Soil & Water Conservation District Guidebook 2008 - Minnesota ...

Pictured: Pipestone Creek.
The Pipestone Creek TMDL Study
was completed by staff of the Pipestone SWCD
working cooperatively with MPCA. SWCD staff
coordinated the water quality monitoring of Pipestone
Creek with the Pipestone National Monument
who collected and submitted water samples to
the Department of Health lab for analysis. A local
advisory board was created and local meetings
were held for input on the creek’s water quality and
potential contributing sources. SWCD staff conducted
a complete watershed fi eld survey. The watershed
was driven and data was collected and stored as a
graphic layer on arc-gis in the fi eld with a tablet PC.
Information collected included: locations where fi lter
strips are needed, pasture livestock numbers, pasture
management practices, potential runoff concerns from
livestock facilities, Individual Sewage Treatment
System (a survey was conducted with residents of the
watershed to determine type of system, compliance
and if discharging where sewage is discharged), crop,
tillage, and residue management, and other watershed
water quality contributing sources were identifi ed. This
data along with monitoring and rating curve data was
compiled and the Pipestone Creek TMDL Study was
created. Local review meetings were published and held
for local input. MPCA review was then completed and
the Study is currently awaiting EPA approval.
Top 5 Natural Resource Concerns
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Pipestone Soil & Water Conservation District
The SWCD maintains and provides
Geographic Information Systems assistance to
Pipestone County. Supervisors have allowed staff
to attend GIS classes held by the GIS Department
at Southwest Minnesota State University in
Marshall. A county GIS committee was created to
provide direction and information to the County
Commissioners and other County departments on uses
and benefi ts of GIS. The SWCD has been creating
and making available many useful layers to county
departments and the public. Layers include road maps,
commissioner districts, SWCD supervisor districts,
other committee districts, county zoning layer
districts, feedlot layer, gravel pit layer, and others, a
county parcel map is currently being created through
a contract with 6E RDC. Staff also have created
and made available GIS projects for the staff at the
courthouse to utilize through Arc-reader software.
Water Quality
Feedlot Runoff
Soil Erosion
Nutrient Management Planning
Grazing Management Practices
Future Projects
Pipestone Creek and Rock River TMDL Implementation
plans: The Pipestone Creek TMDL
Implementation Plan is currently being written by the
SWCD and will soon be submitted to the MPCA for
approval. The SWCD also serves on the Rock River
TMDL committee which is also in the process of
developing a TMDL implementation plan.
Feedlot Level 3 Inventory: SWCD staff are conducting
site visits on all county registered feedlots and
collecting site data. Mnfarm is then run on sites to determine
pollution potential. A complete level 3 inventory
is anticipated to be completed by the end of 2008.
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