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Our Projects
CURRENT PROJECTS
Drinking Water testing Lab
River Friendly Farmer Program
Low Impact Development Techniques in Local Ordinances
Citizen Stream Monitoring
Surface Water Assessment Project
Upper Cannon Assessment Project
Spring Brook Project
PAST PROJECTS ARE LISTED BELOW THE CURRENT PROJECTS
Drinking Water Testing Laboratory
At the Cannon River Watershed Partnership (CRWP) River Festival in 2005, we hosted a nitrate testing clinic where citizens could bring in a sample of their private well water to be tested. In a three hour period we processed 90 samples. Many of the citizens were interested in having the water tested for coliform bacteria as well. However, because the coliform test requires a 24 hour incubation period, we were not able to provide the service at that time. The Minnesota Department of Health recommends regular testing of private wells to ensure safe drinking water. It is our belief that an on-going testing program would be of benefit to people who have private wells in our area.
The laboratory is now operational and we have received certification from the Minnesota Departmetn of Health for total coliform/E. coli testing and hope to add nitrates soon. Being a state certified laboratory means that the results from our testing will be considered “official” for such activities as property transfers and other situations that might require a certified lab.
The cost for total coliform/ E. coli samples is $18.00 a sample (plus shipping if needed). Samples may be submitted on Monday – Thursday from the hours of 8:00 AM – 4:00 PM. The samples must reach CRWP within 28 hour of collection in order to meet the processing deadline for such samples. Pre-payment via cash, check or money order is required. For more information or to request a sample bottle please contact
Beth Kallestad at (507)786-3913 or via email at beth@crwp.net
River Friendly Farmer Program
Who: Farmers, landowners & rural residents
What: Ways to protect ( and recognition for protecting) soil and surface waters
Why: Reduce erosion; save money; healthy trout, northern pike, smallmouth bass populations; the joy of playing in a clean creek with your grandkids.
Where and When: Spring Brook (Rice Creek), Chub Creek, and Prairie Creek watersheds
How: Call the Cannon River Watershed Partnership office ( 507-786-8400) to schedule a visit to fill out the River Friendly Farmer survey.
Following are the general headings of the River Friendly Farmer survey
1) General information about your farm, i.e. grain, livestock, etc.
2) Crop residue management and other erosion control practices.
3) Nutrient management, i.e. commercial fertilizer and manure.
4) Manure storage and application.
5) Pesticide management.
6) Non-cropland area management.
7) EQIP funding and American Farmland Trust BMP Challenge.
Low Impact Development Techniques in Local Ordinances
Ray Cox Summit Summary here.
Very interesting perspective of a developer on LID here.
Resources for Topics in Low Impact Development
Introductions
MPCA's LID Fact Sheet: http://www.pca.state.mn.us/publications/p-gen3-01.pdf
EPA: Low Impact Development page. A list of EPA and non-EPA sites http://www.epa.gov/nps/lid/
EPA Low Impact Development – A literature review http://www.epa.gov/owow/nps/lid/lid.pdf
Center for Watershed Protection http://www.cwp.org/index.html
Lake Superior and Duluth Streams http://lakesuperiorstreams.org/
USGS
Wisconsin
Water
Science
Center , Nonpoint Evaluation Monitoring Team http://wi.water.usgs.gov/projects/nonpoint/index.html
Low Impact Development Center, Inc. http://www.lowimpactdevelopment.org/
Municipal Stormwater and Programs
MPCA
Minnesota Stormwater Manual. The Stormwater Manual serves as a valuable resource for professional stormwater managers, welcomes newcomers to the stormwater field, provides practical stormwater management practices is reviewed and edited regularly, and exists because of the continuing efforts of the Stormwater Steering Committee.
http://www.pca.state.mn.us/water/stormwater/stormwater-manual.html
EPA: “Incorporating Environmentally Sensitive Development Into Municipal Stormwater Programs”; January, 2008 http://www.epa.gov/npdes/pubs/region3_factsheet_lid_esd.pdf
EPA: “Understanding Impaired Waters and Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) Requirements for Municipal Stormwater Programs” ; January, 2008 http://www.epa.gov/npdes/pubs/region3_factsheet_tmdl.pdf
Outreach and Education
MetroWatershed Partners outreach tools http://www.cleanwatermn.org/
Plants for Stormwater Design: Species Selection for the
Upper Midwest ; Daniel Shaw and Rusty Schmidt; http://www.pca.state.mn.us/publications/manuals/pfsd-section1.pdf
Center for Neighborhood Technology’s Green Values Stormwater Toolbox, and Stormwater Calculator http://greenvalues.cnt.org/ http://greenvalues.cnt.org/calculator
Natural Resources Defense Council report “Rooftops to Rivers”; June, 2006 http://www.nrdc.org/water/pollution/rooftops/rooftops.pdf
Monitoring and Testing BMPs
“Monitoring the Success of Infiltration Requirements”; Paul Moline; in “Stormwater – The Journal for Water Quality Professionals”. A summary of a Carver County, MN Monitoring Report in 2004 and 2005. http://www.stormh2o.com/sw_0701_monitoring.html
Inspiration
American Society of Landscape Architects; 2007 Award to NE Siskiyou Green Street, Portland Oregon
http://asla.org/awards/2007/07winners/506_nna.html See also 2006 award http://www.asla.org/awards/2006/06winners/341.html
LID Project Overview
Cannon River Watershed Partnership (CRWP), with two years of funding (July 2007 - June 2009) from the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, will help municipalities effectively prevent storm water pollution. CRWP will provide communities with tools to amend or adopt local ordinances and local comprehensive plans to require low impact design techniques in future land developments. The grant funds will also be used to increase public awareness of and citizen participation in storm water management issues as part of the solution for cities to prevent pollution of the
Cannon
River by storm water.
At the outset of the project, a working knowledge of low impact development, also known as better site design, will be built on work already accomplished by the Center for Watershed Protection. Design principles identify areas where existing codes and standards can be changed to better protect streams, lakes and wetlands at the local level. These principles are divided into the three following areas: new lot development, residential streets and parking lots, and conservation of natural areas.
CRWP staff are delighted by the enthusiastic support by staff and elected officials in watershed cities, as well as that of construction and engineering firms. Partners who have signed on to support the project include: former Northfield City Councilman Dixon Bond; Ray Cox of Northfield Construction; Northfield City Engineer Katy Gehler-Hess; Daniel Jones of the Northfield Environmental Quality Commission; Jeff Johnson, Public Works Director in Owatonna; Kim Johnson, City Planner in Faribault; Tim Labs of the Rice County SWCD; Caleb Peterson, Engineer for the City of Waseca; Duane Rathmann, president of the Waseca Lakes Association; Joel Schafer, Slaes and Marketing Director for Met-Con Companies; Samantha Wangsgard, Stormwater Technician for Rice County SWCD. Bruce Morlan, Dundas Planning Commission Chair; and John Klockman, Chair of the Bridgewater Township Planning Commission have also expressed their interests in planning for ecologically sustainable growth.
It is anticipated that more project partners, that is, individuals, units of government, and corporations will want to join the effort be as forward-thinking as possible in planning, zoning, and development decisions. After all, green infrastructure creates the most valuable real estate, and can reduce urban heat island impacts, provide more sustainable water resource management systems, and cleanse storm water. Better site design can reduce our reliance on pipes, channels and expensive engineered treatment systems that are costly to build, operate and maintain. Carefully planned development can enhance quality of life for generations to come.
Citizen Stream Monitoring
See CRWP's Citizen Stream Monitoring Plan.
Surface Water Assessment Project - Mar 2007 - June 2009
The 2007 monitoring season is complete and data collected is presented in the reports below. Our 30 volunteers collected almost 600 samples and 90 secchi disk readings. We monitored 17 lakes and 13 stream sites. It was a great effort on the part of these dedicated volunteersa and CRWP thanks you very much!!
We will continue sampling these sites and others in 2008 with the goal of determining impairment status of the water bodies.
CRWP was awarded this grant, funded with Clean Water Legacy dollars, to complete assessments on parts of the watershed that either have yet to be assessed or are missing some data with respect to determining their impairment status. Impairment assessment is the first step in the clean-up process.
Some of the streams will be monitored for E. coli bacteria, transparency, and dissolved oxygen. The trout streams will be monitored for pesticides in collaboration with the Minnesota Department of Agriculture.
Some of the lakes of the watershed will be sampled for total phosphorus, chlorophyll-a, and secchi depths.
The following streams will be sampled:
Dakota
County : Trout Brook, Pine Creek
Goodhue
County : Belle Creek, Little
Cannon
River ,
Cannon
River (Belle Creek to Vermillion
Slough .
Rice
County : Spring Brook (aka Rice Creek), Heath Creek,
Wolf
Creek ,
Cannon
River (
Cannon
Lake outlet to
Northfield ).
The following lakes will be sampled:
LeSueur
County :
Tustin , Dora, Rays (Charles), Fish, Rice, Sunfish, Diamond, Mabel, Horseshoe.
Rice
County : Cedar, Caron, French, Fox, Wells,
Dudley , Kelly, Hunt.
Waseca
County : Loon
The most important piece will be the assistance we will need from citizen monitors. We are excited to have the opportunity to put some numbers to what our eyes have been telling us for a long time. If you would like to help collect samples on a lake or stream, or drive CRWP staff out on the lake in your boat please call Beth Kallestad at (507) 786-3913.
Upper Cannon Assessment Project Jan 2007- June 2009
The Upper Cannon watershed is one of the four main lobes of the
Cannon
River watershed located in the western area of the watershed. It is characterized by its six “run of the river” lakes – Shields, Rice Gorman, Sabre, Tetonka, and Sakatah. Funding through a Clean Water Partnership Grant (that was awarded to
LeSueur
County ) will provide the resources for
LeSueur
County ,
Rice
County , CRWP, lake associations, citizen monitors and others to conduct this project. It will be a diagnostic study of the Upper Cannon watershed which will include monitoring selected stream sites, in-lake monitoring, an educational component, GIS mapping, a point source inventory, and stormwater monitoring. The goal is to understand the water quality and pollutant sources so improvements can take place in priority areas. As part of this project, the Water Resources Center at the Minnesota State University -Mankato will be creating a separate project web page. We will post that link when it becomes available.
Spring Brook Project July 2006 - December 2008
Spring Brook is located at the intersection of Northfield, Dundas and
Bridgewater
Township in
Rice
County . Spring Brook, also known as Rice Creek, is a tiny watershed of about 4,000 acres, but it is important as it is the only trout stream in the county. CRWP is working to do an assessment of water chemistry, flow conditions, and macro invertebrates in the stream as part of a DNR funded project. As this area is part of the urban expansion zones for Dundas and
Northfield , it is vital to have an accurate picture of the quality of the stream so that it can be protected as development occurs. Citizen monitors will be helping us to collect this valuable data.
PAST PROJECTS
Roberds Lake Phosphorus Source Assessment Project - Dec 2007
Urban Stormwater - Oct 2006
Straight River Fecal Coliform Bacteria Reduction Project - Aug 2007
Lower Cannon River TMDL for Turbidity Impairment (July 2007)-See the TMDL section of this website- July 2007
Byllesby Reservoir Phosphorous TMDL (See TMDL section of this website)
Roberds Lake Phosphorus Source Assessment Project
The Cannon River Watershed Partnership received a Conservation Partners and Environmental Partnership Grant from the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) to conduct this phosphorus source assessment. This project was completed in December 2007. Funding for this project was provided from the Minnesota Environmenta and Natural Resources Trust Fund.
Project Summary:
The landscape of the Cannon River watershed contains many lakes, two major rivers and countless streams and wetlands. The surface water landscape in the watershed is a direct result of glacial activity. The lakes are principally located in the northwestern portion of the watershed. Roberds Lake water quality is poor relative to other lakes in the North Central Hardwood Forest ecoregion. The summer water clarity averages less than two feet. Soil erosion and nutrient runoff from its watershed has made Roberds Lake non-supporting of swimming and it is classified as hypereutorphic. The overall enrichment of nutrients has accelerated the aging of the lake resulting in poor water quality such as heavy algal blooms throughout the summer, dense macrophyte beds, low water clarity due to low light penetration, summer fish kills, and a dominance of rough fish. In order to reduce the frequency and severity of the algal blooms, the input of phosphorus to the lake must be reduced. Identifying where the phosphorus is coming from as specifically as possible is a necessary step. The overall goals of the proposed project were to:
1. Assess the sources of phosphorus to Roberds Lake and suggest possible strategies to reduce these sources.
2. Create a systematic approach to conduct phosphorus source assessments on the remaining lakes in the Cannon River watershed.
CRWP has completed our Urban Stormwater Project as of October 19, 2006.
CRWP has completed our Urban Stormwater Project as of October 19, 2006.
For our results read the following:
Urban Stormwater Final Report
http://www.mepartnership.org/documents/Urban%20Stormwater%20Final%20Report.pdf
Urban Stormwater - References
http://www.mepartnership.org/documents/Urban%20Stormwater%20%20Report%20References.pdf
Urban Stormwater - Appendix
http://www.mepartnership.org/documents/Urban%20Stormwater%20Appendix%20-%20Data%20Tables.pdf
For information on rain gardens, rain barrels, and stormwater reduction see the links below.
Rain Gardens
Healthy Landscapes: University of Rhode Island
University of Wisconsin
Rice Creek Watershed District - Best Management Practices
Rain Barrels
City of Superior Wisconsin
The Garden Watersaver
http://www.gardenwatersaver.com
The Spruce Creek Rainsaver
Constructing a Rain Barrel
Pre-made rain barrels are also available locally at:
Fleet Farm - Lakeville, MN ~ $140.00
Gerten's - Inver Grove Heights ~ $199.00, 75-gallon, black plastic
ReNEW Northfield - Northfield ~$160.00 - Oak barrels with brass fitting
402 Washington St.
Northfield, MN 55057
(507) 645-7133
Pervious Pavement
Marcy-Holmes Neighborhood Pervious Pavement Demonstration Sites
Netlon Turf Systems
Rice Creek Watershed District - Best Management Practices
Landscapers/Contractors
Applied Ecological Services, Inc.
21938 Mushtown Road
Prior Lake, MN 55372
(952) 447-1919
Prairie Moon Nursery
31837 Bur Oak Lane
Winona, MN 55987
(507) 452-1362
Outback Nursery
15280 110th St. S.
Hastings, MN 55033
(651) 438-2771
Prairie Restorations, Inc.
Main Office, Farm & Retail
PO Box 327
Princeton, MN 55371
(763) 389-4342
Knecht's Nurseries and Landscaping
1601 Hwy 19
Northfield, MN 55057
(507) 645-5015
Switzer's Nursery and Landscaping
26601 Chippendale Ave
Northfield, MN 55057
(507) 645-9741
Stax Landscaping (rock, boulders, soil blending)
610 Industrial Dr.
Lonsdale, MN
(507) 744-4966
Straight
River Fecal Coliform Bacteria Reduction Project
CRWP completed our Straigh River Fecal Coliform Bacteria reduction project in August 2007. Click here for our results.
Healthy Waters Task Force
Under a grant from Minnesota Environmental partnership, CRWP convened a Healthy Waters task force in October and November. The charge for the task force was to determine how best to proceed with effective local actions that will reduce quantities of phosphorus, fecal coliform bacteria, and mercury in the Cannon River and its watershed. Participants in this task force represented broad interests and experience. Members of township and city government, Rice County Soil and Water Conservation District, Lake Byllesby Improvement Association, and agricultural interests met to receive background information about the pollutants and to consider effective actions. The project was completed in the spring of 2006.
The task force created the following report of their recommendations:
Healthy Waters Task Force Report
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