Le Sueur County - Wetland Restoration CD 61

Minnesota | Water

Overview

The 905-acre watershed area with agricultural lands in south-central Minnesota needed water management solutions to provide storage and improve water quality for Scotch Lake, which does not meet state water quality standards. As a result of a feasibility study and multi-purpose drainage management (MDM) plan developed in collaboration with landowners and agencies, water storage and other best management practices (BMP) are designed and ready for construction.


Opportunity

An ISG-performed feasibility study identified storage as a high priority need for the watershed with a recommended wetland restoration. Other BMPs in the MDM plan and designed for construction are: in channel storage, grassed waterways, water and sediment control basins (WASCOBs), bioreactors, and storage ponds. As a result of this project, 30.4 acres of agricultural land will be converted to a conservation easement encompassing a wetland with 15.4 acres of shallow marsh and 15.0 acres of upland buffer.

Solution

Through the implementation of the MDM plan, 30.4 acres of agricultural land will be converted to a conservation easement with a wetland with 15.4 acres of shallow marsh and 15 acres of upland buffer. In addition to the many benefits provided by BMPs, the wetland will provide 17 acre-feet of water storage, which is estimated to provide an overall sediment reduction of 77 tons per year and reduce phosphorus by 170 pound per year. This water quality initiative is being funded by the Board of Water and Soil Resources (BWSR) through the Clean Water Fund Grant.

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