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Beltrami County SWCD reports $1M+ in projects; BSU-area stormwater basin credited with major phosphorus gains
Summary
The Soil and Water Conservation District told the board it spent more than $1 million on local conservation projects last year, highlighted a BSU-area stormwater basin that the SWCD said achieved roughly one-quarter of a 10-year phosphorus-reduction goal for Lake Bemidji, and announced $65,000 in Minnesota DNR grants to treat starry stonewort on four lakes.
Brad, speaking for the Beltrami County Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD), presented the SWCD's annual update to the board, saying more than $1 million was spent countywide on grants, projects and outreach over the past year and roughly $380,000 of SWCD-collected billings were reimbursed to the county to cover staff services.
Brad highlighted a large stormwater retrofit near Bemidji State University that rerouted runoff into an underground treatment area and that the SWCD estimates achieved about a quarter of the project's 10-year phosphorus-removal goal for Lake Bemidji. "This project alone was like a quarter of that goal for a 10-year project," Brad said, and he urged the board to keep pursuing similar partnership projects to protect water quality.
The SWCD also reviewed routine programs: citizen lake monitoring with state lab analysis, shoreline restorations, a well-sealing program, a rain-gauge volunteer network, tree sales (including a fall online sale) and a wood-ash program used in regulated land-application for soil nutrient management.
Callie, an SWCD staffer, told the board that the county received four Minnesota Department of Natural Resources grants totaling $65,000 to manage starry stonewort on Bemidji, Pamush, Moose and Turtle River Lake. Callie outlined a contractor plan that will use diver-assisted suction harvesting at heavily infested sites and hand-pulling at others, with pre-treatment surveys planned for July, removal work in August and follow-up surveys in September.
Commissioners asked about public access closures and contractor procurement; staff said access closures are expected to be limited and that proposals from DNR-approved licensed dive-harvesters were being solicited.
The SWCD also noted watershed-plan progress, upcoming stormwater projects in small cities and partnerships with nonprofits on tree replanting after recent storms. The board thanked staff for the update; no action items were taken during the work session.
