The Reinvest in Minnesota (RIM) Reserve Wetlands Reserve Program (WRP) Partnership will accelerate the restoration and protection of approximately 4,620 acres of previously drained wetlands and associated upland native grassland wildlife habitat complexes via perpetual conservation easements. The goal of the RIM-WRP Partnership is to achieve the greatest wetland functions and values, while optimizing wildlife habitat on every acre enrolled in the partnership.
The Reinvest in Minnesota (RIM) Wetlands Partnership Phase VI protected and restored 1,391 acres of previously drained wetlands and adjacent grasslands on 15 conservation easements.
Minnesota's wetlands provide crucial habitat for waterfowl and other wildlife, assist in flood control, and help maintain water quality. However, the state has lost half the wetlands that existed before European settlement and these drained wetlands have not been mapped as part of the National Wetlands Inventory. This appropriation is enabling efforts by Ducks Unlimited to provide a complement to the National Wetlands Inventory by identifying and mapping drained wetlands that have the potential to be restored to provide their various benefits once again.
Under the CREP partnership with USDA, 71 easements were recorded on a total of 4,365 acres to restore previously drained wetlands and adjacent uplands. The easements were accomplished with local implementation done by SWCD, NRCS and FSA staff within the 54 county CREP area and leveraged federal funds for both landowner payments and cost share for conservation practice installation.
The Clean Water Fund (CWF) and Outdoor Heritage Fund (OHF) were used together to secure easements on buffer areas. 25 easements have been recorded for a total of 672.1 acres and are reported in the output tables for the final report (acre total does not include Clean Water Fund acres). The total acreage from both CWF and OHF sources for recorded easements is 1,152.4 acres. Only the OHF acres are being reported in this final report to be consistent with the approved accomplishment plan.
The Reinvest in Minnesota (RIM) Wetlands Partnership Phase V protected and restored 2,041 acres of previously drained wetlands and adjacent native grasslands on 23 conservation easements. All easements have been recorded. $35,000 of funds from other sources were also used.
We propose identifying hot spots of groundwater chloride pollution of surface waters due to excessive road salt use, which is a long term source increasing chloride impairment of surface waters.
To hire a qualified historian to complete the nomination to the National Register of Historic Places for the 1895 District 3 Rollag School House, Hawley, MN.
To create an area dedicated to arts, cultural heritage, and MN history exhibits at the Roseau County Fair. The display will rotate annually; for 2012, the Roseau County Historical Society will display pictures and video of the 2002 flood in Roseau County, and displays of old washing machines and saws used by the logging industry.
The Lake of the Woods Watershed Assessment will include the waters of Warroad River and Willow River in Roseau County where sites are located in the lower reaches of each surface water system. This assessment focuses on collection of water chemistry and field parameters at four sites.
Over a century ago, the Roseau River in the northwestern corner of Roseau County was channelized by the State with the establishment of State Ditch 51. The Roseau River Watershed District and Minnesota DNR, through multiple phases, will cooperatively restore a total of 13.6 miles of river channel, adding 366 acres of high-quality large river habitat within the Roseau River WMA and enhancing the river's riparian habitat corridor. This project is the first phase and will begin progress towards restoring the Roseau River.
Phase 1 of the Roseau River Watershed Restaration and Protection Strategy (WRAPS) project will focus on planning and coordination among project partners, creating a civic engagement strategic plan, holding a watershed kick-off meeting, gathering and summarizing available watershed information and data, and developing a data gap monitoring plan.
The Roseau River Watershed Assessment will include the waters of the Roseau River, Sprague Creek, Hay Creek and Hayes Lake. All of the monitoring sites, except one, are located in Roseau County, with the exception being located in Kittson County. This assessment focuses on collection of water chemistry and field parameters at one site on Hayes Lake and seven key sites on the Roseau River, which have been identified by MPCA. These sites are located in the lower reaches of each surface water system.
This is the second phase of the Roseau River Watershed Restoration and Protection Strategy (WRAPS) project, which includes: developing the Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) study, pollutant load allocations, watershed restoration and protection strategies, and conducting civic engagement.
The goal of this project is to construct, calibrate and validate a watershed model using Hydologic Simulation Program FORTRAN (HSPF) for the Roseau River Watershed.
The goal of this project is to develop a Roseau Lake Water Quality Improvement Report that will include a prioritized, targeted, and measurable implementation plan that will improve water quality in the Roseau Lake watershed. The project will result in development of site specific implementation actions through use of the Prioritize, Targeting, and Measuring Application (PTMApp) and the Drained Wetland Basin Inventory terrain analysis methods.
This multi-purpose project will partially restore a large drained lake, restore and reclaim stream reaches, provide water level management capacity to substantially improve wildlife habitat conditions and provide flood damage reduction benefits, and will contribute to water quality improvements in the Roseau River.
255 acres were acquired in 2021 using OHF funding. These are acres allowed the dike to be aligned with the beach ridge of the lake.
Construction of Phase 1 (see map) was initiated in September 2023. The northwest embankment was built and a weir steering the main flow of the Roseau River into a natural oxbow was installed. A water control structure (on Pine Creek) and finishing work on the dike will be completed this year.
The CREST team wants to create a mobile lab with innovative, engaging educational activities that would be used to travel to underserved, underrepresented schools and community events in Northwest Minnesota
Scientific and Natural Area (SNA) strategic acquisition (~85 acres) will conserve Minnesota's most unique places and rare species for everyone's benefit.
This education project will continue building the next generation of conservationists in Minnesota by engaging youths and adults in science and outdoor learning through radio, podcasts, newsletters and schoolyard exploration.
This Phase 6 request for Ducks Unlimited's land protection and restoration program will acquire and restore 600 acres of prairie land on shallow lakes and prairie land with restorable wetlands in the Prairie Pothole Region of SW Minnesota for transfer to the Minnesota DNR for inclusion in the state Wildlife Management Area system. This land acquisition and restoration work will focus on land that buffers shallow lakes and provides breeding habitat for ducks and other prairie wildlife.
This Phase 10 request funds Ducks Unlimited's prairie wetland acquisition and restoration program. DU will acquire and restore 660 acres of prairie land containing wetlands in the Prairie Pothole Region of SW Minnesota for transfer to the Minnesota DNR for inclusion in the state WMA system. This land acquisition and restoration program focuses on restoring cropland with drained wetlands along shallow lakes and adjoining WMAs to help restore prairie wetland habitat complexes for breeding ducks and other wildlife.
