Granite rock outcrops along the Upper Minnesota River are among the oldest exposed rock in North America, dating back approximately 3.6 billion years. These outcrops are also home to rare and specialized plant and animal communities rarely found elsewhere in Minnesota, including several types of cactus and one of Minnesota's only three lizard species, the five-lined skink. However, these rock outcrops are increasingly threatened by mining, overgrazing, and development.
Private wells provide drinking water for the rural residents of Lac qui Parle County. This project will retrofit 35 well pits allowing the homeowner to continue using a serviceable well while safeguarding the source of their drinking water. Well pits, which are similar to a below-ground cistern, were once a common practice to prevent freezing in the winter. Many of these pits remain in use today. However, well pits are subject to flooding, especially if they are located in a floodplain. Flooding can contaminate the well and groundwater with bacteria from unknown sources.
This project will, over a 27 month period, fund a 0.75 Full Time Equivalent Conservation Planning Specialist position to update approximately 400 United States Department of Agriculture Highly Erodable Lands conservation plans on 40,000 acres in high priority areas within the Root River watershed. Currently, only 5% of the USDA conservation plans -approximately 40 per year - are being checked for compliance, and this project will increase that number to 150 or more per year.
