This project will study the geologic controls on nitrate transport in southeast Minnesota's karst landscape and will also provide datasets for other projects over time.
During "Discover the Real George Washington: New Views from Mount Vernon," an exhibit at the Minnesota History Center in early 2011, Minnesotans got a once-in-a-lifetime chance to experience first-hand original artifacts associated with George Washington. Washington put his personal stamp on our country at the moment of its birth, a stamp that still resonates and has modern-day relevancy for today's Minnesotans, as we learn about our state's history in the larger context of our nation's history.
Partner Organization: Minnesota Geospatial Information Office.
In partnership with the Minnesota Geospatial Information Office, the Minnesota Historical Society is adding geographical markers to more than 120,000 of the Society's historic photographs.
One outcome of this initiative will be the creation of a web experience that will allow students and the public to use "place" as a gateway for discovering other collections materials.
The German-Jefferson Subordinate Service District Board (board) completed a voluntary septic inventory through the Clean Water Fund in 2013. 344 out of 754 parcels participated in the inventory. Approximately 50% of the septic systems were found to be non-compliant with MN Rules Chapter 7080. That project included an assessment of septic systems on non-participating properties that identified eleven priority areas in populated communities with small lots. Three community feasibility studies out of the eleven priority areas were conducted.
An exhibit on the early history of Gladstone was developed and implemented by the Maplewood Area Historical Society using grant funding, donations and a generous amount of volunteer labor and hours. A professional exhibit planner guided the research and planning for the displays. Ten (10) panels were printed and artifacts, maps and photographs were selected. Display cases and boards were installed. Interactive displays include a DVD presentation, a clothing try-on station and an old school desk on which to color pages.
Self-guided interpretive markers were installed to facilitate public access to the Glen Location historic resource at the Minnesota Discovery Center. Illustrations support the text and the markers are placed so that the viewer can see the resource described. The well researched and historically accurate signage allows visitors to learn about the history of the site and the significance of each component of the site.
Partner Organizations: Northern Bedrock Historic Preservation Corps and Glensheen, the historic Congdon estate
First, a memorandum of understanding between Glensheen and Northern Bedrock Historic Preservation Corps will establish the partnership. This partnership will allow Northern Bedrock to provide programming for participants and accomplish Glensheen's historic preservation needs.
The GVCC Pond Excavation Project will remove approximately 2,500 cubic yards of accumulated polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) Level/Tier 3 contaminated sediment from the Golden Valley Country Club stormwater treatment pond.
This project will install an iron enhanced sand filter (IESF) to restore water quality in Golden Lake. Golden Lake is within a fully developed area of the Twin Cities, surrounded by residential land use, and the focal point of a city park. The IESF will achieve 11% of the phosphorus reduction (21 lbs/yr) required for Golden Lake to meet State water quality standards, as identified in the approved Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL).
The Thief River is the source of drinking water for the City of Thief River Falls. The river's other designated uses also include recreation and aquatic life. Water quality monitoring conducted by local agencies discovered that the Thief River is not meeting state water quality standards for both turbidity (muddiness) and dissolved oxygen. Each year, approximately 12,376 tons of sediment is deposited into the Thief River Falls reservoir by the Thief River. That is the equivalent of over 1,200 dump trucks full of dirt.
The Thief River is the source of drinking water for the City of Thief River Falls. The river's other designated uses also include recreation and aquatic life. Water quality monitoring conducted by local agencies discovered that the Thief River is not meeting state water quality standards for both turbidity (muddiness) and dissolved oxygen. Each year, approximately 12,376 tons of sediment is deposited into the Thief River Falls reservoir by the Thief River. That is the equivalent of over 1,200 dump trucks full of dirt.
The goal of this project is to construct watershed models for the Grand Marais Creek and Snake River Watersheds and perform an initial hydrologic calibration using Hydrologic Simulation Program FORTRAN (HSPF).
In the early 1900s, a joint State and County drainage project constructed a 1 mile outlet channel to Grand Marais Creek to provide a shorter outlet to the Red River and effectively abandoned the lower 6 miles of the natural channel. In recent times, the ditch has eroded from its original shape to a channel of steep gradients and unstable banks. This has resulted in head cutting of the channel and nearly continuous channel erosion and bank sloughing with the effect of depositing up to an estimated annual average of 700 tons of sediment into the Red River.
Three consultants with historic preservation, architectural and structural engineering expertise were contracted to conduct a structural assessment of the Grant County Courthouse concrete slab floors. They collected and analyzed data through a detailed visual survey of the floor slabs, materials testing using non-destructive methods and performing engineering analysis. Recommendations were made for the retrofit of the floor slabs.
Per Minnesota Laws, 2009, Chapter 172, Article 4, Section 2, Subd. 5, "Funds in this subdivision are appropriated to the commissioner of the Department of Administration for grants to the named organizations for the purposes specified in this subdivision. Up to one percent of funds may be used by the Department of Administration for grants administration. Grants made to public television or radio organizations are subject to Minnesota Statutes, sections 129D.18 and 129D.19."
The administration of the Minnesota Historical and Cultural Heritage Grant Program ensures rigor, fairness, honesty, integrity, and consistency in the distribution of ACHF funding. Grants staff consult on, review, evaluate, respond to, mentor, coach, shape, and monitor grant projects from initial applicant contact to project closeout, reporting, and monitoring.
This pilot project tested the feasibility and cost-effectiveness of acquiring grassland conservation easements and protected 459 acres of critical and threatened grassland habitat, through one MLT easement and two BWSR-RIM easements. Through partner coordination among BWSR, MLT, TCF and local SWCD's, this proposal contributed to implementation of the Minnesota Prairie Conservation Plan.
Grassroots Indigenous Multimedia hopes to serve two broad populations with this project: collaboration among Dakota and Ojibwe people engaged in curriculum and documentation and give easy access to those who are looking for such resources. This will be accomplished by creating a web-based resource and a booklet that gathers, digitizes, organizes, and describes many of the curriculum materials and resources that are currently available.
The drainage areas for the Root and Whitewater rivers are located in the karst region of southeastern Minnesota. Karst is defined as a landscape with depressions such as sinkholes caused by underground erosion that dissolves the limestone bedrock making this region home to one of the largest collections of freshwater springs in the United States and some of the best trout fishing in the Midwest.
The Great Rivers Network portal promotes the development, discovery and use of historical collections held by the Minnesota Historical Society and its partners across Minnesota.
Through this project, the Society provides support and training to organizations statewide for the preparation of digital collections data, while providing a technical infrastructure that enables access to various collection components, such as photographs, manuscripts, vital record indexes and library catalogs.
Minnesota’s Legacy Amendment raises revenue for Clean Water, Outdoor Heritage, Parks and Trails, and Arts and Cultural Heritage. Libraries are beneficiaries of a portion of the Arts and Cultural Heritage Funding.
Minnesota’s 12 regional public library systems, which encompass 350 public libraries in all areas of the state, benefit from a portion of the Legacy Amendment’s Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund. Through State Library Services, a division of the Minnesota Department of Education, each regional public library system receives a formula-driven allocation from the annual $3 million Minnesota Regional Library Legacy Grant.