Background:
History: In December 2018, the county was awarded $142,110 from the Clean Water Legacy Fund for the installation of projects and land management practices that will reduce soil erosion and decrease water pollution by keeping sediment and bacteria out of the Rush Creek and downstream waters.
Rush Creek is a major contributor of pollutants to Elm Creek. As the largest tributary of Elm Creek, Rush Creek flows through Corcoran and parts of Rogers, Medina, and Maple Grove before it reaches its confluence with Elm Creek in the Elm Creek Park Reserve. Elm Creek flows into the Mississippi River at Dayton and is listed as an impaired water by the State of Minnesota.
Both Rush Creek and Elm Creek suffer from a number of impairments, including the presence of E. coli bacteria, low dissolved oxygen levels, and inability to support healthy populations of fish and macroinvertebrates.
Because of the amount of pollution Rush Creek contributes to Elm Creek, the Elm Creek Watershed Management Organization commissioned an assessment for the North Fork of Rush Creek to pinpoint potential sources of pollutants and recommend projects to reduce pollution. Completed in June 2018, this assessment was used as the basis for the county’s grant application and will guide the selection and location of best management practices that will have the highest return on investment in terms of pollution reductions.
Grant funds will be used to partner with willing landowners to install projects and management practices on primarily agricultural land in key locations that will prevent pollutants from reaching Rush Creek. This will be accomplished by controlling erosion and improving manure management practices. This work is a crucial step towards restoring the creek’s health.
A 25 percent match, totaling $35,528, is required for this grant. The county will contribute staff time for outreach, project development, and grant administration to meet the match requirement. Elm Creek Watershed Management Commission staff and land owners’ time and dollars invested in projects will also contribute to meeting the match requirement. Collectively, these sources cover the required match – no cash match from the county will be required.
The grant award reflects the county’s increasingly strategic approach of prioritizing, partnering and pursuing funding sources to improve water quality and protect natural resources. In an effort to lessen the burden on local taxpayers, the county has prioritized projects where it can partner with watershed management organizations, cities, and park districts to better compete for Clean Water funds and other water and natural resources funds.
Current Request: This request seeks approval of Agreement A199511 with the Minnesota Board of Water and Soil Resources accepting a Clean Water Fund grant for water quality improvements in the Rush Creek Subwatershed of Elm Creek, during the period March 12, 2019 through December 31, 2021, with a receivable amount of $142,110.
Impact/Outcomes: Accepting this grant will facilitate projects to improve water quality in Rush Creek and the Mississippi River. Protecting and restoring the creek will benefit residents who live in the immediate vicinity by reducing bacteria that can be directly harmful to human health, and by reducing sediment that can cause blocked culverts, flooding, and algae blooms. More broadly, it will improve wildlife habitat and the health of waters downstream as well.