This project will implement specific projects that address strategies identified in the comprehensive local water management plan and will consist of stabilizing over 3,000 feet of eroding stream channel, eliminating a fish migration barrier, and improving aquatic and riparian habitat by increasing sinuosity, rebuilding the incised channel, and recreating the floodplain in Porter and Picha Creeks; Previous landowner discussions, alternative selection and design alternatives have been accomplished or are in process.
This project will support the monitoring of reaches where there are data gaps, incorporate new data and relevant data, continue identification of pollutant sources, complete load duration curves, coordinate and encourage participation in stakeholder meetings. The information gathered during Phase IIB will be utilized towards the development of a Draft Restoration (TMDL) and Protection Plan (Plan).
Prior Lake has long been a regional recreation destination including swimming, boating and fishing. The lake gets year-round use from anglers pursuing bass, panfish and walleye. The undulating landscape and the lake itself are important groundwater recharge features for regional water resources including the Savage Fen, Eagle Creek water supply aquifers and the Minnesota River. The management of water quality in Prior Lake is top priority for the Prior Lake-Spring Lake Watershed District (PLSLWD) and other local partners.
The management of water quality and water levels in the Spring and Prior chain of lakes has been top priority for the Prior Lake-Spring Lake Watershed District (PLSLWD) and local partners. Fluctuating water levels affect recreational use and shoreline stability. Both lakes have poor water quality conditions and are impaired due to excessive nutrients. In 2004, the PLSLWD conducted a study that identified areas draining to Spring Lake that have potential for stormwater storage and infiltration.
Deteriorating water quality of Sand Creek and some of its tributaries are.linked to inorganic sediment from field erosion and channel instability. This project continues a successful 2010 Clean Water Fund effort that addresses turbidity and sediment by targeting select subwatersheds for the conversion of row crops to native grasses.
Conservation of culture including art and local wisdom is one of the main missions of our organization. We operate in promoting and capturing values to create pride in Lao culture and identity, as well as create awareness of morality to the community as well. Our organization encourages and supports all cultures to develop, preserve and pass on the activities that we as an organization help operate with communities and outside agencies.
The Credit River runs the entire length of the City of Savage before discharging to the Minnesota River. Both the Credit and Minnesota Rivers have been identified as not meeting state water quality standards for turbidity. A ravine running from Utica Avenue, east a distance of 2,600 feet to the Credit River, receives stormwater from more than 1,700 acres of the City. The long term and often very high flows of stormwater have resulted in significant erosion of the stream banks.
The VRWJPO is pursuing a Watershed Restoration and Protection Strategy (WRAPS) project in cooperation with the MPCA in order to better identify the sources of stress and impairment to the river, tributaries, and lakes and evaluate the feasibility of reaching water quality goals, and properly allocating pollution reduction goals to those areas identified as likely pollution sources. Successful restoration and protection outcomes are dependent on successful community building and ownership of both the problems and solutions identified in the WRAPS.
The goal is to develop the Watershed Restoration and Protection Strategy (WRAPS) and a public and stakeholder participation process that encourages local involvement in water quality discussions and solutions, identifying impaired waters, developing Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs); and planning, setting priorities, and implementing the WRAPS recommendation to restore impaired waters. Phase II of the WRAPS will consists of developing TMDLs for the impaired reaches as well as developing the final WRAPS document and implementation planning.
Our grant application seeks to promote and preserve Vietnamese culture through the use of traditional Lunar New Year celebration which includes storytelling, music and dance.
Use mobile AI-assisted technologies to survey lake visitors. Assess perceptions of water quality and perceived threats. Combine survey data with water quality data and trend monitoring to inform lake management.
Public Art Saint Paul will propel new work forward on the 2nd Wakpa Triennial. The first Wakpa Triennial, 3 years in the making, presented in summer 2023 more than 110 artists in new work across artistic and humanities disciplines including sculpture, installation, video, poetry, music, painting, murals, paper-making, textiles, conversations, and other discussion and participatory programs.
Minnesota Sea Grant seeks to create a science-policy fellowship program to train Minnesota's science-policy workforce and advance Minnesota's water resource policy, emulating Sea Grants successful federal-level fellowship program.
We propose robotics-based educational activities for middle-school youth on water quality in Minnesota. Youth will gain skills for measuring water quality and communicating results through group study and hands-on projects.
This program supports communities as they plan and implement projects that address emerging drinking water supply threats. It supports the exploration cost-effective regional and sub-regional solutions, leverages inter-jurisdictional coordination, and prevents overuse and degradation of groundwater resources.
Activities in this program provide metro communities with:
Tetra Tech will work to support the science needed when planning in Minnesota for water storage practice implementation. The goal is to provide practical water storage recommendations that can be incorporated into smaller scale planning within major watersheds (HUC 8), as well as larger scale planning for the Sediment Reduction Strategy for the Minnesota River and South Metro Mississippi River.
The Metropolitan Council was awarded $1,500,000 from Minnesota Clean Water, Land and Legacy Amendment funds for a Water Efficiency Grant Program during the Minnesota Legislature's 2023 Session. The Metropolitan Council (Council) implemented a water efficiency grant program effective July 1, 2024 to June 30, 2026. Grants were awarded on a competitive basis to municipalities that are served by a municipal water system. The Council provides 80% of the program cost; the municipality must provide the remaining 20%.
The Watonwan Watershed Technician will provide highly focused targeting of conservation programs and practices. The technician will enhance current staff capabilities in the Watonwan watershed by collecting landowner contact information from previous studies and GIS methods, produce mass mailings about funding opportunities, and meet one-on-one with landowners to discuss their conservation concerns. The technician will implement 45 projects/practices over a three year period.
In conjunction with the Watonwan Major Watershed Project engagement process, create a contact strategy for community/landowner opportunities, obstacles, and opinions on land management and water quality that will result in the identification of restoration and protection strategies for the Watonwan River watershed.
Develop a network of informed citizens, business people, community leaders and others capable of acting collectively to get work done in a sustained, strategic and meaningful way through a sense of shared ownership in the water resource management process.
The Watonwan Watershed Resource Specialist has been funding with Clean Water funds since 2012. Since that time, the Watonwan Watershed Resource Specialist has been a crucial connector between landowners and natural resource professionals in the Watonwan Watershed. As the technical ability and responsibilities of the WWRS expands, the need and urgency to secure extended funding becomes a priority. This project will fund half of the Watonwan Watershed Research Specialist position through year 2020.
With the completion of LiDAR data in southern Minnesota, it is imperative to use this data as effectively as possible. In order to do so, the Greater Blue Earth River Basin Alliance (GBERBA) will contract with a vendor to complete a Geographic Information System (GIS) terrain analysis in subsheds of the Watonwan River watershed. This inventory will utilize the State of Minnesota LiDAR elevation datasets to create many GIS datasets by spatially analyzing the elevation data.
To contract with qualified professionals to prepare construction documents for the preservation of Wayzata Section House, listed in the National Register of Historic Places.
This program is a part of a comprehensive clean water strategy to prevent sediment and nutrients from entering our lakes, rivers, and streams; enhance fish and wildlife habitat; protect groundwater and wetlands. Specifically the Wellhead Protection Conservation Easement program is targeted to protect drinking water through the Reinvest in Minnesota Program (RIM).
Locating the sources of sediment, phosphorus, and bacteria is integral to reducing the effect they have on a water body. The completion of the West Fork Des Moines River (WFDMR) Targeting and Prioritizing Endeavor will result in a set of data that is the most cost-effective for the implementation of Best Management Practices (BMPs) for all identified priority resources. The results will be expressed as the maximum reduction of a water quality contaminant (e.g. sediment, phosphorus, bacteria) at a priority resource (e.g. an impaired stream) for a given level of investment.
This monitoring work expands on previously established routine water quality and flow sampling to include extensive fish and aquatic invertebrate surveys. Subsequent steps include assessment of the monitoring data to determine impairments, identification of stressors that are causing impairments, development of Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) studies using identification of pollutant sources using computer modeling and other techniques, civic engagement, and public education as approaches in progress towards water quality goals.
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.
Our project aims to better understand white-tailed deer movement, habitat use, and disease dynamics at the suburban/agricultural interface to inform more efficient deer management and disease control.
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.
In 2016, VocalEssence WITNESS welcomes artist Melanie DeMore to help us explore the Underground Railroad in Minnesota—specifically how our state has been a place of sanctuary for refugees from the time of slavery through today. As part of this project, Melanie will help record absent narratives of those who have found sanctuary in Minnesota, and these stories will be shared in video and written form to explore the concept of sanctuary as part of the WITNESS School Program.
