The United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) requires the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) to carry out the Total Maximum Daily Load Program (TMDL) in the state of Minnesota. Minnesota has an abundance of lakes and river reaches, many of which will require a TMDL study. In an effort to expedite the completion of TMDL projects, the MPCA has decided to construct watershed models. These models have the potential to support the simultaneous development of TMDL studies for multiple listings within a cataloging unit or 8-digit Hydrologic Unit Code watershed.
UMN Extension Center for Youth Development will partner with Winona and Rochester ALCs to engage 40 youth in year-long activities that connect, engage, and empower youth as environmental change-agents.
Adoption of renewable energy technologies and energy conservation practices can contribute in a variety of ways to the environmental and economic health of rural Minnesota communities through costs savings and emissions reductions. Engaging and coaching students as the leaders in the process of implementing such practices provides the added benefit of increasing knowledge, teaching about potential career paths, and developing leadership experience.
Olmsted Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD) will work in coordination with Goodhue SWCD, Wabasha SWCD, and Dodge County Environmental Services to collect water quality and chemistry parameters on 23 MPCA approved sites within the Zumbro River watershed during the 2023-24 sampling season.
In previous phases of work, a Hydrologic Simulation Program FORTRAN (HSPF) model of the Zumbro River Watershed was developed to simulate hydrology and water quality for the 1995-2009 simulation period (Phase I), applied to evaluate various management scenarios for reducing sediment and nutrient loading (Phase II), and used to develop Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs) for impaired stream segments and inform development of a nutrient TMDL for Rice Lake (Phase III).
Completion of the Master Plan for the Zumbro River Regional Water Trail (ZRRWT). Roughly 150 miles of navigable waters that wind through a diverse landscape before joining the Mississippi River.
OVERALL PROJECT OUTCOME AND RESULTS This project identified and prioritized areas in the Zumbro River Watershed that were determined critical for restoring and protecting water quality. Studies suggested that small areas of the landscape contribute disproportionately to nonpoint source pollution. So implementation of conservation projects that focus on those areas will maximize water quality benefits and ensure efficient use of resources.
This project will build upon the outreach and education efforts of the Zumbro Watershed Restoration and Protection Strategy (WRAPS). The targeted area will be residents of the Zumbro River Watershed, specifically individuals and organizations that are not professionally involved in managing natural resources. This project will provide necessary outreach and education during the interim between the Zumbro WRAPS and beginning the One Watershed, One Plan process.
The goal of this project is to test the sensitivity of the Zumbro River Watershed Hydrological Simulation Program FORTRAN (HSPF) model management scenario results. Additional goals are to develop Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs) for impaired stream reaches and Rice Lake, which will be documented in a TMDL Report. The consultant will apply the existing calibrated and validated Zumbro River Watershed HSPF model to construct load duration curves to develop TMDLs.
