Watershed Achievements Report

Watershed Minnesota River Achievements Basin Report 2008
Watershed Achievements Report Statewide 2015
Yellow Medicine Watershed
HSPF Scenario Application Manager
Development
This project led to the further development of a
watershed-scale, decision-support tool to facilitate
prioritization and placement of management practices
to achieve the needed reductions identified by various
watershed management programs in Minnesota. The
decision-support tool, SAM, now consists of a GIS system
for site selection, HSPF model application to simulate
the transport and fate of pollutants, and development
of a set of management practices and HSPF Parameters
associated to those practices. This decision support
tool provides decision makers with a user friendly,
comprehensive approach to achieve the water quality
improvement goals set by the TMDL assessments,
protection strategies, and watershed restoration
programs. The decision-support tool assists in identifying
priority areas and BMPs that will provide the greatest
water-quality benefits for dollar invested.
The value of the tool is in its simplification of complex
hydrologic and water quality models into a transparent
estimation of the significant pollutant sources in
watershed. Local watershed entities can then apply their
knowledge and expertise of BMP implementation using
the tools interpretation of model results.
Goals
• The review and selection of an existing HSPF model to
serve at the SAM pilot. (Yellow Medicine River).
• Develop a list of management practices appropriate to
the Yellow Medicine River watershed.
• Construct the SAM interface.
Results that count
• The Yellow Medicine River watershed was selected to
serve as the SAM pilot watershed.
• With input from local partners, a list of relevant BMPs
were chosen for inclusion in the SAM tool.
• The SAM interface was constructed using the existing
Yellow Medicine HSPF model as a foundation.
• Intensive monitoring revealed extensive influence
from Upper Prior Lake on the southernmost bay,
and influence from the watershed on the rest of
the lake. Further communication will build on this
understanding of what influence BMPs will have on
different parts of the lake.
Financial information
Funding type: Section 319
Grant amount: $100,000
In-kind: $0
Matching funds: $99,970
Contact information
RESPEC/Jason Love, Vice President:
Water & Natural Resources
13824 Jet Drive
Rapid City, SD 57709
605-394-6400
Jason.Love@respec.com
MPCA Project Manager: Charles Regan
Minnesota Pollution Control Agency www.pca.state.mn.us 85