The Greater Blue Earth River Basin Alliance (GBERBA), a nine County/SWCD JPO has identified buffers as a basin priority. This initiative will work towards the goal of identifying all DNR protected shoreland in the GBERBA counties without a 50 foot vegetative buffer. Buffer strips protect surface and groundwater from a multitude of pollutants. During stormwater run off events buffers can remove between 50 and 100 percent of nutrients, pesticides, pathogens, and sediment. The estimated sediment reduction for this project is 756 tons per year prevented from entering our waters.
Funny Asian Women Kollective (FAWK) uses comedy to combat the dehumanization of Asian women. This project includes: 1) a tour performing throughout the state, particularly to rural communities with large Asian American populations; 2) provide workshop opportunities to equip communities with the tools to create their own comedic material; 3) produce two super shows in Minneapolis and Saint Paul (700+ audience); 4) allow digital production of five short films and distribution.
The Upper Sioux Community secured the services of a qualified consultant to assist in completing an application for certification as a Tribal Historic Preservation Office (THPO) for the National Park Service. Public input meetings were conducted as part of the preparation for the application. Having THPO status will support one of the leading Dakota communities' efforts to secure and document their history.
The society purchased 40 double-sided display racks and rack stands for a two-part exhibit. The first part of the exhibit, writing and displaying township histories has been completed. The second part, writing and displaying biographies of early settlers to each township using the 1900 census and plat maps, was only partially completed.
Water flows without concern for political jurisdiction boundaries. This often means project work requires a little more coordination. Jackson, Cottonwood and Murray County did the extra coordination to land a grant to reduce sediment to the West Fork of the Des Moines River. The approved grant has four separate projects inthree counties.Jackson County has two projects: the Federated Rural Electric Association sediment control structure and the City of Jackson bioswale.
The Southwest Prairie Technical Service Area 5 (SWPTSA), located in the southwest corner of Minnesota, encompasses 11 Soil and Water Conservation Districts (SWCDs): Cottonwood, Jackson, Lac Qui Parle, Lincoln, Lyon, Murray, Nobles, Pipestone, Redwood, Rock, and Yellow Medicine. This project will protect natural resources within the three major river basins of Minnesota, Missouri and Des Moines Rivers. The SWPTSA will assist member SWCDs in locating and identifying priority subwatersheds that have soil erosion and water quality issues using terrain analysis.
Turtle Island Skywatchers - Innovative Research and Data Visualization project works to protect Minnesota water, wildlife, and natural resources while empowering Indigenous youth as leaders and all citizens as researchers.
We will reconstruct historical lake conditions to identify factors linked to successful walleye fisheries and guide effective management in the face of warming temperatures, invasive species, and nutrient loading.
Minnesotans increasingly value native fishes. For example, >95% of bowfished species in MN are native, yet all are poorly understood. Foundational natural resource data is absolutely necessary for all stakeholders.
Our goals are to engage 100,000 underserved youth statewide in environmental education, engaging them in the conservation and preservation of Minnesota wilderness through the experiences in the outdoors.
1. Make Dakota Language revitalization the highest priority 2. Implement all strategies to revive the Dakota language 3. Take necessary steps to raise up a new generation of speakers
1. A completion of a Dakota Language Survey of adult Upper Sioux Community members 2. The development of a Dakota Language Game Application 3. The development and implementation of Dakota Language Lesson Plans for three age groups for both in-person classes and on-line classes (adult, youth, and preschool) 4. The development of an online Dakota Language teaching tool of basic terms and usage that will be art of an existing website project being created by the Upper Sioux Community Tribal Historic Preservation Office (THPO).
1. A completion of a Dakota Language Survey of adult Upper Sioux Community members 2. The development of a Dakota Language Game Application 3. The development and implementation of Dakota Language Lesson Plans for three age groups for both in-person classes and online classes (adult, youth, and preschool) 4. The development of an online Dakota language teaching tool of basic terms and usage that will be part of an existing website project being created by the Upper Sioux Community Tribal Historic Preservation Office (THPO)
The three (3) long-range goals of the Upper Sioux Community regarding the preservation and continuation of the Dakota language and culture are directly tied to the Mission Statement adopted in 1996 and delineated in the 2008 Dakota Language Revitalization Tribal Resolution that promises to: 1) Make Dakota Language revitalization the highest priority 2) Implement all strategies to revive the Dakota language; and 3) take necessary steps to raise up a new generation of speakers.
The 2,165 acres of the Upper Sioux Indian Community are impacted by invasive species and are heavily infested with invasive buckthorn. The Tribe is requesting funds to restore and enhance 144 acres of oak savanna, floodplain forest, forested bluff lands, and granite outcroppings on tribal lands. Activities include buckthorn removal and installation and enhancement of native and culturally significant plants.
The three (3) long-range goals of the Upper Sioux Community regarding the preservation and continuation of the Dakota langauge and culture are directly tied to the Mission Statement adopted in 1996 and delineated in the 2008 Dakota Language Revitalization Tribal Resoulution that promises to: "1) [m]ake Dakota Language revitalization the highest priority 2)... implement all strategies to revive the Dakota language; and 3)... take necessary steps to raise up a new generation of speakers."
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.
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 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.
The Yellow Medicine One Watershed One Plan has identified Protecting and Preserving Groundwater Quality and Quantity as one of the three priorities addressed in the Plan. Seven priority sub-watersheds have been identified as priority areas, as well as two townships that have been identified by the Department of Agriculture to have vulnerable groundwater areas. Our goal is to provide 50% cost share to seal 34 abandoned wells that are located in these priority areas.
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.
The goal of this project is to establish a framework that the local government can use to guide their involvement as the WFDMR Watershed Project progresses over the next four years. This will enhance the success of the overarching goal of providing a framework for which the local government and watershed organizations can engage the public in a manner that will lead to water quality improvement. This will result in strategies to protect or restore the waters in this watershed.
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.
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.
To offer a new exhibit in the fair’s conservation building on 4-H and paint a mural related to the new exhibit. The Yellow Medicine County Fair has purchased display cases for their new 4-H exhibit. The exhibit consists of 4-H items from the past and present and the mural provides a history of county fairs.
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.
This project will monitor four lakes and 18 stream sites within the Yellow Medicine River Watershed to collect surface water quality data to determine the health of the watershed's streams and lakes and if they are in need of restoration or protection strategies. The sites will be monitored according to the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency's (MPCA) Water Monitoring Standard Operating Procedures.
