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Contact: Celi Haga

651-315-5082

St. Paul, Minn.— Restored shorelines, blooming raingardens, clearer lakes – throughout Minnesota these projects speak to the work being done to improve and protect our state’s natural resources thanks to the Clean Water, Land and Legacy Amendment.  Today, the Minnesota Board of Water and Soil Resources (BWSR) announced another wave of Clean Water Fund grants, more than $11 million to help local governments put more projects in the ground that benefit Minnesota’s streams, rivers, lakes and groundwater.

BWSR Executive Director John Jaschke said these projects are helping the state make progress toward its water quality goals.  “Using sound science and the expertise of local government conservation staff, these projects are prioritized and targeted to make the most effective use of Clean Water Fund dollars. This work, and the state, local and private landowner partnerships that supports it, will continue to move Minnesota forward.”

The Clean Water Legacy funds are used to both protect at-risk waters and target polluted waters throughout the state. Gully stabilizations, basins that slow down water, stormwater control, and raingardens are just some of the practices used in this year’s projects. This round includes six Multipurpose Drainage Management grants, new to the program this year, which focus on water quality improvements in public drainage systems.

BWSR funded 64 applications totaling $11.7 million dollars this round, but interest in this program continues to outpace available funding. 133 applications were received, totaling $31.4 million in requests.

 Twin Cities Metro projects include work to reduce runoff and pollutants from entering Forest Lake, Colby Lake in Woodbury, Northwood Lake in New Hope, and Keller Lake in Burnsville; phosphorus (or nutrient) reduction to the St. Croix River; and installation of other conservation practices throughout the Metro lakes, rivers, and streams to improve water quality.

 Some specific project examples are:

·  Chisago and Washington County: Comfort Lake-Forest Lake Watershed District, $429,284

This project will rehabilitate three wetlands within the Moody Lake watershed, bringing the district to 80% of the phosphorus reductions it needs to meet its water quality goal for the watershed.

·  Dakota County: Lower Mississippi River Water Management Organization, $576,000

This project will treat stormwater runoff before it enters Thompson Lake. The WMO estimates that after practices are installed, phosphorus loading to the lake will be reduced by 39%, achieving the goal set by the Total Maximum Daily Load study.  The eastern shoreline is within Thompson County Park in West St Paul.

·  Ramsey County: Valley Branch Watershed District, $199,000

This project will reduce phosphorus in Silver Lake through a variety of stormwater practices, structural water quality improvements, and more. The District estimates these practices will keep 15 pounds of phosphorus from entering the lake, which is 40% of the current load.  This lake borders North St Paul, Maplewood, and Oakdale and hosts Joy Park and Silver Lake Park along its shores which are heavily used for water skiing, swimming, and fishing.

See how the Legacy funds are affecting the land and waters important to you. For detailed project information and maps visit www.bwsr.state.mn.us.

Contact: Celi Haga

651-315-5082

St. Paul, Minn.— Restored shorelines, blooming raingardens, clearer lakes – throughout Minnesota these projects speak to the work being done to improve and protect our state’s natural resources thanks to the Clean Water, Land and Legacy Amendment.  Today, the Minnesota Board of Water and Soil Resources (BWSR) announced another wave of Clean Water Fund grants, more than $11 million to help local governments put more projects in the ground that benefit Minnesota’s streams, rivers, lakes and groundwater.

BWSR’s Executive Director John Jaschke said these projects are helping the state make progress toward its water quality goals.  “Using sound science and the expertise of local government conservation staff, these projects are prioritized and targeted to make the most effective use of Clean Water Fund dollars. This work, and the state, local and private landowner partnerships that supports it, will continue to move Minnesota forward.”

The Clean Water Legacy funds are used to both protect at-risk waters and target polluted waters throughout the state. Gully stabilizations, basins that slow down water, stormwater control, and raingardens are just some of the practices used in this year’s projects. This round includes six Multipurpose Drainage Management grants, new to the program this year, which focus on water quality improvements in public drainage systems.

 BWSR funded 64 applications totaling $11.7 million dollars this round, but interest in this program continues to outpace available funding. 133 applications were received, totaling $31.4 million in requests.

 Northern Minnesota projects include work to reduce runoff and pollutants from entering Sherburne County’s Birch Lake and the Mississippi River; well sealing in Crow Wing County, and installation of other conservation practices throughout the region’s lakes, rivers, and streams to improve water quality.

 Some specific project examples are:

·  Benton County, Benton Soil and Water Conservation District, $300,000

This project will work with livestock producers to implement best management practices like vegetated filter strips, nutrient management, and feedlot pollution control to reduce runoff and improve water quality within the Mayhew and Big Elk Lake watersheds. The district estimates this will reduce phosphorus by 6,486 pounds a year and soil and sediment by 7,938 tons per year.

·   Crow Wing County: Crow Wing Soil and Water Conservation District, $310,000

This project will install practices that will keep 40 pounds of phosphorus and 40 tons of sediment per year from entering Big Trout Lake, helping reverse declining water clarity.

· Stearns County: Sauk River Watershed District, $95,500

This project will address bank erosion and plant vegetation along waterways that drain to the Eden Valley Chain of Lakes.  The district estimates that the practices will keep six tons of sediment and 20 pounds of phosphorus out of the chain.

See how the Legacy funds are affecting the land and waters important to you. For detailed project information and maps visit www.bwsr.state.mn.us.

Contact: Celi Haga

651-315-5082 (cell)

St. Paul, Minn. – Minnesota’s landscape includes roughly 10.6 million acres of wetlands.  While many people think of wetlands as swampy, marshy areas with standing water and cattails, the reality is wetlands take on many forms.  In addition to swampy, marshy areas, wetlands can vary from grassy meadows, to forested wetlands covered in trees and shrubs, to wet areas of cultivated farm fields.  Many wetlands are actually dry for most of the year, with no standing water. 

Why Wetlands Matter
Before European settlement, studies estimate Minnesota had over 20 million acres of wetland.  Today that number has been cut in half.  Wetlands are important ecosystems. They hold water, providing for natural water quality improvements by filtering nutrients and sediment that might otherwise pollute and clog waterways. They provide flood protection and shoreline erosion control.  Wetlands are also home to many species of fish and wildlife.

Wetlands Regulation
Most wetlands in Minnesota are protected by State and/or Federal law, and in some cases by local ordinances.    Minnesota’s primary wetland protection law is the Wetland Conservation Act.  The law is implemented by local governments, the Minnesota Board of Water and Soil Resources provides assistance and oversight, and the Department of Natural Resources provides enforcement.

• The State law applies to all wetlands, including those on private property, to achieve “no net loss” of wetlands.
• In general, wetland protection laws regulate activities in or near wetlands that can negatively affect the wetland through draining, filling, or excavating.
• There are some exemptions contained within State law for certain activities. 

What You Should Know
It can be very difficult to identify wetlands and wetland regulations can be quite complex.  Some examples of projects that could potentially affect wetlands include:

• Filling a low area of a residential lot for a building or lawn
• Tiling wet areas of cultivated fields
• Digging a pond in a low area
• Cleaning out an old ditch or improving an existing ditch
• Adding fill for a crossing of a stream or wet swale

Requirements
If there is the potential for your project to impact a wetland, before you start it is important to contact your local WCA regulatory authority to:

• Find out if the land you intend to alter is a wetland.  Remember, an area can be a wetland even if it does not appear wet on the surface.
• Determine if the proposed activity has impacts to a wetland area. 
• Assure that any impact to wetlands can be avoided if possible, and properly replaced if not. 

If you don’t know where to start, your local Soil and Water Conservation District can help you determine which agency is your local contact.

Cooperation is a key component of successful conservation.  Local, state, and federal wetland regulatory agencies work in partnership with landowners to help them achieve the best possible results on their private land. 

For more information about wetlands in Minnesota, see the Board of Water and Soil Resources website at http://www.bwsr.state.mn.us/wetlands/index.html, or the Department of Natural Resources website at:  http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/wetlands/index.html.