For this project, the St. Louis River Alliance will complete the data set for the water quality assessment of six streams in the Lake Superior Basin. These streams include the French River, Talmadge River, East Split Rock River, Skunk Creek, Chester Creek and Tischer Creek.
This project will collect water quality data at sites within the Thief River watershed. Nine monitoring sites were chosen at strategic locations along the Thief River and its significant tributaries.
The Crow Wing County (CWC) Water Plan identifies Island-Loon Lake as a priority lake to enhance due to its significant decline in water clarity and high ratio of impervious surface surrounding the lake. To mitigate the runoff, the Crow Wing Soil and Water Conservation District will partner with the CWC HWY Department, City of Crosslake, Crosslakers, and Whitefish Area Property Owners Association to install three mechanical separators and 13,500 square feet bioretention area that will reduce six pounds of phosphorus and 1 ton of sediment per year from entering the lake.
A contractor with knowledge of Site Specific Standard development will respond to U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) questions and concerns regarding attainability of standards based on the BATHTUB model data. In addition, they will review technical memorandums developed by Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) on aquatic life and aquatic recreational standard attainability.
RESPEC is a contractor with knowledge of site-specific standard development and will respond to United States Environmental Protection Agency questions and concerns regarding attainability of standards. The response will be based on bathtub model data and also a review of technical memorandums developed by the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency on aquatic life and aquatic recreational standard attainability.
A new GIS technician will help prioritize and target conservation activities and protection strategies in nine north-central Minnesota counties. The GIS technician will create GIS products, assessments, and watershed analysis to identify the high priority areas in each County or watershed in need of protection or restoration using all available data, including LiDAR, soils, land use, completed WRAPS and other datasets. These areas will then be targeted for future resource management efforts, Clean Water Fund projects, and additional conservation activities.
The Sauk River watershed was selected to participate in the federal Mississippi River Basin Initiative (MRBI) program in 2010 to decrease nutrient contributions to the Mississippi River and the Gulf of Mexico. The MRBI program provides federal cost share funds to landowners to install conservation practices.
