This project supports monitoring and assessment activities by MPCA EAO staff and includes lab analysis, equipment, and fieldwork expenses associated with monitoring and assessment activities within the described priority watersheds. Lake Monitoring: Lakes are monitored for nutrients, clarity and other information to provide the data needed to assess the aquatic recreation use support. Biological and Water Chemistry Stream Monitoring: Monitoring to assess the conditions of streams in each watershed.
This project supports monitoring and assessment activities by MPCA EAO staff and includes lab analysis, equipment, fieldwork, data management, and interpretation expenses associated with monitoring and assessment activities.The ambient groundwater monitoring network describes the current condition and trends in Minnesota's groundwater quality.
The MPCA will administer grants to local units of government to study and implement solutions that protect basins and watersheds of Minnesota before water quality standards are exceeded.
Staffing support to evaluate the performance of existing stormwater infiltration sites, as identified in the Minimal Impact Design Standards (MIDS) project. Monitor the range of existing infiltration devices in Minnesota and compare to design criteria, maintenance records, and quantify year-round infiltration rates. Develop and refine pretreatment options and standards for municipal stormwater treatment.
This project supports activities by Minnesota Pollution Control (MPCA) Watershed Division staff that provide technical assistance, project oversight, coordination, outreach and other agency activities associated with assessing, listing and conducting Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) studies throughout the State of Minnesota. Project also includes lab analysis, equipment, and fieldwork expenses associated with TMDL work at the MPCA.
Staffing and support for the Accelerated Implementation of municipal stormwater (MS4) Permit Requirements program. The purpose of this program is accelerating municipal stormwater (MS4) implementation activities by providing technical assistance and guidance development to permittees. To date the program has establishment of a digital document library (DDL) which is housed in the MN Stormwater Manual.
This project supports monitoring and assessment activities by Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) Environmental Outcomes staff and includes lab analysis, equipment, and fieldwork expenses associated with monitoring and assessment activities within the described priority watersheds. Lake Monitoring: Lakes are monitored for nutrients, clarity and other information to provide the data needed to assess the aquatic recreation use support. Biological and Water Chemistry Stream Monitoring: Monitoring to assess the conditions of streams in each watershed.
Agencies and stakeholders are working together to clean up contaminated sediments and restore aquatic habitat to the estuary in the St. Louis River Area of Concern within the Great Lakes Basin.
Staffing support for the development of permits that provide for implementation of Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) requirements at wastewater facilities and stormwater permittees.
This project supports monitoring and assessment activities by Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) Environmental Outcomes staff and includes lab analysis, equipment, fieldwork, data management, and interpretation expenses associated with monitoring and assessment activities. The ambient groundwater monitoring network describes the current condition and trends in Minnesota's groundwater quality.
Support for the subsurface sewage treatment system (SSTS) program administered by the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA). The MPCA offers grants to counties for SSTS program administration and special projects to improve SSTS compliance rates, and assistance for low-income homeowners with needed SSTS upgrades.
The Clean Water Council was created through the Clean Water Legacy Act (Minn. Stat. Ch 114D) which was signed into law June 2, 2006. The council’s role is to advise on the administration and implementation of the Clean Water Legacy Act. See the Council’s FY18-19 Clean Water Fund and Policy Recommendations Report (December 1, 2016). The 28-member Clean Water Council (Council) represents organizations with a major role in achieving clean water, enabling consensus building and coordination on a wide array of issues critical to the people of Minnesota.
The goal of this project is to analyze and document database architecture, platform, table structures, systems and data fields at six Minnesota agencies (Board of Soil and Water Resources, Department of Natural Resources, MN Department of Agriculture, MN Department of Health, Metropolitan Council, and MN Pollution Control Agency) for 30+ databases related to water.
A multimedia group has been created to support the development of educational and informational video productions including online curriculum for 6th grade history, the commemoration of the Civil War, and more.
MECA will offer day sessions intended to educate permittees on the requirements for the MS4 permit. The sessions will be held in Vadnais Heights, Detroit Lakes, St. Cloud, St. Paul and Mankato Minnesota.
The West Fork Des Moines Headwaters Water Sampling Project consists of collecting water samples and along with field data from three sampling sites within the West Fork Des Moines River Headwaters located in Murray County, MN. The sampling will take place from May 2014 through September 2014, and then again from June 2015 through August 2015. During this sampling regime, the three stream sites will be sampled sixteen times. Field replicates as well as blanks will be collected also. The three sites identified for sampling are the West Fork Des Moines RIver, Beaver Creek, and Lime Creek.
To implement recommendations from an HVAC evaluation that will ensure better climate control for the preservation of historic resources documenting Lake of the Woods County history.
To hire qualified project personnel to evaluate the Nelson Site, a Late Woodland archaeological site, for possible inclusion in the National Register of Historic Places.
Prior to European settlement more than 18 million acres of prairie covered Minnesota. Today less than 1% of that native prairie remains, and about half of those remaining acres are in private landownership without any formal protection currently in place. Through this appropriation the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources will work with private landowners of high quality native prairie sites to protect remaining native prairie using a variety of tools. Approximately 200 acres are expected to be permanently protected through Native Prairie Bank conservation easements.
County-wide, complete natural resource planning, restoration and management and other land cover improvements, throughout the park and greenway system.
Continue contracts with Conservation Corps of Minnesota to engage youth of the community in natural resource management projects throughout Ramsey County Regional Parks and Trails including care of the teaching garden, buckthorn removal, other invasive removals, prairie restoration, streambank stabilization, etc.
Partner: The Amherst H. Wilder Foundation
The Minnesota Historical Society and the Wilder Foundation worked with two new groups of existing and emerging community leaders in FYs14 and 15 to enhance their ability to act on important community issues.
During each six-month program, 25 participants explored neighborhood involvement and developed leadership skills to take effective community action.
The goal of this workplan is to define the major factors causing harm to fish and other river and stream life within the Nemadji Watershed. The work will complete the strength of evidence tables, will explain the linkages between biological monitoring results and water quality assessments, and will organize this information into a scientific evidence structure that supports the conclusions of the overall process. Multiple lines of evidence are reviewed and evaluated to produce a final evaluative report. This work order, the second of two, begins in 2013 and will be completed in year 2014.
The Nest and Diamond Lake Subwatershed Assessment and Internal Load Control project proposes to identify detailed approaches to address internal loading in both Nest and Diamond lakes and to identify field-level BMPs upstream of Nest Lake. These activities will be conducted as a part of efforts to get both lakes to meet water quality standards.
The objective of this project is to manage streambanks and floodplains along Elm Creek in Martin County in order to improve water quality and reduce erosion. Elm Creek flows into the Blue Earth River, which flows into the Minnesota River. Elm Creek is currently listed as impaired for fish bioassessments, turbidity, and fecal coliform.