The City of Mankato is looking to restore a varied ecosystem that includes wetland restoration, upland prairie establishment, and stream improvements. A minimum of a 100 acre area would provide habitat that supports a diverse mix of plants and animals and will allow for different types of outdoor sporting opportunities. The project is a unique opportunity for habitat establishment and protection in an urbanizing area that will provide lasting benefits for region.
This project will achieve pollutant reductions within a chain of lakes with a hard-won trend of improving water quality. We will install shoreline stabilization projects with near-shore native plant buffers and in-lake aquatic plantings. We will stabilize at least 300 linear feet of shoreline resulting in at least 4 lbs/yr of phosphorus and 2.4 tons/yr of sediment reduction. This project is small budget and modest scale, but a critical finish-line kick to reach goals after many other larger projects that have nearly achieved goals.
The Wilkin Soil and Water Conservation District will partner with the Buffalo Red River Watershed District, the Natural Resources Conservation Service, and landowners to install 59 side inlets to stabilize high priority gullies that are contributing sediment to Whiskey Creek. When these 59 gullies are stabilized, sediment loading to Whiskey Creek will be reduced by an estimated 1,006 tons per year and total phosphorus reduced by 794 pounds per year.
In Dakota County, groundwater supplies more than 90 percent of the drinking water. In order to protect Dakota County's primary drinking water source, this project proposes to support the County well seal grant cost-share program. The project will provide 50 percent cost-share funding to reimburse landowners for the sealing of unused wells. The goal is to permanently seal between 80-100 unused/abandoned wells throughout the county.
MPRB requests $755,000 to continue shoreline habitat enhancements at Lake Nokomis in Minneapolis. This project would add approximately 4,000 linear feet of shoreline habitat to the roughly 4,500 linear feet implemented in 2020 with previous LSOHC funding. Completion of Phase Two would ensure naturalization of a total of approximately 65% of this urban lakeshore. Habitat improvements would specifically target multiple turtle species and native plant species beneficial to pollinators.
