PROJECT DRONE VIDEOS

Take a bird's eye tour of three recent Bois de Sioux Watershed District construction projects:

DNR TO add land to add designated PUBLIC WATERS

The Minnesota DNR has announced its intention to add to the Public Waters Inventory over the course of the next 8 years, by county. Public waters designations impact mandatory: 50' buffer requirements; DNR permitting authority and prohibitions over use, maintenance, and repair activities; county-based shoreland ordinance and zoning (including setbacks for surface and subsurface drainage); Minnesota Pollution Control Agency water quality chemistry and biological monitoring and impairments. As of July 1, 2027, inclusion or exclusion from the Public Water Inventory Map has no bearing on whether land is considered a designated a DNR Public Water.

More information can be found here on the update process: https://www.dnr.state.mn.us/waters/watermgmt_section/pwi/update.html

More information can be found here on authorized/unauthorized/permittable activities on land designated as Public Waters: https://www.dnr.state.mn.us/waters/watermgmt_section/pwpermits/requirements.html The DNR has posted their informational webinar and question and answer session here: https://www.dnr.state.mn.us/waters/watermgmt_section/pwi/update.html . Questions can be emailed to: pwi.update.dnr@state.mn.us

BWSR CHANGING WETLAND RULES AND REMOVING WETLAND TYPE 1 EXEMPTIONS

The Board of Water and Soil Resources made significant changes to Minnesota Wetland rules. https://bwsr.state.mn.us/2009-wetland-conservation-act-rule-and-2011-2024-statute-changes. Two of the most significant changes are the removal of exemptions for Type 1 wetlands (lands with temporary rainfall inundation). For the area below, all of the yellow highlighted areas are considered wetlands with restricted surface and subsurface activities and impacts.

More information can be found here on authorized/unauthorized/permittable activities on land designated as Public Waters: https://www.dnr.state.mn.us/waters/watermgmt_section/pwpermits/requirements.html

Updated Lidar

You may no access our updated landowner maps at: https://gisapps.iwinst.org/map-portal/. Once you zoom in to the land you are interested in viewing, you can select "MN Contours (1f) from the Layer List menu on the right side of the screen. Continue to zoom in to view the elevation measurements.

Water Quality Is Important

The Bois de Sioux Watershed District not only manages its own water quality projects, but through participation in the Red River Watershed Management Board, we participate in regional water quality projects in the Red River Basin. Click here to view a newly released report on the work that has been done!

Mustinka River Rehabilitation & Redpath impoundment Groundbreaking

Norcross, MN – On September 22, 2023, the Bois de Sioux Watershed District held a groundbreaking ceremony marking the commencement of construction of the Mustinka River Rehabilitation and Redpath Flood Impoundment. 

District Attorney Lukas Croaker emceed the event, hosting around 80 individuals including neighboring landowners, Senators Jordan Rasmusson and Rob Kupec, Department of Agriculture Commissioner Thom Petersen, BWSR Executive Director John Jaschke, DNR Commissioner Sarah Strommen, Clean Water Council Administrator Paul Gardner, Senator Amy Klobuchar’s staff support and former Minnesota representative Ben Lien.  President Linda Vavra thanked landowners for their commitment to this project.  District Engineer Chad Engels provided a description of the construction left ahead:  the remeandering of the Mustinka River channel will be completed in 2025.  Construction of remaining impoundment levees will be built under Phase 3, and Phase 4 construction is comprised of installation of concrete inlet and outlet structures.  The District must secure $13.8 million more in Flood Hazard Mitigation funds to finish the project.

Senator Jordan Rasmusson stayed on-site and received an in-depth tour of the Redpath Impoundment and Mustinka River projects with BdSWD Engineer Technician Troy Fridgen. “Congratulations to the Bois de Sioux Watershed District and their partners for entering the next phase of this important project, “ said Rasmusson. “Protecting our region from flooding is a key priority for me, and I am glad to see significant progress being made."  Senator Rasmusson was pivotal during the 2023 legislative session to secure $5,000,000 in flood hazard mitigation funds for the Redpath Impoundment and other Red River Valley projects.

Financial awards have been provided by the State of Minnesota Lessard Sams Outdoor Heritage Council Fund, the State of Minnesota Legislative-Citizen Commission on Minnesota Resources from the Minnesota Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund, the State of Minnesota BWSR Clean Water Fund Legacy Amendment Act Projects and Practices and Mutlipurpose Drainage Management and Water Quality & Storage Pilot Program Grants, DNR Flood Hazard Mitigation Program, the Red River Watershed Management Board, and State of Minnesota Lessard Sams Outdoor Heritage Council DNR Conservation Partners Legacy Grant.

  

 

Grant Money received!

The BDSWD proudly thanks the Minnesota Legacy Act Clean Water Fund, administered by the Board of Soil and Water Resources, for the grant opportunities to fund the Joint Comprehensive Watershed Management Plan, Doran Creek, Lake Traverse Water Quality Improvement Project (Phases 1 - 3), Redpath Flood Impoundment, Mustinka River Rehabilitation, and WCD #Sub-1.

Funding for the Mustinka River Rehabilitation project was provided by the Red River Watershed Management Board, Minnesota Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund as recommended by the Legislative-Citizen Commission on Minnesota Resources (LCCMR),the State of Minnesota Outdoor Heritage Fund Lessard-Sams Outdoor Heritage Council, and the Legacy Act Clean Water Fund through the Board of Water and Soil Resources. For more information about how the funds are spent by the District please click here and for more information about the LCCMR grant funding source please click here.