In order to track progress of restoring and protecting water quality in the Nemadji watershed, surface water monitoring is needed.
The watershed has several impaired reaches including the Nemadji River, South Fork Nemadji River and Skunk Creek.
Impairments include total suspended sediment (TSS), total phosphorus (TP), and E.coli. Several best management practices (BMPs) were conducted in the last 10 years to improve these resources.
The goal of this project is to develop and complete the Watershed Restoration and Protection (WRAP) process and report, while also enlarging and sustaining a public participation process that encourages local ownership of water quality problems and solutions (civic engagement).
The data collected in this workplan is the foundation for an accurate TMDL allocation and accurate implementation strategy design. Current and historic phosphorus inputs will be calculated and evaluated as to source. Nutrient and algal history and trends in sedimentation will be reconstructed to identify ecological changes that have occurred in the lakes both recently and historically.
Carlton County Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD), Carlton County Planning and Zoning, and local volunteers will lead an effort to collect Total Phosphorus, Chlorophyll-A, and secchi disc transparency data for the MPCA Surface Water Assessment Grant (SWAG) project on following six lakes: Eagle Lake, Upper (North) Island Lake, Lower (South) Island Lake, Tamarack Lake, Cole Lake, and Cross Lake.
Carlton County Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD) and local volunteers will lead an effort to collect total phosphorus, chlorophyll-A, hardness, chloride and secchi disc transparency data for the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) Surface Water Assessment Grant project on the following 10 lakes: Twentynine, Bob, Bear, Little Hanging Horn, Hanging Horn, Moose, Echo, Coffee, Kettle and Merwin.
The Conservation Dashboard will provide the Carlton Soil and Water Conservation District, its water plan, and local landowners a system to target, prioritize, and measure resource needs and effective conservation implementation within the subwatersheds of Carlton County. The Dashboard will identify where data gaps exist, translate the data in a way that partners and landowners easily understand, and insert Best Management Practice recommendations onto the county webmapping tool, used by citizens.
This project builds on past successful civic engagement efforts and will focus in on critical problem areas, to both identify the contributing areas of pollutant and also outreach to identify the most likely landowner contacts and engagements for continued success in the watershed. Field monitoring will refine what is currently known about pollutant inputs. Several outreach events will target specific landowner groups to provide forums on best management practices in forestry management and lakeshore/riparian stream buffer management.
This monitoring project includes lake and stream monitoring and encompasses all of Cass County, and surrounding counties. The project will obtain water quality data for streams; in 2009, lakeshed assessments indicated that many surface waters throughout the county were data deficient. This project will address the need for sufficient data on a county-wide basis and fulfill the State’s intensive watershed monitoring program goals by obtaining water quality data at targeted lake and stream sites.
The Children's Discovery Museum in Grand Rapids, Minnesota aims to strengthen its highly successful School Service Program by retaining a Program development coordinator, changing core interactive exhibits and creating new curriculum for pre-school and K - 5 students in ten northern Minnesota counties.
The Children's Discovery Museum in Grand Rapids, Minnesota will strengthen its acclaimed school service program by: (1) continued leadership of a new Program Director retained on January 1, 2016 (2) creating a new (Minnesota built) core interactive exhibit; (3) developing new curriculum for pre-school through 3rd grade students in ten northern Minnesota counties.
Pileated Woodpeckers are keystone habitat modifiers that support an array of game, non-game, and conservation concern species. Additional information is needed to understand cavity dynamics for these species.
The Children’s Museum of Southern Minnesota (CMSM) will build upon a strong foundation of Minnesota Arts, Culture and Heritage (ACH) learning experiences made possible with prior MN Legacy funding support to:
This project will support new exhibit components and enhancements, provide admissions and transportation to underserved and diverse communities, and teacher-led programs for children that are sensory sensitive, in relationship with Autism Society of Minnesota.
The nine member Counties and Soil and Water Conservation Districts of the Greater Blue Earth River Basin Alliance (GBERBA) will be able to enhance our effectiveness to provide elevated levels of technical assistance, education and outreach in the areas of urban stormwater, wellhead protection, nutrient management, conservation agronomy, drainage and agricultural best management practices to reduce nonpoint source pollution in the Blue Earth, Le Sueur and Watonwan River Watersheds.
Rising temperatures and increased precipitation contribute to decreased oxygen and increased methane in Minnesota lakes and wetlands. We will identify impacts on water quality and methane emissions, providing management guidance.
This project builds partnerships among natural resource professionals, college, middle and high schools to work collaboratively to increase youth exposure to outdoor experiences, environmental issues, and natural resource career paths.
Funding for the 2011 Watertown Film Festival featuring live musical showcases, artist panels, and film showcases. The festival will be held at the Watertown Mayer Performing Arts Center in June 2011.
Voyageurs Conservancy will connect 17,000 Minnesotans to the state's only national park through standards-aligned K-12 education, career-building fellowships, and enhanced programs that engage diverse audiences in the park's conservation.
Wilderness Inquiry will expand its work to provide a continuum of outdoor experiences for youth, adults, and families in communities across Minnesota by:
As of 11/1/2022, the CPL program has provided over 900 grants totaling $109 million to over 200 different grantee organizations, improving or protecting over 339,000 acres of habitat. Demand for CPL grants has continued to grow each year as new applicants hear about the program and successful grantees return. In ML 2018 there were 107 grants awarded- 18 metro grants, 20 traditional grants, and 69 Expedited Conservation Partners grants. Through these 107 grants, over 18,000 acres were restored, enhanced, or protected. Over $11M was awarded to organizations for projects.
Identify forest management actions and guidelines that maximize breeding season productivity across breeding cycle (nesting through post-fledgling) for three bird species of conservation concern: Golden-winged Warbler, Veery, and American Woodcock.