Rebuilt Cascade Creek mimics nature
In Rochester, a $1.5 million stream reconstruction on 40 acres of a former golf course provides a water-quality and flood-control fix 20 years in the making. Habitat benefits, too, in this Olmsted SWCD project on Cascade Creek. Partners include Olmsted County, Rochester, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources and the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency.
'A passionate advocate for conservation'
Fillmore Soil & Water District Administrator Donna Rasmussen earned BWSR's 2018 Outstanding SWCD Employee award. Rasmussen has spent her career advancing water quality initiatives in southeastern Minnesota by managing staff, securing and implementing grants and overseeing pilot programs.
'A lot can get done by one person'
Okabena-Ocheda Watershed District Administrator Dan Livdahl earned BWSR's 2018 Outstanding Watershed District Employee award. As the sole employee for the watershed district, Livdahl’s primary duties involve groundwater and surface water protection efforts.
Making sense of financial statements
BWSR staff led trainings at the annual BWSR Academy to help local government staff prepare annual financial statements. A key to office efficiency, financial statements help soil and water conservation district managers and board supervisors determine the state of their district’s financial position. The statements also help staff plan for the future and mitigate fraud.
EPA to revise Section 404 Assumption rules
The feasibility of 404 assumption in Minnesota appears to be improving significantly as a result of a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers memo from July 2018 and an Environmental Protection Agency rulemaking process now underway. Section 404 of the federal Clean Water Act regulates the discharge of dredged or fill material into waters of the U.S.