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

A wetland and native prairie restoration in
Artichoke township was named for and dedicated to Charles
Hanson, lifelong resident and conservationist of that area. More
than 200 acres of land were restored, which includes two restored
wetlands totaling 110 acres that were drained more than 50 years
ago. The project was made possible by the CREP program and the
cooperation of fi ve different landowners. The Big Stone SWCD
coordinated the project, and cooperating agencies included USDA
Farm Service Agency, USDA Natural Resources Conservation
Service, Big Stone County Highway Department, Artichoke
Township, Stevens Township (in Stevens County) and the Upper
Minnesota River Watershed District, along with area fourth grade
students. Surveying, design, and construction supervision were
provided by the Board of Water and Soil Resources. Construction
was provided by Commerford Construction Inc. The restored
wetlands fi lter sediment and pollutants from runoff water before
it enters Artichoke Lake. The upland areas and wetland fringes
have been seeded to native grasses. The area will be a permanent
tribute to Charles Hanson’s legacy.
An 8-foot gully prompted a local landowner, the
SWCD and NRCS to work together to complete a grade
stabilization structure and waterway project. A cable-crete drop
structure stabilized the washout area. A grassed waterway (200
feet upstream and 500 feet downstream) stabilized the existing
waterway. A CRP fi lter strip was also placed along the waterway.
NRCS designed the structure and waterway. Approximate funding
breakdown was $17,500 State Cost-Share, $4,250 EQIP, $1,600
Local Water Plan funds, and $11,500 landowner.
The combined efforts of the SWCD, NRCS,
Resource Conservation and Development, and local fi re
departments have surveyed, designed and installed six dry
hydrants over the past four years.
Top 5 Natural Resource Concerns
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Big Stone Soil & Water Conservation District
Water quality of principle waters of the County:
Big Stone, Toqua, Artichoke and Long Tom
lakes; the Minnesota River and Stony Run Creek
Pesticide and nutrient runoff from ag land and
fertilizer absorption from fl ooded cropland
Soil Erosion
Increasing the amount of buffer and fi lter strips
in Big Stone County
Invasive and Exotic species -- Keeping prairie
lands from becoming overrun with trees and
shrubs, and keeping our naturally wooded areas
regenerating with native trees (Oak, Basswood,
Hackberry, Ash, etc.), not species such as
Siberian Elm and Buckthorn
Future Projects
A 78.4-acre conservation easement project is underway.
The SWCD is currently working with the Board of
Water and Soil Resources and the NRCS on this wetland
restoration project, funded through the Reinvest In
Minnesota and Wetlands Reserve Program (RIM / WRP)
partnership. The project will restore nine small basins to 17
acres of wetlands, and the remaining acres will be an upland
buffer seeded with a diverse mix of native grasses and forbs.
Incentive payments on fi lter strips and conservation
easements are being offered through the Working Lands
Initiative program. The SWCD, DNR, U.S. Fish &
Wildlife Service and NRCS are combining efforts on this
program to support innovative conservation projects and
rural sustainability. Conservative grazing practices are also
options for landowners under this program. A local work
group continues to develop program options that meet the
conservation and economic needs of the local landowners.
The SWCD is working with a landowner on a wetland
restoration plan to potentially be funded through the
local road replacement / wetland banking program.
Continued challenges for the Big Stone SWCD are
stable funding for basic operations, the diffi culty in
selling conservation programs and practices which do
not compete fi nancially with land values and commodity
prices, and selling conservation programs in an
agricultural county that currently has 27 percent of its
land in some type of conservation cover.
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