The goal of this project is to continue and finalize Hydrologic Simulation Program FORTRAN (HSPF) watershed model construction and complete the calibration/validation process. The project will add representation of point source discharges to the model, compile flow and water quality data for the purposes of calibration and validation. The end result will be an HSPF watershed model that can readily be used to provide information to support conventional parameter TMDLs.
The goal of the project is the development of an overall strategy for reduction of turbidity/TSS, with sets of sediment reduction initiatives and actions for various sources, to address the Minnesota River Turbidity TMDL and the South Metro Mississippi River TSS TMDL.
MSU-Mankato Water Resources Center in the Mankato area will provide conventional pollutant monitoring at the following sites: Beauford Ditch, Big Cobb River, Blue Earth River, Le Sueur River (3), Little Cobb River, Minnesota River (2), Watonwan River.
The overall goal of this project is to perform water quality monitoring duties to accomplish MPCA’s SWAG monitoring efforts at the four sites listed in Section IV of this application for the Middle Minnesota River stream sites selected in Renville, Redwood and Brown counties and allow for the assessment of aquatic life and aquatic recreation use for those reaches of the minor streams.
This project will support the monitoring of two sites on the Cannon River throughout the field seasons of 2013 and 2014 during storm events and baseflow conditions to capture 25 samples per year at each site according to the WPLMN objectives. The information gathered from these samples and site visits will be compiled for reporting purposes and for use in calculating pollutant loading using the FLUX32 model.
The MPCA has identified 13 stream sites in the watershed to characterize watershed water quality. This project will supplement and complement the identification of the top 50 sites in the watershed that are contributing to water impairment and also help in identification of priority watersheds in the re-write of the watershed comprehensive plan. Water samples and field measurements will be collected at each monitoring location ranging from baseline events to high flow events.
This project will obtain spatial and long-term pollutant load information from the Root River watershed in Southeast Minnesota. To accomplish this, the Fillmore Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD) will assist the MPCA with water quality monitoring and annual pollutant loading calculations. Approximately 25 grab samples will be collected/site/year at 5 sites within the Root River watershed (totaling 125 grab samples/year). Annual load calculations for each site will be determined using the FLUX32 model.
This project goal is to conduct water chemistry monitoring at seventeen stream locations, to record and submit all data collected through this process, and to provide the information necessary for the calculation of water quality pollutant loads using the FLUX32 program.
Peer Engineering, Inc. (Peer) will evaluate and recommend to MPCA groundwater monitoring staff prospective sites/locations for the installation of groundwater monitoring wells to evaluate contaminant/pollutant concentrations from various sources. Peer will oversee the installation of monitoring wells by retaining a state drilling contractor or preparing bid documents to retain well driller through the Department of Administration. Superfund staff will assist in the project by providing oversight of contractual requirements and provide technical assistance as needed.
This project will use the We Are Water MN traveling exhibit and the Minnesota Humanities Center's approach to community engagement, relationship building, and storytelling, to increase community capacity for sustainable watershed management in six Minnesota watersheds.
The goal of this project is to use the We Are Water MN exhibit and their technical knowledge in relationship-building and storytelling to increase community capacity for sustainable watershed management in the Cannon River, Cedar River, Mississippi-Headwaters, Mississippi-Grand Rapids, Mississippi-Twin Cities, Red Lake River, Rum River and St. Louis River watersheds.
This project will use the We Are Water MN traveling exhibit and the Minnesota Humanities Center's approach to community engagement, relationship building, and storytelling, to increase community capacity for sustainable watershed management in five Minnesota watersheds. The following communities were selected as host sites for this project:
Winona (City of Winona), active hosting period: March 3-April 25, 2022
Lake City (Lake Pepin Legacy Alliance), active hosting period: April 28-June 20, 2022
This project will provide condition monitoring and problem investigation monitoring at the following sites.
Mississippi River: Tributaries include Bassett Creek, Cannon River, Crow River, and Minnehaha Creek.
Minnesota River: Tributaries include Eagle Creek,Riley Creek, and Valley Creek tributary to the St. Croix River
This project will complete a Total Maximum Daily Load Implementation Plan for the watersheds of Big Sandy and Minnewawa Lakes. This restoration plan will provide pollution reduction and watershed management strategies that are developed with input from stakeholders in the watersheds.
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 goal of this project is to develop and write the Watershed Restoration and Protection Strategy (WRAPS) report for the Blue Earth River Watershed to provide restoration strategies to improve water quality for impaired waters and protection strategies to maintain the quality of water for water bodies meeting standards.
The Blue Earth SWCD will be monitoring 7 stream sites located in the Le Sueur River Watershed. The stream sites will be monitored at the road crossing locations via bridge, culvert or shore. Onsite conditions will be recorded, water sample readings will be taken for Secchi tube, specific conductance, temperature, pH, DO, and photos taken.
The goal is to facilitate strategic networking, learning, and implementation in targeted groups to assess, build, and leverage community capacity (i.e. community resources and values) to increase best management practice (BMP) adoption to restore and protect water quality in the Blue Earth River watershed
The Blue Earth Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD) will be monitoring 7 stream sites with 5 located in the Watonwan River Watershed and 2 located in the Minnesota River at Mankato Watershed. The stream sites will be monitored at the road crosssing locations via bridge, culvert or shore. Onsite conditions will be recorded, water sample readings will be taken for secchi tube, specific conductance, temperature, ph, DO, and phtots taken. The Blue Earth SWCD will work with the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) on final reports and results of the water monitoring efforts.
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 goal of this project is to complete the construction of an Hydrologic Simulation Program FORTRAN (HSPF) watershed model for the Buffalo River watershed. Tetra Tech will produce a HSPF watershed model application(s) that will be fully functioning and ready for calibration as part of Phase 2.
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.
The United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) requires the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) to carry out the Total Maximum Daily Load Program (TMDL) in the state of Minnesota. Minnesota has an abundance of lakes and river reaches, many of which will require a TMDL study. In an effort to expedite the completion of TMDL projects, the MPCA has decided to construct watershed models. These models have the potential to support the simultaneous development of TMDL studies for multiple listings within a cataloging unit or 8-digit Hydrologic Unit Code watershed.
This project will continue to develop, and calibrate/validate the hydrology of an Hydrological Simulation Program FORTRAN (HSPF) watershed model for the Buffalo River watershed. The consultant will add representation of point source discharges to the model. The consultant will compile flow data for the purposes of calibration and validation. An initial hydrologic calibration will be performed and submitted for approval.
The goal of this project is to address public comments on the public noticed draft Watershed Restoration & Protection Strategy (WRAPS) study and Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) report for the watershed, and to produce a final draft WRAPS study and TMDL report ready for final approval by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) and Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA).
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).
This project is to refresh the Cannon River Watershed Hydrologic Simulation Program FORTRAN (HSPF) model. The previous model was developed for the time period of 1995-2012. This phase will extend the model to include data through 2019. All time series data will be updated through 2019, land classification zones will be restructured, hydrology calibration will be updated as needed, and final reporting including technical memo and model package.
This project with the Cannon River Watershed Joint Powers Board will conduct lake and stream sampling for the watershed restoration and protection strategy (WRAPS) update in the Cannon River Watershed. This sampling will track changes from the 2011 results, along with fill in gaps, delist or keep an eye out for new impairments, and gather data for permitting. The sites of sampling were selected by the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) and will be looking at lake and stream chemistry and stream bacteria.
The goal of this project is to use a science-based and participatory approach to understanding and promoting conservation practices in the agricultural community.
The goal of this project is to apply the Hydrological Simulation Program FORTRAN (HSPF) model to evaluate scenarios to support potential management actions and implementation in the watershed, construct Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) studies, and to develop a conceptual site model of the lakes for understanding phosphorus release.
This project will assess the ability of using cover crops as a best management practice to reduce nitrate leaching loss from corn and soybean acres. Increasingly, farmers throughout Minnesota are tasked with generating economic returns to soybean and corn enterprises while simultaneously generating environmental benefits. This is evidenced by enforcement of Minnesota's buffer law and groundwater protection rule – both seeking to achieve environmental benefits from agricultural land use practices in the face of depressed commodity market prices for soybeans and corn.
This project will assess the ability of using cover crops as a best management practice to reduce nitrate leaching loss from corn and soybean acres. This contract provides funding for the coordination, outreach and field work to support implementation of the Cannon River Watershed Restoration and Protection Strategy (WRAPS) nitrogen strategy (cover crop application) in Rice Creek. Funding for the actual best management practice (BMP)cost-sharing has been secured via other sources.
Complete section 3 of Watershed Restoration and Protection Strategy (WRAPS) document for the Cannon and Zumbro Watersheds and provide input to sections 1 and 2.
In order to track progress of restoring and protecting water quality in the Nemadji watershed, surface water monitoring is needed.
The watershed has several impaired reaches including the Nemadji River, South Fork Nemadji River and Skunk Creek.
Impairments include total suspended sediment (TSS), total phosphorus (TP), and E.coli. Several best management practices (BMPs) were conducted in the last 10 years to improve these resources.
The goal of this project is to develop and complete the Watershed Restoration and Protection (WRAP) process and report, while also enlarging and sustaining a public participation process that encourages local ownership of water quality problems and solutions (civic engagement).
The data collected in this workplan is the foundation for an accurate TMDL allocation and accurate implementation strategy design. Current and historic phosphorus inputs will be calculated and evaluated as to source. Nutrient and algal history and trends in sedimentation will be reconstructed to identify ecological changes that have occurred in the lakes both recently and historically.
Carlton County Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD), Carlton County Planning and Zoning, and local volunteers will lead an effort to collect Total Phosphorus, Chlorophyll-A, and secchi disc transparency data for the MPCA Surface Water Assessment Grant (SWAG) project on following six lakes: Eagle Lake, Upper (North) Island Lake, Lower (South) Island Lake, Tamarack Lake, Cole Lake, and Cross Lake.
