BWSR Project Snapshots; Olmsted Atlas; Lambert Creek: Clean Water Council Update

Minnesota Clean Water Council sent this bulletin at 05/14/2020 07:00 AM CDT

New Project "Snapshots" from BWSR

The Minnesota Board of Water and Soil Resources (BWSR) has published several new "Snapshots" of projects supported by the Clean Water Fund.

Whiskey Creek Restoration (Wilkin/Otter Tail County): This project in northwestern Minnesota combines state, local, and federal funds to restore a section of a creek that affects 200 landowners. Project goals include creating stable stream conditions, improving water quality, and improving natural waterways’ drainage and wildlife habitat while reducing flooding’s frequency and severity.

Wetland Easements Fix Ditch, Create Water Storage, Habitat: Located in the Yellow Medicine Watershed in Lincoln County, this project restored a wetland to store water that otherwise would have overwhelmed a deteriorating ditch system, which will improve water quality and habitat.

Roseau River: Water Quality is Ditch Fixes' #1 Priority: A county ditch project in the Roseau River Watershed received Clean Water Fund support for stabilization work that will keep 275 tons of sediment out of the river annually.

Rum River Gains RIM Easement Option: Soil and water conservation districts in Isanti, Mille Lacs, and Anoka Counties seek protection of 100+ high priority parcels using easements that can keep this state-designated Wild and Scenic River from becoming impaired.

Pictured: Rum River flowing from Lake Mille Lacs. Photo credit: Richard Hamilton Smith

Meetings & Project Updates

Meetings

Full Council: The next meeting is Monday, May 18th from 9:00 a.m. to noon. This meeting will be on WebEx only due to the Stay-at-Home Order. (Topics: Most BWSR programs; DNR nonpoint source restoration and protection; MDA technical assistance programs; and St. Louis River Area of Concern.) The packet from the May 4th meeting (overview of agency and other proposals for the FY22-23 Clean Water Fund recommendations on One Watershed One Plan, Groundwater/Drinking Water Implementation, Point Source Implementation, Voyageurs National Park, Working Lands, and Clean Water Council budget) is posted at our web site.

Policy Committee: The next meeting is Friday, May 22nd at 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Topics: Follow-up on draft policy statements. The presentations for the April 24th meeting featuring speakers on MPCA update on feedlot program; update on Minnesota Agricultural Diversification Steering Council; a first draft of policy statements for chlorides and a private well testing requirement at time of a property sale, and possible comments to MPCA on feedlots have been posted at our web site.

Budget & Outcomes Committee: The next meeting is Friday, June 5th at 9:30 a.m. and will include detailed budget presentations on One Watershed One Plan; Groundwater/Drinking Water Implementation; Point Source Implementation; Voyageurs National Park; Working Lands; Clean Water Council budget; most BWSR programs; DNR nonpoint source restoration and protection; MDA technical assistance programs; and St. Louis Area of Concern. It will likely be on WebEx only. Presentations and handouts from the May 1st meeting (monitoring, assessment, Watershed Restoration & Protection Strategies (WRAPS), Groundwater Restoration & Protection Strategies (GRAPS), chronic wasting disease (CWD) in water, and an update on microplastics) have been posted.

Meetings at MPCA have WebEx capability for on-line viewing. Contact us for details. NOTE: WebEx recordings are moving to a new server. We will only have on-demand access to archived WebEx recordings for the previous six months.

Geologic Atlas for Olmsted County

The Minnesota Geological Survey (MGS) has completed the geologic atlas (Part A) for Olmsted County. The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) will now use this information to complete a groundwater atlas (Part B) by 2022. Partial funding for the project came from the Clean Water Fund and the Environment & Natural Resources Trust Fund.

Update on Projects Supported by the Clean Water Fund

Lambert Creek (Ramsey County): The Minneapolis Star Tribune published a Sunday article about the restoration of Lambert Creek in Vadnais Heights from its current ditch status. The project would resemble the Middle Rice Creek restoration project supported by the Clean Water Fund elsewhere in Ramsey County.

Parkview Center School (Roseville, Ramsey County): Using partial funding from the Clean Water Fund, the Capitol Region Watershed District installed a stormwater collection and filtration system at a local school to protect Lake McCarrons. The system captures runoff from a 46-acre area. A short video showcases the project.

Cloquet River: A Duluth TV station covered the recent request for public comment on the Cloquet River Watershed Restoration and Protection Strategy (WRAPS)

Discovery Farms Report: Discovery Farms Minnesota has a new report, authored by Clean Water Council member Warren Formo. Lessons Learned from Shafer Farms: Implementing Conservation in a Rolling Landscape provides edge-of-field surface runoff data along with farm practice data. The report shows that water infiltration at this location was very high. Only 7% of precipitation left the field as surface runoff and 76% of surface runoff occurred when soils were frozen. The high infiltration rate is influenced by soil type and the crop rotation in place. The Clean Water Fund supports staff at the Minnesota Department of Agriculture who support research at Discovery Farms.

Certified Farm in Otter Tail County: The Minnesota Agricultural Water Quality Certification Program (MAWQCP) recently certified the Boen farm in northwestern Otter Tail County, operated by a grandfather and grandson.