2012 Annual Report for Cedar River Watershed District

1408 21st Ave. NW Austin, MN 55912 507-434-2603

www.cedarriverwd.org

CRWD Board of Managers 7 members appointed for staggered three-year terms.

Mower County Representatives Sue Olson, Vice Chairman Jason Weis, Secretary Mike Merten, Manager Jim Gebhardt, Manager Steele County Representative Mike Jones, Treasurer Freeborn County Representative Steve Kraushaar, Manager Dodge County Representative Kevin Kiser, Chairman

CRWD/Mower SWCD Staff Bev Nordby, Administrator Justin Hanson, Project Coordinator Matt Taylor, Monitoring James Fett, Monitoring Jeanne Crump, Administrative Cody Fox, Technical

Cedar River Watershed District 2012 Annual Report

CRWD Honored as State’s Top Watershed District!

Cedar River Watershed District was honored in December with Minnesota’s Watershed District of the Year award for its extensive efforts to reduce flooding and improve water quality in the Austin area.

CRWD staff received the award during the Minnesota Association of Watershed Districts’ annual meeting in Alexandria. It is one of two major awards given at the event.

“From the perspective of illustrating how the land conservation work of the (Soil & Water Conservation Districts) can be coordinated with the water management work of the (watershed districts) – this group in Austin is showing us all how it can be done,” said Steve Hirsch, Director of the Minnesota DNR’s Division of Ecological Resources Management Team, who nominated the CRWD. Administrating and staffing of the CRWD’s work has been contracted annually to the Mower Soil & Water Conservation District staff since the CRWD’s inception in 2007.

New Managers…Welcome to the Board!

Susan Olson and Jason Weis both were appointed to the Cedar River Watershed District’s Board of Managers in June, replacing two original members who opted not to seek reappointment.

Olson, an attorney from Red Rock Township, and Weis, a Rose Creek resident who owns Weis Landscaping and Design, LLC, each is serving a three-year term as two of four managers representing Mower County on the seven-member board. They replaced original CRWD managers Al Layman and Harlen Peck, who both served on the board since the CRWD was formed in 2007.

County boards from each of the CRWD’s four counties – Mower, Dodge, Freeborn and Steele – appoint managers to the board. Mower County has four managers, because it has a large majority of the district’s land.

CRWD Board of Managers

CRWD/SWCD/NRCS Staff

7 members appointed for staggered three-year terms.

Dodge County Representative Kevin Kiser, Chairman Mower County Representatives Sue Olson, Vice Chairman Jason Weis, Secretary Mike Merten, Manager Jim Gebhardt, Manager Steele County Representative Mike Jones, Treasurer Freeborn County Representative Steve Kraushaar, Manager

Back Row (L to R): Tim Ruzek, Justin Hanson, James Fett, Larry Callahan, Cody Fox, Adam Arndt Front Row: Bev Nordby, Lisa Buckner, Jeanne Crump

It is the Cedar River Watershed District’s purpose to reduce flooding and protect and improve water quality in the streams.

Looking at Funding Sources for Projects The CRWD as well as the Mower SWCD are constantly looking for funding sources to do projects. We are very fortunate that we have the Clean Water Funds as one of those sources. The Clean Water Fund was the 3/8% sales tax the voters approved in 2008 throughout Minnesota.

Clean Water Fund Dollars – CRWD & Mower SWCD 2010 2010 2011 2012 2012 2013 2013 2013

Native Buffer - Nature Center Alternative Drainage Runoff Reduction (Basins) Feedlot Improvement Water Retention Alternative Drainage Feedlot Improvement Berms & Waterways

Total CWF Dollars to the Watershed

$20,850.00 $71,600.00 $163,596.00 $76,325.00 $133,250.00 $100,000.00 $107,450.00 $42,500.00 $715,571.00

CRWD Launches New Website As part of its ongoing effort to educate and communicate with the public, the CRWD launched a newly revamped website in fall 2012 at its same web address: www.cedarriverwd.org.

CRWD’s new website offers more information as well as pictures and maps of the Cedar River and its tributaries. CRWD staff aimed to make the new website easier and more interesting to use by the general public.

Coinciding with the new webpage, the CRWD also has a Facebook page at www.facebook.com/CedarRiverWD that provides frequent updates featuring pictures, facts, event information and more.“Like” the CRWD Facebook page today and join the 117 other followers who get CRWD updates to show up in their Facebook news feeds.

Cedar River - DNR State Water Tr In spring 2012, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources officially launched the Cedar River as its 33rd State Water Trail.

This came a year after CRWD officials requested the trail designation to local legislators Sen. Den Sparks and Rep. Jeanne Poppe, who got it passed by the state Legislature in 2011.

A WATER TRAIL GUIDE

DNR officials designated the Cedar River’s State Water Trail route to run about 25 miles, starting at County Road 2 near the village of Lansing and going south to the Minnesota-Iowa border.

As part of the State Water Trail designation, a DNR crew floats the Cedar River at least once a year to check for downed trees or other debris blocking safe passage by canoes or kayaks and clear a safe path where they find problems. In 2012, the DNR sent a crew down the Cedar River numerous times because it was the river’s first year as a State Water Trail.

To view the DNR’s State Water Trail webpage for the Cedar River, go to: www.dnr.state.mn.us/watertrails/cedarriver/index.html

Route Description for the Cedar River

rail

E TO THE CEDAR RIVER

CRP Incentive Success

H & H Model

The CRWD board has engages in the battle to keep our most sensitive ground protected

Over the last couple of years, the CRWD has developed a computer model that enables us to site flood detention and water quality treatment facilities and to assess the impact of proposed projects on flooding and water quality. In short, it helps the CRWD Board make good decisions that protect our district’s water resources.

The flourishing agricultural economy has many local benefits.

It’s also created challenges for holding our ground on water quality in the Cedar River and its tributaries. In 2012, the District initiated an Incentive program, aimed at securing the most critical CRP acres. The District offered a $50, per acre incentive on Buffer Strip re-enrollment acres. The incentive turned out to be a great success.

The district was able to lock down over 50 acres of narrow grass strips along the streams of the Cedar River Watershed. These are critical areas for slowing the water and providing a filter for field runoff. The Board is proud of our landowners for utilizing the incentive as justification to re-enroll those acres. Many of which would have still made more on cash rent than they were the CRP payments.

The new hydraulic/hydrologic model can aid in the design and modification of projects such as wetland restorations, culverts, bridges and roads. Every road crossing has been modeled, which helps you understand the potential impacts of your project on flooding up and downstream. The tool can also be used for purposes to help you identify why flooding occurs in specific areas.

We look forward to utilizing the model to help the CRWD understand the flows in the watershed and be able to get the most benefit for the limited dollars that are available.

Streamwater Monitoring 2012 brought a monitoring season of very little rainfall, therefore the usual every 2 week grab samples were less frequent. Monitoring is all about trends. Every year brings a different scenario of weather conditions.

The low rainfall totals had a lot to do with the results that we seen. Transparency (sediment in the water), phosphorous and nitrates saw a sizeable reduction.

In the future projects aimed at the protection of sensitive species and areas will be investigated. Restoration projects could include working with landowners to improve quality of riparian corridors, stream bank stabilization and bank grading to reconnect floodplains. These projects should help improve and maintain habitat and water quality.

The Cedar River runs about 300 miles, from its headwaters in Dodge County to Louisa County in southeast Iowa, where it joins the Iowa River and winds its way to the Mississippi River. This watershed covers prime agricultural land with many streams and drainage ditches flowing into the river.

CRWD’s ‘Adopt-A-River’ effort stays strong in 2012 For the second year, the CRWD led a local “Adopt-A-River” initiative as part of the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources’ statewide program, leading to hundreds of pounds of trash and nearly 200 tires being removed from the Cedar River. Ten groups conducted cleanups on their “adopted” route along the Cedar River.

CRWD staff created cleanup routes in 2011 and sought individuals and groups to “adopt” each route to clean up at least once a year for two years. CRWD also coordinates and pays for the removal of trash and debris removed by volunteers.

Four groups were new to the effort in 2012. One new group – the Larry Callahan family – removed about 150 tires, two trailers, stoves, grills and much more from the Cedar River on a stretch going from County Road 5 to County Road 6.

Adopt-A-River routes are available for 2013 on the Cedar River as well as Dobbins Creek, Turtle Creek and Wolf Creek (Todd Park). Contact the CRWD at 434-2603 for more information on how you can get involved.

The pictures to the right show the Austin 4th of July parade float featuring items removed from the Cedar.

Rules & Permitting 2012 was the first year that the rules/ permitting program were in effect. The purpose of the rules is directed to reduce future flooding and improve water quality.

In 2012, thirty permits were issued for a wide range of projects; ditch cleanouts, floodplain work, culvert maintenance and replacement, development and wetland restorations.

CRWD’s rules cover areas related to stormwater, flood plains, water body alterations, erosion control and enforcement.

Copies of the rules are available at the CRWD office at 1408 21st Ave NW in Austin and online at the CRWD’s website – www.cedarriverwd.org.

Vision 2020 Waterways Committee Austin community members launched an ambitious initiative in spring 2012 by starting the Austin Vision 2020 program that consists of 10 committees that each have separate goals to accomplish by the year 2020.

Waterways is one of the Vision 2020 committees and it consists of four subcommittees focused on water recreation; enhancing waterways; water quality; and water education.

The CRWD has representatives on the Vision 2020 Waterways Committee and has provided significant information to the group as well as offered assistance with ideas, including projects planned for enhancing the Ramsey Dam and Fourth Avenue Northeast dam areas.

CRWD staff and board members are greatly encouraged by the Vision 2020 leaders dedicating a committee to improving and using the local waterways. We look forward to continuing to work with Vision 2020 and its Waterways Committee.

Red Rock Township Road Protection Project In the summer of 2012, the CRWD teamed up with Red Rock Township on a dual purpose streambank stabilization project. For many years, Dobbins Creek has been eroding closer and closer to township road located on 250th Ave (NW of Austin 3 Miles). The Township was concerned about losing the road and the Watershed was concerned about the current erosion and future environmental impact of the road washing out.

The project was funded through Clean Water Funding, a grant received by the state.

The banks of the streambank were re-graded and rocked on the bottom to hold up during big rain events. Green armor vegetation blankets were used to kick-start the seeding. The project will hold the banks of Dobbins Creek and provide road protection for many years to come.

Cedar Trees Used to Reduce Erosion and Heal Streambanks

The CRWD continued the Dobbins Creek Restoration projects, through streambank stabilization. The District stabilized over 300 feet of Dobbins Creek streambank in the Hormel Nature Center and the Mark Reeve residence.

In 2010, a study found that the Dobbins Creek watershed was exceeding water quality standards, during half the years evaluated over a ten year span. The plan identified streambank stabilization as the most efficient way to reduce dirt from getting in the water. This was the second tree revetment project of its kind. The first one was in 2011 on the Gene Tapp farm.

Cedar River Watershed District 1408 21st Ave. NW Austin, MN 55912 507-434-2603 www.cedarriverwd.org