Projects by the Kandiyohi Soil and Water Conservaion District

	Wetland Restorations This last year we restored 19 wetlands on 12 tracts of land. Wetland restorations in Kandiyohi County have been a big part of our workload. We work with the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) to restore wetlands where feasible to improve water quality and improve wildlife habitat. This has been an on going practice that will only improve in years to come, with the continuing interest in CRP and the excellent RIM/WRP signup and contracts that are in the process. We have also worked on several wetland restoration projects with the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and the US Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS)
Before After	Streambank, Shoreland & Roadside Protection The goal of this project was to stabilize this high priority sites by reducing bank erosion and sediment transportation. The project required some stream re-alignment along with placing rock rip rap and bio-engineering stream stabilization techniques, along with reshaping the slope and reseeding it with natives and woody material. Within the stream channel itself we constructed several stream ripple areas offering habitat and flow reduction. This project will have a direct impact on water quality due to the decreases in total suspended solids (TSS), turbidity and dissolved oxygen (DO) during heavy rain events on the upstream. This project ties directly to the Kandiyohi County's local water plan and the Soil and Water Conservation District work plan in controlling sediment and nutrient transportation.
	Ag Waste Pit Construction of a Concrete Ag waste pit for hog manure was completed this fall in cooperation with the NRCS office and cost sharing under the Environmental Quality Incentive Program (EQIP). This pit will hold the manure from two existing hog barns along with a third barn to be constructed some time in the future. A nutrient management plan is also a vital part of this practice. The plan makes sure that the fertilizer value of the manure is not applied to cropland above agronomic rates. It is very important to the future of livestock production in our county and state to make sure we protect and improve both ground water and surface water quality and Ag Waste Pits like this one help protect both.
	Grass Lake Prairie Wetland Restoration The 1,200 acre drained shallow lakebed is located in the headwaters of the South Fork Crow Watershed, southeast and adjacent to the City of Willmar. Efforts are currently underway to restore the drained lakebed for the purposes of improving water quality, providing upstream and downstream flood reduction, as well as restoring wildlife habitat benefits. The Kandiyohi SWCD, Kandiyohi County, City of Willmar and other project partners have agreed to cooperate to restore the drained lakebed. Just over 1,600 acres of land have been secured under permanent Reinvest In Minnesota (RIM) Reserve easement to facilitate the Grass Lake Restoration. Restoration work could begin as soon as 2010.