Houston County

This listing is produced by the Minnesota State Lottery from information provided by project managers and the Legislative Commission on Minnesota Resources.  While we attempt to provide the most current information, specific project locations and allocations do change. Information on projects for the current biennium, in particular, should be regarded as preliminary.

Local Grants Initiative Program: Outdoor Recreation Grants – 2001-03 biennium. Money from the Trust Fund as well as the Minnesota Future Resources Fund was allocated during the biennium for this project administered by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. As a result, grants were provided for more than 130 different local environmental initiatives under several different categories, each with their own requirements: the Natural and Scenic Area grants program, Regional Park grants, Local Park grants, Conservation Partner grants and Environmental Partnership grants. In Houston County, the Trust Fund portion of the allocation was used for grants to help the city of La Crescent purchase 50 acres of land next to Eagle Bluff Park and an additional 25 acres of land near the Mississippi River.

Farm Ponds as Critical Habitats for Native Amphibians - 1999-01 biennium. This project studied farm ponds and natural wetlands in Houston and Winona Counties during the spring and summer of 2000 and 2001. The objectives were to identify land management practices that sustain healthy populations of amphibians and recommend monitoring methods suitable for assessing amphibian habitat quality. For more information about the study, you can visit http://www.umesc.usgs.gov/terrestrial/amphibians/mknutson_5003869.html. This study was organized by the Upper Midwest Environmental Sciences Center of the United States Geological Survey in La Crosse, Wisconsin.

Groundwater Flow in the Prairie du Chien Aquifer – 1999-01 biennium. The Prairie du Chien and underlying Jordan Aquifers supply drinking water to more than 15,000 wells in the Twin Cities, Rochester and other parts of southeastern Minnesota. Groundwater in this part of the state has been contaminated at specific locations including a landfill in northern Olmsted County, the former Twin Cities Army Ammunition Plant in Ramsey County and beneath sewage treatment ponds in Wabasha and Winona Counties. This project by the University of Minnesota Geological Survey is studying the structure and flow of the aquifers to better predict how contamination will travel through these underground waterways so better prevention plans can be developed.

Local Initiatives Grants Program - 1999-01 biennium.  This appropriation allows the Department of Natural Resources to provide matching grants to local governments or private organizations for various projects related to local parks, natural and scenic areas, local trail connection projects, regional trail projects, environmental partnership projects and conservation partners projects.  In Houston County, hardwood direct seeding will take place.

Minnesota Wildlife Tourism Initiative – 1999-01 biennium. The Minnesota Office of Tourism and Department of Natural Resources collaborated on this project to enhance Minnesota’s visibility as a national destination for wildlife tourism by placing advertisements in Audubon, National Wildlife, Wild Bird, and Birder’s World magazines. To promote this industry within the state, an array of techniques was employed including workshops, field trips, cost-sharing grants for groups promoting local wildlife watching areas, and printing and posting of signs for locations listed in the book Travelers Guide to Wildlife in Minnesota.

In Houston County, the Houston Chamber of Commerce put together a birding brochure with help from this project.

Mussel Resource Survey - 1999-01 biennium. During the first two years of this project (this biennium), biologists and other staff from the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources sampled 886 sites in 32 Minnesota rivers, 64 tributaries and 12 lakes, including two sites on Crooked Creek, two sites on Waterloo Creek and six sites on Winnebago Creek in Houston County during September of 1999. According to the website for this project, http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/eco/nhnrp/mussel_survey/index.html, freshwater mussels, commonly called clams, occur throughout the world but reach their greatest diversity in North America where about 300 species are found. Unfortunately, within the last 100 years mussel communities have declined in abundance and diversity due to dam construction, stream channelization, water pollution and sedimentation, over harvesting and the recent introduction of the exotic zebra mussel. In response, groups such as the American Fisheries Society and The Nature Conservancy have identified mussels as the most imperiled group of animals in North America. The primary goal of this project is to build the information base necessary to sustain freshwater mussels in Minnesota. Building this base of information is expected to take about six years to complete.

Minnesota’s Forest Bird Diversity Initiative - 1999-01, 1997-99, 1995-97, 1993-95 and 1991-93 biennia. Forest birds are key indicators of the health of Minnesota’s forest ecosystem. To address concerns of forest sustainability, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources and the Natural Resources Research Institute (at the University of Minnesota, Duluth) launched Minnesota’s Forest Bird Diversity Initiative in 1991. The Initiative’s goal is to develop landscape management tools to maintain the state’s unique diversity of forest birds through long-term monitoring of bird populations, research, modeling, and education. This initiative relies on more than 1,600 bird count locations in Beltrami, Carlton, Cass, Cook, Fillmore, Goodhue, Houston, Itasca, Koochiching, Lake, Mille Lacs, Olmsted, Pine, Rice, St Louis, Wabasha and Winona Counties. For more information about this project, including other sponsors, visit www.nrri.umn.edu/mnbirds.

Minnesota Rare Mussel Conservation - 1997-99 biennium.  This University of Minnesota project establishes and monitors refugia in the St. Croix River to improve freshwater mussel conservation and protect them from invading Zebra mussels.  In Houston County, mussel life history research will take place in the Mississippi River.

Bluffland Landscape - 1995-97 biennium.  The blufflands in southeast Minnesota are rich with natural, scenic, cultural, historical and biological resources, but they are increasingly being threatened by population growth.  This grant allowed the Department of Natural Resources to work with communities in Houston County to develop a management framework for the scenic and biological resources, to foster integrated decisions and increase public commitment to protect the area's blufflands.

RIM Accelerate Fisheries Acquired for Angler Access - 1995-97 biennium.  The Department of Natural Resources is purchasing acres of land and easements along lakes and streams to increase fishing opportunities and to develop and protect fish habitat.  In Houston County, 49.4 acres were purchased along Coolridge, Hemmingway and Pine Creeks. 

Water Access - 1995-97 biennium.  The Department of Natural Resources is improving access to some of the state’s most popular lakes and rivers for anglers and boaters by building new boat ramps, fishing piers and shoreline structures.   Under this program, an off-channel boat launch ramp was constructed on the Mississippi River.

RIM Statewide Fisheries Habitat Development - 1993-95 biennium.  This program improves habitat for trout, walleye and smallmouth bass by building structures in 25 miles of streams throughout the state and installing aerators in lakes prone to winter kill. This grant contributed to habitat improvement on East Beaver Creek and improvements on West Beaver Creek.  Lead agency:  Department of Natural Resources.

Erosion Control Cost-Share Grants - 1991-93 biennium.  This program aids in the funding of conservation costs for soil erosion control and the protection of water quality.

Minnesota County Biological Survey 1991-93 biennium and 1993-95 biennium.  The Department of Natural Resources is collecting information on plants and animals throughout Minnesota to identify the location of natural areas and rare plants and animals.  This information will be used to better manage areas that have native species of plants and animals.  This project has been ongoing since 1987.  The Houston County survey was completed during the 1993-95 biennium.

Mississippi River Valley Blufflands Initiative - 1991-93 biennium.  This project was designed to assist local officials in developing appropriate land use controls, identifying critical habitats and improving citizen stewardship of the blufflands.  Lead agency: Department of Natural Resources.

Sealing Abandoned Wells - 1991-93 biennium.  Thirty wells were sealed in Houston County through this grant program matching state and county funds.  Lead agency: Board of Water and Soil Resources.

09/25/09 - TM