Watershed Achievements Report

Minnesota Upper Mississippi River Basin River Basin Watershed Achievements Report 2008 2015
designing and installing rain gardens; conduct three
youth outdoor events focusing on water quality;
host two radio segments to inform residents of the
available funding and upcoming events; conduct three
additional adult education workshops focusing on water
quality protection, human impacts and BMP project
maintenance; install conservation BMPs within the Sauk
River watershed of St. Cloud, Waite Park and St. Joseph,
including 35 rain gardens and an effective erosion control
BMP to address the river bank sloughing in Whitney Park;
design and install five stormwater BMPs in the three
municipalities; conduct water quality monitoring on
the Sauk River and two stormwater outfalls for selected
sub-watersheds undergoing a neighborhood rain garden
initiative; and be responsible for all reporting, tracking
and overall management of this project.
Middle Sauk River Targeted Reduction and Outreach –
2014
Sponsor: SRWD
Funding: Clean Water Partnership (Grant) $332,214.50
and Clean Water Partnership (Loan) $150,000
Purpose: A Farmer-led Council will be developed and
meetings will be held up to four times to guide the SRWD
in the development of the Hayed Buffer Program and
participate in public outreach efforts to promote the
program. The project will install 40-50 acres of vegetative
buffers under the established Hayed Buffer program,
reducing an estimated 126.6 tons of sediment per year.
Landowners participating in the Hayed Buffer program
will supply feedback on the program by completing
the Hayed Buffer Survey developed by the Farmerled
Council. The project will implement 2 streambank
restorations and four erosion control practices to target
an estimated sediment reduction of 3.3 to 6.6 tons per
year. Stream samples will be collected and compared to
archived data. Stream modeling will be completed to
determine load reduction and the success of the CWP
project.
Osakis Lake Nutrient Reduction – Crooked Lake – 2014
Sponsor: SRWD
Funding: Section 319 (Grant) $286,652
Purpose: Entice landowners, using additional incentives,
to secure their enrollment into the RIM program, or
other similar programs to restore the Crooked Lake
basin. Approximately 1,200 acres would be restored to
a standing water basin. Under management, a restored
Crooked Lake would provide 3,291 acre-foot of storage,
resulting in increased storage, decreased nutrient
transport, flood mitigation and increase wildlife habitat.
The restored basin would enhance the quality of water
flowing through JD2, which directly outlets to Osakis
Lake. A fully restored shallow lake would have a potential
load reduction of 2,135 lbs/yr of TP and 562,575 lbs/yr
of TSS. 72 lakes samples and 30 stream samples will be
collected and compared to archived data. Data from the
JD2 sites and lakes sites will be compiled and submitted
to MPCA for EQuIS and posted on SRWD’s website for
public review. Stream modeling will be completed
to determine load reduction and the success of the
restoration project.
SRWD Groundwater Protection Project – 2015
Sponsor: SRWD
Funding: Clean Water Partnership (Grant) $10,000.50 and
Clean Water Partnership (Loan) $250,000
Purpose: Educate the local residents of the importance
of groundwater protection and provide financial
assistance to those who need to properly abandon their
unused well or to upgrade their nonconforming septic
system to prevent nutrients and other contaminants
from impacting groundwater and surface water through
groundwater permeation. Agencies within each of the
five counties will take the lead on conducting the septic
inspections throughout the Sauk River watershed.
Incentive dollars (grant funds) will be offered to
watershed residents that have an unused well, cistern or
underground reservoir to properly abandon the system.
The SRWD will work with the local county agencies to
provide public outreach to watershed residents informing
them of the impact that unused wells and substandard
septic systems have on drinking water and surface water.
South Fork Crow River
Ardmore Avenue Stormwater Retrofit – 2015
Sponsor: City of Medina
Funding: Clean Water Partnership (Grant) $33,162.50
Purpose: The installation of a filtration basin to treat
stormwater prior to entering Lake Ardmore and Lake
Independence, will result in a reduction of the TP and TSS
load contributed to these waterbodies from a portion
of the neighboring developed area. Lower TP and TSS
loads also reduces chlorophyll-a concentrations inlake;
an indirect measure of the amount of algae within
these lakes. Lower phosphorous and chlorophyll-a
concentrations improve water clarity (Secchi depth) as
Minnesota Pollution Control Agency www.pca.state.mn.us 118