Kanabec 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 Initiatives Grants Program - 1999-01 biennium. Appropriations from the Trust Fund for this project allowed the Department of Natural Resources to fund the Natural and Scenic Area Grants Program, the Conservation Partners Grants Program and the Environmental Partnerships Grants Program during the biennium. More than 140 different projects across the state were approved for matching grants from July of 1999 through June of 2001.  In Kanabec County, a grant was received by the City of Mora to prepare a management plan for Lake Mora to help establish the full potential of the lake as a recreational and ecological asset.

Minnesota County Biological Survey - 1999-01 biennium.  Minnesota still has pockets of rare plants, animals and natural areas that need to be protected, managed and studied. The Department of Natural Resources is surveying every county in Minnesota to locate these areas. Since the survey began in 1987, 50 counties have been surveyed.  Survey work was completed in Kanabec County during the 1999-01 biennium. 

Mussel Resource Survey - 1999-01 biennium. During the first two years of this project (this biennium), biologists and other staff from the Department of Natural Resources sampled 886 sites in 32 Minnesota rivers, 64 tributaries and 12 lakes including two sites on the Little Ann River, three sites on the Ann River, three sites on the Ground House River, eight sites on the Knife River and 14 sites on the Snake River in Kanabec County during July and August of 1999 and June of 2000.  According to the website for this project, http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/ecological_services/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.

Snake River Watershed Best Management Practices - 1997-99 biennium.  The Snake River Watershed Management Board will accelerate the implementation of action items from the 1996 Snake River Watershed Management Plan.  By applying best management practices to utilize a systematic plan to prioritize projects by impact on the water quality, available money will be used on the projects with the greatest results.  This has included constructing livestock ponds, stabilizing eroding stream banks and limiting contaminated run-off from reaching the watershed.

Maintaining Native Grasses Along Roadsides - 1995-97 biennium.  The way grasses and plants along roadsides are maintained significantly impacts soil and water quality, wildlife and rare plant habitats.  Under this program, new technology was used to plant and manage native grasses in road rights-of-way to protect and improve biological diversity.  Lead agency:  Department of Natural Resources.

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 is for the installation of an aeration system on Knife Lake.  Lead agency: Department of Natural Resources.