This will fund a competitive grant program for sewer projects that will help protect or restore the water quality of waters in national parks located within Minnesota.
The University of Minnesota will develop effective interview questions for community watershed assessments in the Rainy River basin and provide assistance in understanding the data collected through community interviews.
The Rainy River Basin WPLMN Sampling Program will focus on watershed load monitoring in the Big Fork River, Little Fork River, Rainy River-Rainy Lake, and Vermilion River watersheds. Four total staff will work on various portions of this agreement. The main objective is for one lead sampler and one backup sampler to collect water chemistry and field parameters for eight (8) sites, annually at various flows, especially peak flows, and utilize that data to determine the amount of pollutant load into each stream system.
The overall goal of this project is to perform water quality monitoring and load calculation duties to accomplish Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) Watershed Pollutant Load Monitoring Network (WPLMN) monitoring efforts at the seven sites within the Redwood and Cottonwood River watersheds as well as the Minnesota River site near Morton. To accomplish this goal the requested funds will provide for technician’s time, mileage, lab costs, supplies, as well as equipment calibration and upkeep.
Impaired waters in the Red Lake River 1W1P are categorized into management classes to target impaired waters that are closest to meeting water quality standards and to protect unimpaired waters close to becoming impaired. Management areas targeted in 2018 and 2019 include the Little Black River, Black River, County Ditch 96, the Red Lake River between Thief River and Crookston, Burnham Creek, and Grand Marais Creek.
This project is for Minnesota Legislative Clean Water Fund funding to engage citizens in local watershed monitoring, to work with regional partners to promote understanding and protection of watersheds, and to organize and facilitate gathering of scientific data all for the benefit of water quality in the Red River Basin.
The International Water Institute (IWI) will monitor 42 sites (3 basin, 12 major watershed, and 27 subwatershed) in the Red River and Upper Mississippi River Basins intensively during the contract period. There will also be 5 sites in the Red River Basin where mercury samples will be collected and sent to Minnesota Department of Health for analysis. The IWI will collect water samples across the range of flow conditions targeting sample collection at times of moderate to high flow.
The Redwood River watershed is one of the last remaining watersheds to complete Cycle I of the Watershed Restoration & Protections Strategies (WRAPS) process. The scope of this project upon completion is have two reports developed; a Watershed Restoration and Protection Strategies report and a Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) for the entire watershed.
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 Root River Watershed Pollutant Load Monitoring Network (WPLMN) project will continue existing efforts to calculate seasonal pollutant loads for the Root River. The Fillmore Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD) will assist the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) with water quality monitoring and pollutant load calculations for five subwatershed sites. Samples will be collected using procedures described in the WPLMN standard operating procedures.
The MPCA and Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (WDNR) are currently working together to implement a comprehensive long-term plan to delist the Saint Louis River Area of Concern (SLR AOC). Many of the Beneficial Use Impairments (BUIs) in the AOC are linked to the presence of sediment contaminants. The site consists of a former shipping slip in the Duluth Harbor that now serves as a private marina as well as the location of the William A. Irvin shipping vessel and museum.
The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) is currently working with the United States Environmental Protection Agency and private consultants as part of the Great Lakes Area of Concern (AOC) program to identify and remediate bed sediments contaminated with polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins/dibenzofurans (dioxins) in reservoirs in the St. Louis River watershed of the Lake Superior Basin. Two reservoirs in the St. Louis River watershed where dioxins in bed sediments are a concern are Thomson and Scanlon Reservoirs near Cloquet, Minnesota.
The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) and Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (WDNR) are currently working together to implement a comprehensive long-term plan to delist the Saint Louis River Area of Concern (SLR AOC). Many of the Beneficial Use Impairments (BUIs) in the AOC are linked to the presence of sediment contaminants. A Remedial investigation was completed at the Site and contaminated sediment was identified at the head of the slip. Based on a review of historical use around the Site, upland sources of contamination may exist around the Site.
The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) and Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (WDNR) are currently working together to implement a comprehensive long-term plan to delist the Saint Louis River Area of Concern (SLR AOC). Many of the Beneficial Use Impairments (BUIs) in the AOC are linked to the presence of sediment contaminants.
The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) and Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (WDNR) are currently working together to implement a comprehensive long-term plan to delist the Saint Louis River Area of Concern (SLR AOC). Many of the Beneficial Use Impairments (BUIs) in the AOC are linked to the presence of sediment contaminants. Bay West understands the MPCA is overseeing sediment remedial actions at Slip C.
This activity outlines a U. S. Geological Survey (USGS) and Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) cooperative project, characterizing bed-sediment lithology, including sediment composition and thicknesses, in Thomson and Scanlon Reservoirs using geophysical methods.
The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) and Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (WDNR) are currently working together to implement a comprehensive long-term plan to delist the Saint Louis River Area of Concern (SLR AOC). Many of the Beneficial Use Impairments (BUIs) in the AOC are linked to the presence of sediment contaminants. This activity is for sediment sampling field work which will be conducted at Munger Landing in the SLR AOC. Bay West will complete supplemental sediment sampling, a bed load study, a technical memorandum, and a focused feasibility study addendum.
This project will extend and update the lake water clarity database of Landsat-estimated lake clarity. Outcomes include enhance capability, ease of use and effectiveness of the Lake Browser and database and add to the Lake Browser.
The Sauk River Watershed District (SRWD) shall conduct water quality sampling for the Sauk River and tributary sites, as well as several lakes, for Cycle 2 of the Intensive Watershed Monitoring (IWM) during 2018 and 2019. Field monitoring will be completed at 14 stream locations and 9 lakes designated by the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency.
Data management will also be completed by the SRWD, including entering and submitting all data to Canvas and compiling all photos, calibration logs and other documents as requested.
The goal of this work order is to make additions and enhancements to the Scenario Analysis Manager (SAM) tool best management practice (BMP) database and the methodologies used for the application of the BMPs.
RESPEC will use the Processing Application Tool for HSPF (PATH) to construct the remaining 22 Scenario Application Manager (SAM) projects. SAM assists in understanding watershed conditions, and identifying priority areas and BMPs that will provide the greatest water-quality benefits for each dollar invested. The value of the tool is in its simplification of complex hydrologic and water quality model applications into transparent estimates of the significant pollutant sources in watershed.
The goal of this project is to provide three training sessions for the Scenario Analysis Manager (SAM) software and one training session for the Processing Application Tool for the Hydrologic Simulation Program FORTRAN (HSPF) model.
The goal of this work order is to enhance the Scenario Analysis Manager (SAM) support tool in order to represent best management practices in a more physically based manner, improve point scenario representation and analysis, and support MPCA with training in the application of the enhanced functionality.
Approximately 70 percent of all Minnesotans rely on groundwater as their primary source of drinking water. Wells used for drinking water must be properly sealed when removed from service to protect both public health and Minnesota’s invaluable groundwater resources. The Minnesota Department of Health protects both public health and groundwater by assuring the proper sealing of unused wells.
Clean Water funds are being provided to well owners as a 50% cost-share assistance for sealing unused public water-supply wells.
Conduct well survey to determine property owners that may need to seal wells, survey compilation, update PCSI well status and mailing and develop spill response plan.
