The Chisago Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD) has had such great success implementing gully stabilization projects along the St. Croix River escarpment that all of the current grant funding has been encumbered towards projects. Two large gully projects, one in the City of Taylors Falls and a second nearby in Interstate State Park, are lined up and ready to go as soon as funding is secured. Both of these gullies are large and have been actively eroding for many years, depositing large loads of sediment and phosphorus directly into the St. Croix River.
To enhance art activities and experiences at the Chisago County Fair. Projects will include constructing secure display cases to showcase the work of local artists, featuring bluegrass musicians, a caricature artist, and creating a hands-on mural exhibit.
To enhance the creative arts exhibit areas in the open class and 4-H buildings. Improved lighting will better showcase locally created works in a variety of categories, including but not limited to: painting, quilting, sewing, woodworking.
Funds will also be used to create an agriculture in Minnesota program for children and host a polka band.
This funding is for production and acquisiton grants in accordance with Minnesota Statutes, Section 129D.18. The following MPTA stations received funding in FY2010:
This project will support the development of whole farm conservation plans for ten (10) agricultural producers within the Sunrise River Watershed. The conservation plans will be used by the farmer and the Chisago SWCD to develop an action plan to address the resource concerns identified as part of the AgEQA program. The overall goal of the program is to prioritize conservation practices that will improve the overall water quality of the Sunrise River.
The Sunrise Watershed is a high priority subwatershed of the St. Croix River. Chisago County, the United States Army Corps of Engineers (ACOE), the MPCA and several additional cooperators will complete a study of the Sunrise River Watershed. The goal of the study is to develop a watershed-based plan and strategies for water quality and aquatic ecosystem management, restoration and protection. Once completed, the study will provide input to the development of the TMDL and Watershed Restoration and Protection Plan for the Sunrise Watershed.
Two large, actively eroding gullies located a few miles apart in Amador Township are contributing tremendous loads of phosphorus and sediment to the St. Croix River. One gully (Gully A) includes a major agricultural gully, severe road erosion, and sediment deposits of a foot or more thick in a state park. The second gully (Gully B) is over 4 feet deep, adjacent to a road, and is an annual problem. Stabilizing these two gullies will greatly reduce the sediment and phosphorus loading to the St. Croix River, which will help meet the reduction goal of the Lake St.
This project will inventory active gully erosion sites along the St. Croix River escarpment from the entrance to Wild River State Park near Almelund, MN, and south to the Chisago County line. The resulting inventory will be utilized to contact landowners with actively eroding gully sites on their property and will begin the process of developing a plan to implement Best Management Practices (BMPs) to correct the problems.
The City of Lindstrom has identified the subwatershed that includes Pleasant Hill Park as a high priority for a stormwater management project due to the high volume of untreated stormwater discharging directly into South Lindstrom Lake. This is a cooperative project between the City of Lindstrom and the Chisago Lakes Lake Improvement District.
Our project for the legacy grant would be to purchase a new performance stage for our Entertainment Center. Our current stage floor is falling apart and is no longer conducive to our needs. We are in need of a safer and larger stage area that has stairs for those using it. Our current stage doesn't have stairs. This will impact all of our performers and programs we have on this stage during the fair.
This project will support the necessary activities for improving the water quality and biological community by reducing nutrients, sediment levels and managing in-stream habitat within the Goose Creek 10-digit HUC Watershed. This restoration and protection plan will identify pollutant load reduction estimates and management strategies that will be used to obtain the TMDL goals outlined in the plan.