The goal of this project is to facilitate strategic networking, relationships, and learning in targeted groups to assess, build, and leverage community capacity (i.e. community resources and values) to increase knowledge of the Blue Earth River watershed’s water resources and increase best management practice (BMP) adoption to restore and protect water quality in the Blue Earth River watershed. Additional goals include providing information that is readily available to the general public for updates on Watershed Approach work in the Blue Earth River watershed.
The purpose of this project is to expand the County's long standing well sealing efforts by reducing the current inventory of identified well sealing projects.
Vegetated buffer and filter strips along waterways is a practice that addresses many surface water concerns. Establishing permanent vegetation along waterways is an implementation priority in the Blue Earth County Water Management Plan and required by local ordinance and Minnesota Rules. Minnesota Shoreland Rules, Chapter 6120 and the County Shoreland Ordinance contain standards for agricultural uses in shoreland. Agricultural uses are permitted in shoreland areas if steep slopes and shore and bluff impact zones are maintained in permanent vegetation.
Ravine, stream bank and bluff erosion contribute significant amounts of sediment to rivers and streams. The MPCA report, Identifying sediment sources in the Minnesota River Basin, found the Blue Earth and Le Sueur watersheds contribute as such as half of the sediment to the Minnesota River, even though they account for only one-fifth of its drainage area. These watersheds contain the majority of the bluffs in the basin as well as many large
ravines.
This Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) project will develop a TMDL Report and Implementation Plan defining the sources contributing to the impairments and outlining the steps necessary to bring Bluff Creek back to meeting water quality standards.
This project will develop a Final TMDL report and Implementation Plan for the Bluff Creek Watershed. The main outcomes of this project are the development of a Final TMDL Report approved by MPCA and EPA and a Final Implementation Plan approved by MPCA.
The purpose of this project is to complete a feasibility study to determine the best sites for projects in the Boot Creek headwaters, in the Le Sueur River watershed, to reduce erosion and pollutant loading. The study will identify critical source areas and provide additional watershed information to assist in prioritizing locations to address local resource management and water quality goals.
This project will result in the final the Bois de Sioux River Watershed Restoration and Protection Strategies (WRAPS) report and Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) study. This work order will authorize the consultant to address all comments received during the public notice period and produce the final WRAPS report for the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency's final approval and a final TMDL study for United States Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) final approval.
Language and Culture Resource Center to locate and centralize the existing resources relating to the Bois Forte Language and culuture. To also provide Bois Forte community with opportunities to learn the language and culture, not only in an edcuational setting but also in a hands on setting while engaging cultural practices.
This project will develop a watershed approach plan, including impaired waters allocations, for the Mustinka Watershed, located at the headwaters of the Red River of the North, in western Minnesota, lying partly in Grant, Stevens, Ottertail, Big Stone, and Traverse counties. The watershed approach plan will set water quality goals for the watershed, recommend allocations for achieving total maximum daily loads where waters do not meet state standards and are listed as impaired.
This project proposes the implementation of 10 best management practices identified as having the lowest cost-benefit ratio as it relates to phosphorus reduction to downstream Moody and Bone Lakes with an estimated reduction to watershed phosphorus loads to Bone Lake by 90 pounds per year and to Moody Lake by 24 pounds per year. The Bone Lake watershed is at the ?top? of the larger watershed, making it an ideal location to begin work that will have direct improvements downstream.
A 3-volume boxed set of "Patriots of Brooklyn: Suppressors of the Great Slave Rebellion" was published by the Brooklyn Historical Society. The books document the historic role that 200+ soldiers from Brooklyn Township played in the American Civil War. The books are a valuable reference resource for local residents and historians.
A professional quality book documenting the stories of refugees in Minnesota is now in print. The book, "This Much I Can Tell You", was self-published by the Minnesota Council of Chuches Refugee Service. It is a compilation of eighteen stories told by local refugees, from nine different countries, who have resettled in Minnesota after fleeing their country of origin. The 980 books printed through this project make important refugee histories accessible to a wider Minnesota audience.
THA erected an interpretive marker at the site of the former Carlos Boynton Land Company Ranch to provide public access to the story surrounding the ranch.. Volunteers provided the labor to dig the post hole, install the post and mount the weather-proof marker.
Brown's Creek is the namesake of Brown's Creek Watershed District (BCWD) and a designated metro trout stream. But in recent years the stream hasn't been home to as many trout and cold-water insects as we would hope. The creek is too warm and too muddy.
Supplemental design of the regional trail segment from Highway 96 to County Road J, including a master plan amendment and alternative trail corridor search
The ESNDC developed a 39-minute audio/video tour of the Bruce Vento Nature Sanctuary, a distinctive natural landscape on the Mississippi River floodplain on St. Paul's East Side. Experts were asked to advise on the project and then narrate a specific tour stop using their expertise to comment on aspects of its ecological history and/or cultural value.
The tour was publicized on the Lower Phalen Creek Project website, on the Bruce Vento Nature Sanctuary Facebook page and in the local nespaper.
Over a century ago, the construction of Judicial Ditch No. 3 resulted in the rerouting of the South Branch of the Buffalo River, completely changing its flow characteristics. In the first phase of this multi-phase project, the Buffalo-Red River Watershed District (BRRWD) in partnership with landowners, federal, state, and local agencies, will put much of the rerouted channel back restoring up to 4.6 miles of the South Branch with up to 100 acres of associated riparian habitat corridor.
This is the second phase of building the Hydrologic Simulation Program FORTRAN (HSPF) model for the Buffalo River watershed. The project will result in a completed model including necessary calibration and validation phases.
This Surface Water Assessment Grant (SWAG) project is intended to supplement the 2019-2020 Intensive Watershed Monitoring (IWM) process for the Buffalo and Upper Red River of the North watersheds. Nine sites will provide water chemistry and river eutrophication data to the IWM. Monitoring sites were requested by the Buffalo - Red River Watershed District (BRRWD) and the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA).
Governor Mark Dayton's landmark buffer initiative was signed into law in 2015. The law establishes new perennial vegetation buffers of up to 50 feet along rivers, streams, and ditches that will help filter out phosphorus, nitrogen, and sediment. The new law provides flexibility and financial support for landowners to install and maintain buffers. The DNR's role in Minnesota's new buffer law is to produce a statewide map of public waters and public ditches that require permanent vegetation buffers. The DNR is scheduled to produce these maps by July 2016.
Two buses, each holding 52 people, were rented to take people to the Minnesota State Capitol and the Minnesota History Center. The plan is to include people from Mahnomen, Frazee, Ulen, Lake Park, Cormorant and Detroit Lakes on this trip. Buses leave at approximately 6:00 am from Detroit Lakes with arrival at the Capitol/History Center scheduled for approximately 10:30 am. One busload will tour the capitol while the other bus tours the History Center. After tour the groups would switch venues - First Capitol group would go to tour the History
The Camp Ripley ACUB Phase VII project protected 598.2 acres of high quality habitat along the Crow Wing, Gull, Nokasippi, and Mississippi River corridors through nine conservation easements.
The Floyd chain of lakes is of economic significance to the Detroit Lakes region providing great game fishing, boating and other summer and winter recreational opportunities. Decades of nutrient loading into North Floyd from the surrounding Campbell Creek area has led to a decrease in water quality. The same is true for the Buffalo River portion of this project area.
The I Can Camp! program provides people new to the outdoors with a safe and comfortable way to learn the basics of tent camping, through first-hand experience, providing all equipment and instruction, combined with conservation education and hands-on outdoor recreational skills activities. The DNR offered and conducted two, overnight workshops each week from June 4 through the September 4, 2011.
This program is designed to attract new audiences to Minnesota State Parks. Primarily young families and young adults that often look beyond state parks for their means of recreation, along with youth looking for an “extreme” or “adventure” experience. Programs will offer participants the opportunity to experience rock climbing, outdoors on real rock. This program targets the state’s climbing parks (Blue Mounds, Interstate and Tettegouche State Parks) by offering one “I Can Climb!” - rock climbing experience - every month from June to August at each of the climbing parks.
Many people are interested in paddling but don’t have the equipment or expertise to head out on their own. The “I Can Paddle!” program is designed to provide participants with first-hand opportunities to learn basic skills necessary for planning and taking a safe, fun and efficient canoe trip on both Minnesota’s lakes and rivers.
To repair and repaint exterior wood surfaces, replace windows and restore front door for the Canadian National Depot in Warroad, listed in the National Register of Historic Places.
The Cannon River Watershed Habitat Complex Phase VIII program will protect approximately 160 acres in fee, and restore and enhance approximately 188 acres of high priority wildlife habitat within the Cannon River Watershed, including wetlands, prairies, Big Woods forest, and river/shallow lake shoreline. Its goal is to reverse habitat loss, prevent degradation of water quality, improve watershed function, and provide public access.
