The College of Saint Benedict and Saint John's University (CSB+SJU), in partnership with the University of Minnesota Morris (UMM), will collect and analyze archival records and oral testimonies on Native American boarding schools in order to develop educational materials that promote truth and healing. The project includes: 1) archival research; 2) oral testimonies; 3) developing curricular materials from these archival and oral records.
Water quality and flood damage reduction goals can't be accomplished without reducing flows and taking a targeted approach to the upper most reaches of the most critical waterways. Water and sediment control basins are eartern structures that retain water and have been identified as one of the best tool for measured success in reducing peak flows. For this project, basins will be targeted and implemented in the Upper Cedar River Watershed, specifically in the Dobbins Creek Watershed.
To hire qualified professionals to rebuild the chancel wall in the Episcopal Church of the Good Samaritan, listed in the National Register of Historic Places.
In the North Fork Crow River Watershed, land use is mainly row crop agriculture with an extensive drainage system. Many of the existing tile lines have open intakes that transport sediment and nutrients to open ditches that drain to the North Fork Crow River. The river flows into Rice Lake which has elevated phosphorus levels. Studies show a major source of phosphorus loading comes from animal manure. Field applied manure has potential to runoff to open tile intakes being a direct path to surface water.
Rice Lake, in Stearns County, is an impaired water for nutrients that has a Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) Implementation plan developed. Rice Lake is one of the larger lakes in the county, offering major water recreation opportunities, economic benefits as well as fish and wildlife habitat. It is a priority for Stearns County to implement projects that have positive impacts on this resource.
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.
Under the CREP partnership with USDA, 28 easements were recorded on a total of 2,390 acres to restore previously drained wetlands and adjacent uplands. Two easements are RIM wetland easements that were required to complete wetland restoration work on an adjacent easement secured with 2018 Wetlands funding. The landowners received the RIM-Only payment rate. 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 landowner payments and conservation practices.
The Clean Water Fund (CWF) and Outdoor Heritage Fund (OHF) were used together to secure easements on buffer areas. 84 easements have been recorded for a total of 1,441 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 2,793.2 acres. Only the OHF acres are being reported in this final report to be consistent with the approved accomplishment plan.
This continuation of the Reinvest in Minnesota (RIM) Reserve buffers program will protect and restore riparian areas, permanently protecting approximately 600 acres on 17 easements. This program will continue utilizing a science-based ranking and selection process and be implemented locally, working with Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD) staff in targeted areas in the state. Historically, buffer funding was used to expand basic water quality buffers into larger buffers.
Develop outdoor recreation facilities including a nature study/observation area, roads and trails, information boards and signs. Park includes shoreline adjacent to the Mississippi Wild & Scenic River. The new trails will provide safety and accessibility along the bluff line overlooking the river and prevent erosion caused by existing, informal earthen trails.
To hire a consultant to complete a publicly available, digital-audio tour of the city's historically significant Mississippi River built environment based on recommendations in a Community Education and Marketing Plan.
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.
The Root (HUC 07040008) and Upper Iowa/Mississippi River – Reno (HUC 07060002 and 07060001) watershed Hydrologic Simulation Program – FORTRAN (HSPF) models currently simulate hydrologic and water quality processes through 2015. In order to support work to update the existing WRAPS report, the two HSPF models will be extended through 2021.
The contractor will use the Scenario Application Manager (SAM) tool to build water quality restoration scenarios for the Root River watershed using the Hydrologic Simulation Program FORTRAN (HSPF) model. The SAM tool simulates total suspended solids (TSS) and nitrogen reductions based on implementation of various best management practices.
This grant will fund about 80 project in six sub-watersheds (Headwaters of the Middle & South Branch, Money Creek, Headwaters of Upper Iowa River, Mill Creek, south Fork Root River, and Carey Creek). Projects to include grassed waterways, water and sediment control basins, grade stabilization structures, livestock waste projects, streambank projects and cover crops. Funding will also support staff time for project development and technical assistance for the cost-share projects.
This grant will fund an expected 44 projects in 4 subwatersheds (South Fork Root River, Crooked Creek, Rush-Pine and portions of the headwaters of the Middle and South Branch Root) and 2 DWSMAS (Chatfield and Utica). Projects include grassed waterways, WASCOBs, grade stabilization structures and cover crops, plus field walkovers, project development, and technical assistance. The anticipated sediment reduction from this work will be 2,285.5 tons, or 2.2% of the 10-year goal for the entire planning area.
The purpose of this project is to assess the amount of land in the Root River watershed that is treated by structural best management practices (BMPs); more specifically, Water and Sediment Control Basins. The 2016 Root River Watershed Restoration and Protection Strategy (WRAPS) report recommended reducing sediment loss from upland areas and reducing nitrate loading to streams from runoff. Understanding the location and density of these BMPs will is important for targeting future watershed protection and restoration efforts.
This project aims to mitigate flow and nitrate impacts from agricultural drainage to the Root River through the installation of a suite of multi-purpose drainage management practices.
TMDL project in the Root River Watershed that will support surface water assessment, analysis of data, interpretation of southeast Minnesota's karst landscape, stressor identification, TMDL computation, source assessment, and implementation planning.
The goal of this project is to complete the construction, calibration, and validation of an Hydrological Simulation Program FORTRAN (HSPF) watershed model for the Minnesota portions of three watersheds: Root River, Upper Iowa, and Mississippi River-Reno.
to install a 16 panel photovoltaic system located on the northwest side of the Ruby Rupner Auditorium including a data acquisition monitoring system to help educate students and the public
The project goal is to conduct water chemistry monitoring at one subwatershed site, one basin site, and one major watershed site in 2016 and 2017 based on flow conditions, targeting runoff events using protocols defined in the Watershed Pollutant Load Monitoring Network (WPLMN) Standard Operating Procedures and Guidance. The data collected will be submitted to the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) and used in the FLUX32 model for calculating pollutant loads.
This project will focus on monitoring & assessment, stressor ID assistance, problem investigation, watershed prioritization and targeting, Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) report development, Watershed Restoration and Protection Strategy (WRAPS) report updates and continuing civic engagement for the Sauk River Watershed.
