Watershed Achievements Report

Lower Mississippi River Basin Watershed Achievements Report 2015
Lower Mississippi Basin
Active Projects
Projects awarded in 2014 - 2015
Projects involving multiple watersheds
Reducing Runoff from Southeast Minnesota Feedlots
– 2013
Sponsor: SEMWRB
Funding: Section 319 (Grant) $300,000
Purpose: A larger regional effort to comprehensively
address sources of fecal coliform bacteria tied to the
Regional TMDL Implementation Plan. Local feedlot staff
in the ten counties of SE Minnesota will provide technical
and engineering assistance to design and implement
feedlot runoff control activities to treat polluted runoff.
Farms will be prioritized based on criteria developed
by each county and SWCD. The MinnFARM model will
be run by feedlot technicians for each completed fix to
determine reductions in polluted runoff from projects
implemented. Reduction amounts will be reported using
the Feedlot Unified Reporting Form developed for this
project.
Cannon River Watershed
Building a Culture of Citizen Engagement – 2014
Sponsor: Cannon River Watershed Partnership
Funding: Section 319 (Grant) $57,620
Purpose: Develop and pilot a process for building local
community capacity for engaging in the watershed
management process that can be sustained long-term
with continuity. Using two subwatersheds currently
engaged by CRWP, the process will cross-fertilize
and organize diverse perspectives and segments of
watershed residents and stakeholders to get watershed
management work done in a way that is in tune with
community needs, identities and aspirations. The project
will explore new approaches to strategic collaborations
and coalitions with local, regional and state programs
and organizations.
Lower Cannon River Turbidity Reduction Project – 2011
Sponsor: Cannon River Watershed Partnership
Funding: Section 319 (Grant) $178,120
Purpose: The Lower Cannon River Turbidity TMDL study,
completed in July 2007, sets significant load reductions
for sediment in the Lower Cannon River watershed. The
water quality goal is a total suspended solids (TSS) value of
44 mg/L or less. At high flows, a reduction in TSS values
ranging from 49% to 82% is needed in the Cannon River
system depending on the reach. The implementation
plan, completed in October 2009, established a short
term goal of achieving a 30% reduction in sediment
sources by 2020.
Project Goals:
• Identify the major sources of sediment to the Little
Cannon River and Belle Creek that are contributing to
the pollution of these streams and the Cannon River.
• Implement BMPs to reduce sediment delivery to the
streams with the support of local landowners.
The water body is considered of high public value,
having been designated a Wild and Scenic River in
order to afford it additional protection from potential
degradation. It is located less than an hour’s drive from
the TCMA, along a popular bicycle path which brings
thousands of Minnesotans close to the water.
Steele County Septic System Loan Program – 2012
Sponsor: Steele County
Funding: CWP (Loan) $700,000
Purpose: This project will promote and install 70 SSTSs in
Steele County.
Mississippi River – Twin Cities
Dakota County Nitrate Reduction Project – 2012
Sponsor: Dakota County
Funding: Section 319 (Grant) $215,307
Purpose: This project will create and implement
agricultural projects to validate, demonstrate, and refine
BMPs for nitrogen fertilizer for corn production that will
lower nitrate levels in Dakota County’s groundwater
and surface water; promote Private Pesticide Applicator
Training, Crops Days, “Focus on Ag” Newsletter and
innovative demonstration projects to area farmers to
improve quality of Dakota County’s water resources;
monitor nitrate levels in private drinking water wells and
Minnesota Pollution Control Agency www.pca.state.mn.us 60