All Projects

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 the High Island Creek Watershed Pollutant Load Monitoring project is to assist the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) with meeting the objectives of the Watershed Pollutant Load Monitoring Network (WPLMN). This will be accomplished by conducting water chemistry monitoring at two specified stream locations from ice out through October 31, capturing snow melt, rainfall events and base flow conditions. In addition, project staff will compile and submit the required data, information, and reports, and calculate pollutant loads using the FLUX32 model.

The goal of this project is to finalize the Lake Pepin Watershed phosphorus total maximum daily load (TMDL) report by using the existing information and documentation prepared under previous contracts to prepare one TMDL report that addresses the impairments on the mainstem of the Mississippi River. Information developed to date for draft TMDLs on the Minnesota River mainstem will be documented for later use by the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency.

The goal of this project is to extend existing Hydrologic Simulation Program FORTRAN (HSPF) models through 2017 for the following major watersheds: Redwood, Cottonwood, Watonwan, Blue Earth, Le Sueur, Pomme de Terre, Minnesota River-Headwaters, and Lac Qui Parle watersheds.

The goal of this project is to simulate up to ten scenarios using the recently completed Hydrologic Simulation Program FORTRAN (HSPF) model for the Mississippi River–Lake Pepin (MRLP) watershed. The mode will be used to investigate a variety of management scenarios to support further planning work and implementation in the watershed. Model scenarios are being developed to inform 1W1P planning activities and future implementation.

This project will address Step 2b in the Watershed approach process and computation of TMDLS for those impaired waters determined to be in need of them.

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 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.

The State of Minnesota has adopted a ten year cycle for managing water quality for each of the 80 major watersheds in the state. Every ten years, each major watershed will undergo a surface water assessment and a Watershed Restoration and Protection Strategy (WRAPS) project. The North Fork Crow River WRAPS process is entering its second round which will focus both on addressing data gaps identified in the approved NFCRW Comprehensive Watershed Plan and on addressing additional required Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) studies required by the United States Environmental Protection Agency.

Wood Environment & Infrastructure Solutions, Inc. (Wood) was selected for this project to conduct work in support of the per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) program. This project is a multi-phased pilot study to further validate and refine potential locations across Minnesota that may have historically been, or are currently, contaminated with PFAS. The primary objective is to evaluate potential PFAS locations, specifically compost sites, to determine presence or absence of PFAS at each site.

The purpose of this project is to assess the amount of land in the Root River watershed that is treated by structural best management practices (BMPs); more specifically, Water and Sediment Control Basins. The 2016 Root River Watershed Restoration and Protection Strategy (WRAPS) report recommended reducing sediment loss from upland areas and reducing nitrate loading to streams from runoff. Understanding the location and density of these BMPs will is important for targeting future watershed protection and restoration efforts.

The proposed project area covers roughly one hundred square miles within Sibley County, but also includes a small portion of Nicollet County where Judicial Ditch 1A runs into the south branch of the Rush River. One lake and seven streams are part of the proposed project monitoring sites. Of the seven stream locations, two are part of the High Island Creek Watershed, while the remaining five are part of the Rush River Watershed. The lone lake, Lake Washington, falls within the Bevens Creek Watershed.

The purpose of this effort is to create an educational video that will “bring to life” geo-scientific information related to groundwater movement in southeast Minnesota. This video will be used by the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA), Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) and other regional partners to help explain the local geology and related groundwater movement. It is anticipated that the video will be used at meetings and other events related to water resource management and natural resource issues. In addition, three stand alone high resolution graphics will be created.

The goal of this project is to investigate nitrate transport and the sources of nitrate in karst for more effective implementation of best management practices that will reduce nitrate concentrations in ground and surface water.

The project will work with county and Waseca Soil and Water Conservation District staff to increase knowledge and participation in the Watershed Approach efforts and provide input to the Watershed Restoration and Protection Strategies (WRAPS) document.

In previous phases of work, a Hydrologic Simulation Program FORTRAN (HSPF) model of the Zumbro River Watershed was developed to simulate hydrology and water quality for the 1995-2009 simulation period (Phase I), applied to evaluate various management scenarios for reducing sediment and nutrient loading (Phase II), and used to develop Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs) for impaired stream segments and inform development of a nutrient TMDL for Rice Lake (Phase III).

2019: The Olmsted County Soil and Water Conservation District will assist the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) with water quality monitoring and pollutant load calculations at four sub-watershed sites in the Zumbro River Watershed. Approximately 25 grab samples per site between ice-out and October 31 of 2019 will be collected along with field measurements and observations.