-foot stretch of stream utilizing Natural Channel Design methodology. This project reduced turbidity by stabilizing four slumping streambanks and creating instream habitat in two areas for adult trout spawning and two areas for 1+ juvenile rearing. Riparian plantings also occurred in this area.
Historic flooding led to severe habitat degradation throughout the Knife River watershed. Including miles of slumping streambanks, thousands of tons of sediment discharge, turbidity measurements exceeding the MPCA's TMDL and loss of instream trout habitat. DNR has documented a 200% increase in adult steelhead population, two miles of restored stream channel, 10,000 feet of stabilized streambanks and annual reduction of sediment discharge by 1,000 tons due to our projects.
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 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.
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.
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.
The Lake Superior Beach Monitoring and Notification Program exists to test recreational beach water and notify the public if bacteria levels become unsafe. This project will expand the Beach Program to include additional outreach efforts, sanitary surveys and testing of new technologies to improve the Beach Program. Monitoring results will be used to inform the public, find the sources of bacterial contamination and address polluted runoff from improper waste disposal.
