Grants – Middle Fork Crow River Watershed District

Watershed Restoration and Protection Strategy Phase II

MN Pollution Control Agency (FY2019 Clean Water Fund)

Timeline: April 22, 2019 – June 30, 2022
Grant Dollars: $230,000
The grant focuses on addressing the additional TMDL study requirements of the watershed, Land and Community Characterization–addressing data gaps related to better understanding altered hydrology, flooding impacts, and civic engagement within these priority Sediment and Phosphorus Vulnerability Criteria areas.

Stormwater Implementation Importance for Progressive “City on the Pond”

Board of Water and Soil Resources Project and Practices (FY2019 Clean Water Fund)

Timeline: February 2019 – December 2021
Grant Dollars: $160,250 Match: $40,062.50 Total: $200,312.50
This grant will help in the installation of the five priority projects in the city limits of New London. The District staff will work with the City staff to complete the projects during other road construction. The projects are above requirements of state and local standards for water quality.

Nest and Diamond Lake Subwatershed Assessment and Internal Load Control

Board of Water and Soil Resources Accelerated Implementation Grant (FY2019 Clean Water Fund)

Timeline: February 2019 – December 2021
Grant Dollars: $65,000 Match: $16,250 Total: $81,250
Grant funds will be used for modeling for Diamond Lake and Nest Lake, internal loading assessment, project location identification, cost estimates for future implementation and internal loading and subwatershed project implementation. Additional initiatives include coordination of meetings and public outreach to those in the subwatersheds.

Watershed Pollutant Load Monitoring Network (WPLMN)

Minnesota Pollution Control Agency FY 18

Timeline: July 2018-June 2020
The purpose of this monitoring project is to maintain water quality data collection, build on local partnerships, and develop a better of understanding of what impacts the rivers located in central Minnesota. MPCA’s approach to completing studies for impaired water bodies in Minnesota. Rather than conducting a study for one water body at a time, the new approach maximizes efficiencies and intensively monitors and assesses lakes and river reaches throughout a watershed at the same time.

Diamond Lake TMDL Implementation Projects

BWSR Projects & Practices (FY2015 Clean Water Fund)

Timeline: April 2015 to June 2019
Grant Dollars: $176,000 Match: $59,434 Total: $235,434
Diamond Lake is a significant waterbody utilized by thousands of boaters and anglers. The degradation of its water quality resulted in the placement of the lake on the MPCA’s List of Impaired Waters in 2006. The MFCRWD and its partners are making significant progress towards reducing phosphorus loading to Diamond Lake by completing implementation activities outlined in the Diamond Lake TMDL Report (Diamond Lake TMDL Report). Improving water quality in Diamond Lake to meet state standards is a top-ranking priority in the TMDL Implementation Plan (TMDL Implementation Plan). These funds will be used to implement practices outlined in the Diamond Lake TMDL Agricultural Conservation Program to reduce the remaining Diamond Lake phosphorus load by 759.5lbs/yr. The Agricultural Conservation Program will reduce the phosphorus load through wetland restoration, water and sediment control basins, side inlet controls, and buffer strips.
Approved Workplan
Latest Report

Surface Water Assessment Grant (SWAG)\Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (FY2017)

Timeline: March 2017 to January 2019
Grant Dollars: $152,717.12 Match: $0 Total: $152,717.12
The purpose of this monitoring project is to maintain water quality data collection, build upon existing data for Phase II of the Intensive Watershed Monitoring approach, and develop a better understanding of what impacts the rivers located in central Minnesota specifically in the North Fork Crow Watershed. This project will collect water samples at fifteen (15) stream and twenty-six (26) lake locations in the North Fork Crow River watershed. Several staff is needed to make this project happen. Staff from Crow River Organization of Water (CROW), Middle Fork Crow River Watershed District (MFCRWD), and North Fork Crow River Watershed District (NFCRWD) will come together and implement a monitoring program in the North Fork Crow River watershed. This project has three basic objectives: water quality monitoring, data management, and administration. This project is anticipated to start March 2017 conclude in January 2019.

MFCRWD Loan Program for BMPs/Septic Upgrades

Clean Water Partnership Project, Minnesota Pollution Control Agency
Timeline: June 2015 to June 2018
Grant Dollars: $10,000 Match: $100,000 Total: $110,000
This project aims to improve water quality in the Middle Fork Crow River, as outlined in Middle Fork Crow River Watershed District 10 year Comprehensive Plan. We will do this by evaluating current water quality impacts, implementing best management practices already in the planning stages, and by promoting BMP’s to landowners with the support of a low interest loan program. This project’s goal is to reduce the impacts of stormwater runoff and sediment and nutrient loading into the Middle Fork Crow River, the watershed’s eight recreational lakes, and multiple shallow lake and wetlands by implementing a variety of targeted Best Management Practices including stormwater retrofits, streambank restorations, and conservation agricultural projects.

Diamond Lake TMDL Implementation Project

BWSR Projects & Practices (FY2015 Clean Water Fund)
Timeline: April 2015 to December 2018
Grant Dollars: $176,000 Match: $59,434 Total: $235,434
Diamond Lake is a significant waterbody utilized by thousands of boaters and anglers. The degradation of its water quality resulted in the placement of the lake on the MPCA’s List of Impaired Waters in 2006. The MFCRWD and its partners are making significant progress towards reducing phosphorus loading to Diamond Lake by completing implementation activities outlined in the Diamond Lake TMDL Report (Diamond Lake TMDL Report). Improving water quality in Diamond Lake to meet state standards is a top-ranking priority in the TMDL Implementation Plan (TMDL Implementation Plan). These funds will be used to implement practices outlined in the Diamond Lake TMDL Agricultural Conservation Program to reduce the remaining Diamond Lake phosphorus load by 759.5lbs/yr. The Agricultural Conservation Program will reduce the phosphorus load through wetland restoration, water and sediment control basins, side inlet controls, and buffer strips.

Integrated Water Quality Analysis for Targeted Priority Practices

BWSR Accelerated Implementation (FY2015 Clean Water Fund)
Timeline: April 2015 to December 2018
Grant Dollars: $97,500 Match: $26,364 Total: $123,864
The MFCRWD will be undergoing a river assessment to determine the scope of eroding riverbanks as well as completing a stormwater modeling project to identify Critical Source Areas (CSAs) for stormwater management with help from partners at Wenck Associates. The assessment will target two reaches of the Middle Fork Crow River. The evaluation will verify that streambank erosion is the major contributor of pollutants, catalog and quantify the erosion, and provide an assessment of the answers while quantifying bedload reductions that could be achieved with the solutions. Coupled with the streambank erosion assessment, a stormwater modeling project will provide needed data for future planning. Modeling evaluation will use stormwater management software joined with a water quality model to pinpoint sensible locations for Best Management Practices (BMPs) and provide results to forthcoming stakeholder planning and project implementation. This project will drive annual budgetary decisions and project planning, give District constituents a view of the watershed’s health, and provide an implementation strategy for water quality efforts for effective on-the-ground and shovel-ready projects.

Middle Fork Crow Watershed Resource Investigation (CWP Grant)

Timeline: June 2013 to June 2016
Grant Dollars: $63,250 Cash: $12,200 In-kind: $75,450 Total: $150,900
The District aims to improve the effectiveness of limited implementation funding by using monitoring data to prioritize areas requiring protection and restoration. In recognition of the importance of awareness and civic engagement, the District will continue its education and outreach programs to watershed residents of all ages. While lakes and streams within the Middle Fork Crow River Watershed have relatively good water quality when compared to ecoregion averages, continued monitoring and outreach efforts will play an important role in the preservation of high quality waters and the improvement of impaired waters. By partnering with local organizations, public awareness and support for water quality issues will increase. Through this increased public awareness of the status of our lakes and streams, the Watershed District will work with local stakeholders to review previous goals set in the CWP Phase I studies, where needed goals will be updated. The increased knowledge, participation, and support of stakeholders will bring additional opportunities for implementation projects in the future. These efforts will support the District’s purpose of protecting and improving water quality in the watershed.

Green Lake Stormwater Quality Improvement Project (BWSR Legacy Grant)

Grant timeline March 2012 – December 2014
Grant dollars: $252,125 Match: $66,175 Total: $318,300
Despite water quality that is substantially better than ecoregion averages, monitoring data collected on Green Lake in recent years indicates that the lake’s water quality is on the verge of not meeting the goal of ‘non-degradation’ that was established in 2002. In 2009, the lake actually failed to meet the goal for the first time. The risk of sliding into a “degradation” status, the first-time discovery of large masses of floating vegetation in 2011, and therapid spread of an aquatic invasive plant (Eurasian watermilfoil) in a lake once determined to not be at risk begs the question: what has changed? Over recent decades, development in the City of Spicer and around Green Lake has increased dramatically, resulting in much higher percentages of imperviousness. The impervious surfaces represent a clear threat to the lake from the resulting change in hydrology; increased runoff velocities and volumes necessitate the incorporation of stormwater infrastructure to accommodate water that previously infiltrated soils. The infrastructure provides for efficient removal of water from properties and streets, but it also results in the efficient delivery of the sediment, nutrients, and other pollutants that typically accompany stormwater. The Green Lake Stormwater Quality Improvement Project is designed by the Middle Fork Crow River Watershed District (MFCRWD) and project partners to provide retrofitted solutions to the water volume and water quality issues threatening this priceless resource. Five initiatives will be implemented, including the daylighting of a newly developed riffle and pool lined channel, a raingarden/biofiltration program to accompany the channel, a parking lot retrofit designed to treat first flush pollutants, a biofiltration cell and hydrodynamic separator to enhance a previously installed BMP, and the stabilization of a heavily eroded channel due to stormwater influences.
Click here to see the latest report.

MFCRWD Shoreland and Stream Bank Restoration/Stabilization Program (BWSR Legacy Grant)

Grant timeline March 2012 – December 2014
Grant dollars: $120,000 Match: $41,313 Total: $161,313
The Middle Fork Crow River Watershed District (MFCRWD) is still considered to be a fairly young entity, celebrating the sixth anniversary of its establishment in 2011. In a relatively short time, the District has procured several key grants that focus on water quality improvement through the implementation of best management practices (BMPs). Many of the projects installed to date have been done so by targeting highly effective, highly visible, urgent projects on different water bodies throughout the watershed. The MFCRWD Shoreland and Stream Bank Restoration/Stabilization Program contains several activities that continue the implementation of urgent, visible and effective BMPs on multiple water bodies, with a focus on reducing theerosional processes impacting bank stability. Three initiatives will be implemented, including the installation of four shoreland restoration/stabilization projects on two lakes, completion of two stream bank stabilization projects on the Middle Fork Crow River, and a rain barrel program coupled with an education program that provide outreach to lake and city residents throughout the Middle Fork Crow River Watershed about the issues and water quality effects associated with stormwater.
Click here to view the latest report.

Drainage Water Quality Improvement in the Middle Fork Crow Watershed (BWSR Legacy Grant)

Grant timeline March 2012 – December 2014
Grant dollars: $43,505 Match: $16,779 Total: $60,284
Since its establishment in 2005, the Middle Fork Crow River Watershed
District (MFCRWD) has made a concerted effort to establish productive, cooperative relationships with the agricultural community. Successful efforts to date include feedlot upgrades, sediment block installations, animal exclusions, and drainage water management. The proposed project entails a cooperative effort between Kandiyohi County and the MFCRWD to build on the slowly growing repertoire of District-installed agricultural best management practices within the Middle Fork Crow River Watershed. Under this proposal, more than 500 linear feet of woodchip bioreactors and 5 rock inlets will be installed. The project also includes effectiveness monitoring and the development and delivery of an agricultural best management practices tour to promote project results.
Click here to see the most recent report.

Shoreline Enhancement and Stabilization in the Middle Fork Crow River Watershed (DNR Block Grant)

Grant timeline July 2012 – June 2014
Grant dollars: $50,000
The “Shoreline Enhancement and Stabilization in the Middle Fork Crow River Watershed” Project entails a two pronged approach to increase the adoption of more natural and sustainable shorelines throughout the watershed. The first component is comprised of a workshop that will focus on the multiple benefits of natural shorelines, and will further the MFCRWD’s attempts to shift the lakeshore mentality from a ‘turf grass to the water’s edge’ to a ‘natural is beautiful’ approach. The second component will be to implement a series of shoreline restoration projects on several water bodies. Seven total projects are proposed for the purposes of this grant. The restored shorelines will help filter runoff from developed sites, reduce active erosion, and will enhance vital habitat for wildlife.
Click here to see a list of projects funded through this grant.

North Fork Crow River Watershed Restoration and Protection Project (MWRPP Grant)

Grant timeline July 2010 – June 2014
Grant dollars: $300,000
The MFCRWD is a fiscal agent for this Major Watershed Restoration and Protection Project (MWRPP) grant. The scope of this project includes: 1) Watershed monitoring of lakes and streams 2) Identification of biological stressors 3) Watershed modeling 4) Critical area identification 5) Implementation planning 6) Civic engagement/outreach. Local partners include the North Fork Crow River Watershed District (NFCRWD), Crow River Organization of Water (CROW), and Wright County SWCD.
Click here for the full report.
Click here for more information located on the PCA website.

Aquatic Invasive Species Watercraft Inspection Program (DNR Watercraft Inspection Grant)

Grant timeline May 2013 – September 2013
Grant dollars: $7,750
The MFCRWD has hired three interns to inspect watercraft for Aquatic Invasive Species (AIS) on area lakes. Two interns will inspect watercraft at lake accesses within the MFCRWD, while the third intern will work outside the District but within Kandiyohi County. A Memorandum of Understanding has been signed between Kandiyohi County and MFCRWD to authorize the inspection of watercraft outside the District.

Middle Fork Crow Watershed Restoration Enhancement Project (CWP Continued Grant)

Grant timeline March 2010 – June 2013
Grant dollars: $350,000 Loan: $150,000 Match: $424,300 Total: $924,300
The scope of the project is to improve and preserve water quality throughout the watershed focusing on three major efforts. 1) Provide educational programs which engage citizens in active resource management. 2) Continue to examine the overall water quality of the watershed via permanent river and lake monitoring stations as well as seasonal (temporary) stations. 3) Improve water resources by assisting individuals, groups and units of government to implement best management practices. The fourth element of this grant allows for the overall administration of the grant project.
Click here for the final report.

MFCRWD Aquatic Invasive Species Awareness (DNR AIS Awareness Grant)

Grant timeline March 2012 – June 2013
Grant dollars: $3,100
The purpose of this grant is to educate the public about Aquatic Invasive Species (AIS) laws, regulations, identification, and prevention methods that apply to these species. The MFCRWD will create area-specific educational materials that will be distributed to the public in order to increase AIS awareness.

Green Lake Eurasian Watermilfoil/Stormwater Study (CWP Grant)

Grant timeline February 2010 – June 2013
Grant dollars: $33,000 Match: $33,330 Total: $66,330
The purpose of this Research Investigation Project is to examine the relationship between the location of stormwater inlets and stands of Eurasian watermilfoil; the hypothesis is that stormwater inlets provide a means for nutrient and sediment loading that previously did not exist, and that the nutrients and sediment are providing an environment more hospitable for the propagation of EWM. Research of scientific literature yields valuable information on EWM, but no research on the hypothesized relationship has been located. Existing literature indicates that Carlson’s Trophic State Index (TSI), water column phosphorus (Madsen, 1998), sediment nitrogen (Anderson and Kalf, 1986), and percent composition of sand in sediment (Barko et al, 1986) have been examined as parameters associated with the success of EWM in lakes. This project will expand upon the available literature and upon an existing paradigm with EWM in a study that could have local, regional and national impacts on development with regards to stormwater. If the hypothesized relationship can be established, the location of new stormwater infrastructure and inlets would have to be reconsidered prior to construction.
Click here for the report.
Click here for pictures throughout the process.

Conservation Drainage in the Middle Fork Crow River Watershed (BWSR Legacy Grant)

Grant timeline January 2010 – December 2012
Grant dollars: $6,407 Match: $9,542 Total: $15,949
This proposal is for the implementation of a pilot project that focuses on drainage water management via the installation of controlled drainage systems. Such systems have proven to significantly reduce water volumes, total phosphorus and nitrate export to receiving waters while improving crop yields. The program employs a plot study to quantify the impact of controlled drainage systems in West-Central Minnesota, the long term goal of which will be to promote a broader acceptance of such practices in the region.
For more information click here.
Click here for the report.

Improving Stormwater Management in Ecologically Sensitive Watershed (319 Grant)

Grant timeline February 2008 – August 2012
Grant dollars: $132,426 Match: $132,528 Total: $264,954
This project aimed to improve stormwater management in the Middle Fork Crow River, Nest Lake, and Green Lake as outlined in the Diagnostic Study from 2002 and updates by Wilson/Leach/Wright which outlined stormwater as an important issue. The District will improve stormwater quality by evaluating current stormwater impacts, implementing stormwater best management practices, providing educational programs and promoting BMP’s to landowners.

Diamond Lake Total Maximum Daily Load Project (MPCA Contract)

Contract timeline February 2008 – June 2011
Contract amount: $176,215
In 2006, Diamond Lake was added to the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency’s (MPCA) impaired waters list for excess nutrients, specifically total phosphorus. This means that the amount of nutrients in the lake can cause nuisance algae blooms along with other problems which detract from the lake’s designated use of recreation. In 2008, the Middle Fork Crow River Watershed District entered into a contract with the MPCA and retained a consulting firm to carry out a Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) study, the goal of which is to identify the sources of the excess nutrients.

Minnesota Waters’ Conservation Partnership Grant Program (Private Grant)

Grant timeline January 2009 – October 2009
Grant dollars: $5,000 Match: $22,616 Total: $27,616
The “Lion’s Park Public Education and Shoreland Restoration Project” consists of two principle components. The first component provides for shoreland restoration extending over 400 linear feet along a public park on Green Lake in the City of Spicer. The second component provides for education via a series of signs along designated walkways in the park, including the virtues of shoreland restoration, the types of plants used (with pictures) and why, information about exotic/invasive species, and impacts on wildlife and habitat. The overall goal of the project is to educate the public on the value and importance of shoreland restoration, while improving the natural function of the shoreline and overall aesthetics of Lion’s Park.

Middle Fork Crow River Watershed Restoration and Enhancement Project (CWP Grant)

Grant timeline February 2007 – February 2010
Grant dollars: $242,000 Loan: $200,000 Match: $278,000 Total: $720,000
The Middle Fork Crow River watershed is approximately 275 square miles and contains a number of economically and ecologically important lakes facing increasing population and development pressures. The hydrology of the watershed has been highly altered with nine dams creating reservoirs rather than natural lake systems, 15 ditches totaling nearly 140 miles of open channels, and a significant number of drained or filled in wetlands. Land use pressures and hydraulic changes have led to the degraded water quality for many of the lakes, while others are in need of protection from non-point sources of pollution. This project focused on protecting high quality lakes and restoring lakes with poor water quality by: providing educational opportunities that link people to the resources, implementing best management practices in areas identified as ecologically sensitive to reduce non-point pollution sources, and targeting specific lake management projects identified in prior diagnostic studies.

Enhancing Volunteer Monitoring in the Crow River Watershed (SWAG Grant)

Grant timeline March 2007 – June 2009
Grant dollars: $50,760 Match: $60,701 Total: $111,461
The goal of the volunteer monitoring project is twofold: 1) expand the CROW’s and MFCRWD’s training programs and outreach efforts enabling our organizations to recruit and retain additional citizen volunteers for both lake and stream monitoring in the Crow River Watershed and 2) enhance and complete datasets for streams and lakes throughout the watershed to evaluate overall water quality.

Middle Fork Crow Watershed Protection Project (CWLA Grant)

Grant timeline January 2007 – June 2009
Grant dollars: $157,587 Match: $223,000 Total: $380,587
The overall project objective is the restoration of degraded waters and protection of high quality waters within the Middle Fork Crow watershed. This objective will be met through implementing best management practices. The project TAC will develop criteria for ranking projects in order to obtain results which provide the best overall water quality improvement and protection results. This objective is a collaborative effort of agencies throughout the four county area of the Middle Fork Crow River watershed.

Minnesota Waters Conservation Partners Grant (Private Grant)

Grant timeline January 2007 – October 2007
Grant dollars: $4,495 Match: $4,428 Total: $8,923
This “Rain Garden Education and Implementation Project” has two components. The first component provides for educational workshops for landowners to learn how to design and install their own rain garden, this is all in-kind contribution. The second component focuses on implementing one to three rain gardens, which will be selected from those who complete the educational workshops and are ‘ready to go’ with their rain garden project.