The Minnesota DNR and the Minnesota Forest Resources Council work with forest landowners, managers and loggers to implement a set of voluntary sustainable forest management guidelines that include water quality best management practices (BMPs) to ensure sustainable habitat, clean water, and productive forest soils, all contributing to healthy watersheds. This project will monitor the implementation of these forest management guidelines and BMPs on forested watersheds in MN.
An illustrated, self-guided tour booklet was developed and produced that describes Fort Snelling during the WWII years. The guide contains many photos of historic and current views and the sketch maps are easy to follow to locate the identified sites. Approximately 200 copies were distributed to libraries, cultural institutions, participants in the Upper Post redevelopment process, The Veterans Administration Hospital, services organizations and the MN soldiers Home.
As a requirement for the transfer of certain properties within the Upper Post area of Fort Snelling to the Historic Surplus Property Program, a Program for Preservation and Utilization (PPU) was designed and developed to preserve and enhance the public use and future redevelopment of the Fort Snelling area. The report was created for the project using the National Park Service format. It will serve as a central resource when changes are to be made to the Upper Post.
Le Sueur County has completed water quality assessments of its lakes, which are on the impaired waters list for excess nutrients. The Francis Rays Sakatah Tetonka Lakes Septic Inventory project will complete up to 400 shoreland septic compliance inspections, create an ArcMap GIS layer, create community assessment reports on priority areas and provide education and outreach to the public through informational meetings and website development. The project will also jump-start upgrading non-compliant septic systems.
The Pioneer Mine Site, listed in the National Register of Historic Places, was improved with the repair of the existing furnaces in the Miners Dry and Shaft Houses. The furnaces are tied in with a fire suppression system and a security system. Installation of expanded steel across three doors, application of adhesive and boards around Shaft House base and removal of surrounding brush provides added protection from insect, animal and human invasion. Destruction by nature and vandals has been minimized.
Varney Lake is owned and maintained by the City of white Bear Lake as part of its stormwater collection system. The City will excavate approximately 10,000 cubic yards of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) contaminated sediment from Varney Lake (which is located in a residential portion of the City) and manage the sediments on site by encapsulating the sediment in a berm covered with clean top soil. The encapsulated sediment will be managed as a solid waste in what the MPCA refers to as a limited use solid waste landfill (Facility).
This project will remove accumulated sediment from two Stormwater Treatment Ponds in Circle Pines that were constructed in the 1970’s. Recent testing of the sediments indicates that Tier 2 and 3 PAH compounds were found in the sediment. The most recent estimate for the volume of material that will be removed is 2,400 Cubic Yards.
Monitoring the health of Minnesota rivers is vital in determining, maintaining, and improving the health of the rivers for the environment and public use. The scope of this project is to collect surface water chemistry samples at designated sampling locations during appropriate time periods and at appropriate frequencies during these time periods for 1 year beginning in February 2015. The data collected and submitted to MPCA will provide information necessary to determine stream characteristics and calculate water quality pollutant loads.
Groundwater sample collection and analysis will be conducted for contaminants of emerging concern (CEC) at large subsurface treatment systems (LSTS) and rapid infiltration basins (RIB), using an enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) methodology. Results from the ELISA analysis will be reported to the MPCA and used to conduct follow-up investigations at a select number of these sites.
This grant will cover all components of water chemistry sampling for pollutant load monitoring at four sites. Of those four sites, two of them are subwatershed sites that will be monitored seasonally and two of them are basin/major watershed sites that will be monitored year round. The Monitoring Coordinator for the Sauk River Watershed District will be responsible for sample collection, data management tasks, attending weekly call in meetings and will coordinate additional help from other staff members and/or interns if needed.
The purpose of this monitoring project is to maintain water quality data collection, build on local partnerships, and develop a better of understanding of what impacts the rivers located in central Minnesota.
Sherburne Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD) will subcontract with Clearwater River Watershed District (CRWD) to cooperatively coordinate monitoring of three locations within the Mississippi River (St. Cloud) Watershed. A total of four staff (two from each district) will communicate to ensure that the locations are monitored according to the WPLMN Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for AIS and non AIS sites
To hire qualified professionals to repair masonry on the G.A.R. (Grand Army of the Republic) Hall, now part of the Meeker County Historical Society's museum facilities, listed in the National Register of Historic Places.
To contract with qualified professionals to prepare construction documents for the repair of the roof of the Gardner House, listed in the National Register of Historic Places and headquarters of the Germanic-American Institute.
YMCHS purchased equipment, supplies and a one-year subscription to Ancestry.com to provide access to family history in Yellow Medicine County. Advertisements have been placed in local newspapers and brochures to inform the public of these new resources.
