This project is a cooperative effort between Crow Wing and Itasca County to contract with RMB Laboratories to generate 65 lake assessment/trend analysis reports. The watershed protection model is an innovative and proactive approach to water resource management which is geared towards prioritizing areas of concern, targeting implementation strategies, and measuring their effectiveness. These assessments are also useful and understandable tools for lake associations and the public.
Itasca County is about to begin their water plan update process, which will be finished in 2017. This plan will be watershed protection oriented following a similar format to what Crow Wing County has done. We are currently in the process of have lake screening reports completed for 38 Itasca County lakes, and we would like to continue this program to add reports for an additional 34 lakes.
Capitol Region Watershed District and the City of Lauderdale seek to improve water quality and flood control functions of Seminary Pond in Lauderdale. The project partners propose improvements to the pond including: 1) expansion of the pond?s storage area and 2) construction of an iron-enhanced sand filter. These improvements were identified as being the most cost-effective and will remove an estimated additional 2 tons of sediment and 9 pounds of phosphorus annually.
Watershed based implementation funds will be used to target conservation practices utilizing the principles associated with Prioritize, Target and Measure as referenced in our Local Comprehensive Watershed Management Plan. The following are projects/practices, and their associated pollution reduction estimates, that are included in this budget request: (500 acres of Nonstructural BMPs) to protect/improve land management and reduce bacteria will reduce phosphorus by 65 lbs/yr, nitrogen by 520 lbs/yr, and sediment by 285 tons/yr.
Dakota County is partnering with the Dakota Soil and Water Conservation District to preserve and enhance the chain of shallow lakes in Lebanon Hills Regional Park which is owned and operated by Dakota County and located within the City of Eagan. Dakota County proposes to construct two regional iron-enhanced sand filtration practices to achieve the load reduction goals set forth in the LHRP Subwatershed Assessment Report to protect Jensen and Schulze lakes and prevent them from being listed on the 303(d) Impaired Waters List. The project will reduce 26 pound of phosphorus annually.
The goal of this project is to complete a water chemistry dataset necessary for the assessment of sixteen (16) Leech Lake Reservation lakes and one stream site within the Leech Lake River Watershed for the determination of overall watershed health, and the identification of impaired waters (according to State water quality standards), or waters in need of additional protection to prevent future impairments. The project is a part of the Leech Lake River Intensive Watershed Monitoring effort led by the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA).
The Cass County and Hubbard Soil and Water Conservation Districts (SWCD), and Cass and Hubbard Counties will implement the following Leech Lake River Comprehensive Watershed Management Plan Action Items: 1.Complete 25 Forest Stewardship plans for approximately 2,500 acres in high priority watersheds based on Leech Lake River River 1W1P plan. 2.Assessment study of Lake May Creek and the Necktie River for channel restoration and culvert replacement. 3.Install 8 shoreline buffer practices in identified priority watersheds.
The goal of this project is to complete a water chemistry dataset necessary for the assessment of six Leech Lake Reservation lakes within the Big Fork Watershed for the determination of overall watershed health, and the identification of impaired waters (according to State water quality standards), or waters in need of additional protection to prevent future impairments.
This project supports the planning, coordination and civic engagement/outreach components of the Leech Lake River Major Watershed project. Phase 1 will focus towards the development of project teams, identifying stakeholders, developing an initial civic engagement strategic plan and reviewing current and past watershed project data. Phase II of this project will focus on source assessment, running of watershed modeling scenarios, lake protection planning, stressor identification and the continuation of the Civic Engagement components of the project.
The main outcome of Phase III of the project will be the final deliverable of a WRAPS report that will prescribe the restoration and protection strategies for the surface water resources within the Leech Lake River Watershed. The WRAPS will provide the analytical and strategic foundation which will be essential in protecting the surface water resources within this high quality watershed. Along with the development of the WRAPS report, this project will support the development and completion of the MPCA Stressor ID and Watershed Assessment reports to be completed for this watershed.
This project will initiate the process of community engagement in the LeSueur River watershed by assessing the needs and interests of the community and bringing a diverse set of stakeholders together to determine how best to foster action in improving and protecting water quality.
The Lac qui Parle River suffers from low dissolved oxygen and high bacteria levels. Lac qui Parle County recognizes the need for a Level 3 Feedlot Inventory to use as a tool for targeting outreach efforts and financial assistance to improve the river and protect other unimpaired surface waters of the County. This project will allow the county to hire a temporary part time staff person to complete a Level 3 Feedlot Inventory.
Minnesota Departments of Information Technology Services (MNIT) and Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) are partnering with the United States Geological Survey (USGS) to acquire high-resolution digital elevation data developed from airborne lidar (Light Detection and Ranging) for the Minnesota River East and West regions. The data will be used to generate Digital Elevation Models (DEMs) for use in engineering design and design reviews, conservation planning, research, delivery, floodplain mapping, and hydrologic modeling utilizing lidar technology.
Lily Lake, near Stillwater, is a popular recreational spot for residents with its swimming beach, fishing pier, and canoe access. Lily Lake's water quality is declining because of excess nutrients. Restoring it is a priority for the community of Stillwater.
Lily Lake,near Stillwater, is a popular recreational spot for residents with its swimming beach, fishing pier, and canoe access. Lily Lake's water quality is declining because of excess nutrients. Restoring it is a priority for the community of Stillwater.
This project is a continaution project of the Phase I project that started in the spring of 2011 and complements the Phase II project recently funded in 2012. Specifically, this project will implement two large stormwater retrofits in large parking lots of DiaSoren Manufacturing and the Valley Ridge Mall.
Lily Lake, in Stillwater, is a popular recreational spot for residents with its swimming beach, fishing pier, and canoe access. Lily Lake is impaired by excess nutrients, and restoring its water quality is a priority for the community.
This project addresses the nutrient impairment of Lily Lake through the continued installation of targeted stormwater treatment best management practices as identified in the 2010 Lily Lake Stormwater Retrofit Assessment. The goal is to install up to 16 Low Impact Development practices treating at least 8 acres of urban development to reduce pollutant loading to Lily Lake by approximately 8 pounds phosphorous, 2 tons of sediment and 3.0 acre-feet of volume per year.
After nearly a decade of intensive targeting, design and installation of water quality improvement practices, Lily Lake has an improving trend in long-term summer total phosphorous concentrations for the first time since monitoring began in 1985. To date, 36 storm water quality improvement projects have reduced 100 pounds of annual phosphorous discharging to Lily Lake.
This project will complete updates to existing information and incorporate new information into the Minnesota Stormwater Manual including the Blue Star Assessment tool. Stormwater practitioners use the information and assessment tool to implement the most effective and cost-efficient practices for managing stormwater runoff volume, stormwater pollutants, and to meet regulatory requirements associated with stormwater permits.
Four stream segments, totaling over 100 miles, are impaired in the Little Fork River for Total Suspended Solids (TSS) and this study will provide local partners with project options for reduction of sediment in the Little Fork Watershed. Through the use of sediment fingerprinting determinations can be made if the sediment is from in or near channel, or the watershed and identify what sub-watershed the sediment is coming originating.
The sediment fingerprinting design will be custom fit for the unique geology and land-use history in the Little Fork River Watershed. The design will identify potential sources of sediment pollution within the watershed, including soil erosion from upland forests and wetlands from subwatersheds with different glacial deposits and bedrock geology, gullies, riverbanks, and bluffs. This will enable local partners to field verify potential BMP locations with private and public land owners to mitigate sediment inputs to the Little Fork Watershed.
This phase one project is to develop an understanding of sediment transport and fate in the Little Fork River system through the use of sediment fingerprinting and a sediment budget by setting up sampling sites for target sediments and source sediments.
The MPCA has selected the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) watershed model to simulate watershed hydrology and water quality to assess various restoration scenarios in the Little Cannon River watershed. The SWAT model is an important tool in developing an understanding of existing conditions and simulating conditions under various management scenarios to inform the development of implementation strategies and plans to restore and protect streams and lakes.
The Little Fork River and Big Fork River - USGS FLOWSED project was established to collect site specific data for streamflow, SSC, and bedload at the Littlefork and Big Fork Rivers in Northern Minnesota; use the data to evaluate the use of dimensionless sediment rating curves for the rivers; and document the results of the study in conjunction with the results from other rivers in the state for the application of regional sediment rating curves to rivers in Minnesota.
Little Rock Lake,in Benton County, is negatively impacted for nutrients. Little Rock Lake is a significant regional recreational lake. Toxins released by blue green algae blooms have been the highest ever measured by the Minnesota Department of Health. Given the importance of this resource and the severity of the water quality problems, obtaining tangible water quality improvements is a high priority in the Benton and Morrison County local water management plans.
The water quality and recretional value of Little Rock is negatively impacted by phosphorus. One important strategy involves reducing the quantity of phosphorus imported to the watershed through animal feeding operations. Farm management strategis coupled with traditional conservation practices will reduce surface runoff and phosphorus transport from feedlots and fields. This project will assist corporate poultry industry and local farmers to put into practice animal feed management strategies that reduce the amount of phosphorus contained in chicken feed rations.
Four stream segments, totaling over 100 miles, are impaired in the Little Fork River for Total Suspended Solids (TSS). This study will provide local partners with project options for reducing sediment in the Little Fork Watershed. Through the use of sediment fingerprinting determinations can be made if the sediment is from in (or near) channel, or the watershed and identify what sub-watershed the sediment is coming originating.
The Little Fork River Watershed Assessment will include the waters of the Rice River, Little Fork River, Flint Creek, Nett Lake River, Beaver Brook, Valley River, Willow River, Sturgeon River, Bear River, Dark River, and the Lost River. This Assessment will also include Little Bear Lake, Bear Lake, Thistledew Lake, Little Moose Lake, Raddison Lake, Napoleon Lake, Owen Lake, Dark Lake, Clear Lake, Long (Main) Lake, Dewey Lake, and Long (North) Lake. These lakes and streams are found throughout the Little Fork River Watershed, which spans parts of Koochiching, St. Louis and Itasca Counties.
Little Rock Creek, a cold-water trout stream in central Minnesota, is impaired due to the lack of trout and other cold water fish. The trout are absent because of high water temperatures, low dissolved oxygen and high nitrate levels, stressors caused from a lack of base flow and overuse of groundwater. This project continues a 2011 initiative to assist irrigators in the Little Rock Creek groundwater recharge area with managing the timing and amount of irrigation applied to their crops.
The Little Rock Lake Total Maximum Daily Load study has identified areas in the watershed where phosphorus reduction is needed and what best management practices need to be applied. This is a coordinated implementation effort with Benton and Morrison Soil and Water Conservation Districts and Natural Resources Conservation Service, the Little Rock Lake Association, the livestock industry and other partners to install best management practices at numerous sites to continue cleaning up Little Rock Lake.
The purpose of this project is to re-calculate the Littlefork river sediment Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) utilizing the 15 mg/L Total Suspended Solids (TSS) standard and update the associated Littlefork Watershed Restoration and Protection Strategies (WRAPS) document.
LEQA is a Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) program to help livestock producers address, using a non-regulatory approach, the unique water quality issues on their farms. The MDA has contracted with Ag Resource Strategies, LLC, to recruit farmers to enroll in the LEQA program. The company trains technicians to assess different areas of each farms, such as the farmstead, livestock facilities, fields and wooded areas. The technicians then develop an environmental assessment and identify financial assistance for these projects.
