5000 acres of grassland and wetland habitat will be enhanced or restored through this proposal to benefit upland dependent species on Minnesota lands open to public hunting. These include Wildlife Management Areas (WMA), Waterfowl Production Areas (WPA), and National Wildlife Refuges (NWR). We will accomplish this by working with our partners to follow best practices to conduct wetland restorations, conservation grazing, invasive tree removal, prescribed fire, and diversity seeding in the prairie, forest/prairie transition, and metro regions.
The proposed project will be in conjunction with an improvement project to the 103E County Ditch 63 Lateral N (CD 63) system. The project will accomplish the construction of five water and sediment control basins (WASCOB) and five alternate intakes to replace open intakes within the CD63 system, which is the headwaters of Beaver Creek East Fork. The construction and installation of the conservation practices will achieve a reduction of sediment, provide temporary water storage, and reduce peak flows that allow sediment and phosphorus to directly enter impaired Beaver Creek East Fork.
Comfort Lake-Forest Lake Watershed District will acquire in fee and perpetually protect 148 acres containing high priority wetland and upland habitat south of Bone Lake in the northern metro Washington County. This proposal will protect habitat for the Blanding's turtle and other native species, keep water on the landscape, improve water quality, and protect groundwater. These multiple potential water resource benefits make this site a high priority in the District's 10-Year Watershed Management Plan.
