Rice County Projects

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.

Community Energy Development Program – 2003-05 biennium. Part of this grant was used by Carleton College in Northfield to help complete a 1.65 megawatt wind turbine in September of 2004. The turbine is expected to generate about 5 million kilowatt hours of electricity each year.

State Park and Recreation Area Acquisition - 2001-03 biennium. Funding from two sources - the Trust Fund and the Future Resources Fund - was combined for this project to expand our public parks. Nerstrand Big Woods State Park in Rice County grew by about 6 acres during the biennium. In all, more than 1,100 acres were purchased within the boundaries of nine state park and recreation areas from willing private landowners.

Water Recreation: Boat Access, Fishing Piers and Shore Fishing - 2001-03 biennium. The Department of Natural Resources combined this allocation from the Trust Fund with significant help from local partners to develop five public water access sites around the state, purchase three parcels of land to provide new or expanded access, construct two shore-fishing areas and add or modify eighteen public-fishing piers.

In Rice County, a new platform was built for the fishing pier near Faribault at Cannon Lake in 2003 thanks to the Trust Fund.

Erosion Impacts on the Cannon Valley Big Woods - 1999-01 biennium. This appropriation is to determine the historical and future effects of land practices on soil erosion levels and develop land management tools in the Big Woods ecosystem in Rice County. The Big Woods Project will determine the dynamic effect of tile drainage on soil moisture storage and potential surface runoff, estimate areas susceptible to overland soil erosion and estimate the amount of post settlement erosion. This will be done by a general survey of stream bank erosion in 3 to 5 minor watersheds. The final product will be a series of digital maps depicting the erosion potential for the entire project area.

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’s 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. 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 Rice County, grants were received by the Mill Town Trail to clean up and plant trees on a 10-acre site near the bike trail, by the River Bend Nature Center in Faribault to enhance the quality of core woodlands at the center, by the Cannon River Watershed Partnership to restore natural plant communities along the shore of Spring Brook and by Ducks Unlimited to restore 60 acres of drained wetland at the Wolf Creek Waterfowl Production Area.

Minnesota River Basin Initiative: Local Leadership - 1999-01 biennium with an extension to June 30, 2002. The Minnesota River has been the subject of many studies and many projects over many years. This project, administered by the Minnesota River Basin Joint Powers Board, was designed to encourage local leadership within each of the 13 major Minnesota River watersheds, implement projects on a cost-sharing basis to improve the river’s water quality and display the results on the Minnesota River Basin Data Center website. Visit http://mrbdc.mnsu.edu/index.html for more information about this project.

Nongame Wildlife Management - 1999-01 biennium. The Department of Natural Resources’ (DNR) Nongame Wildlife Program used this grant from the Trust Fund to help carry out more than 65 wildlife conservation projects during the biennium. Among the research, habitat management, information and education and planning activities were planting of lakescaping sites, development of bald eagle management plans, surveys of loon, hawk and owl populations, habitat improvements for endangered and threatened species and wildlife management workshops. In Rice County, turtle population surveys took place on the Cannon and Straight Rivers.

The website for the Nongame Wildlife Program is http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/ecological_services/nongame/index.html.

Organic Farming Training Project - 1999-01 biennium. The Minnesota Food Association of Arden Hills and Cooperative Development Services of St. Paul developed an ongoing mentoring program for farmers who want to use organic farming methods. Training farms for this project were established in Chaska, Rosemount, Hamel, Stillwater, Faribault, Owatonna, Waconia and at the University of Minnesota’s Landscape Arboretum in Chanhassen. Training sessions were also held in Lamberton, Browerville, Stillwater and St. Paul. The project trained over 1,000 farmers during the biennium, many of them recent immigrants to Minnesota.

Public Boat Access and Fishing Piers - 1999-01 biennium. With help from the Minnesota Future Resources Fund and donations from local contributors, Trust Fund money was put to work acquiring land for future public access sites, developing existing sites and building and extending fishing piers. In Rice County, land was purchased for a new boat access site near Faribault on Roberds Lake.

State Park and Recreation Area Acquisition, Development, Betterment and Rehabilitation - 1999-01 biennium. This project provided funds to acquire 155 acres of critical private land within the current boundaries of six of our state parks - 11 acres at Fort Snelling in Hennepin and Dakota Counties, 2 acres at Frontenac in Goodhue County, 11 acres at Moose Lake in Carlton County, 10 acres at Nerstrand Big Woods in Rice County, 81 acres at Sibley in Kandiyohi County and 40 acres at Whitewater in Winona County. This project also provided development funds for a municipal sewer connection at Banning State Park in Pine County, design funding for the new visitor center at Forestville Mystery Cave State Park in Fillmore County and a portion of the development cost for the Itasca Suites guest lodging at Itasca State Park in Clearwater County.

Sustainability Forums - 1999-01 biennium. This appropriation will allow the Minnesota Division of the Izaak Walton League of America to hold a forum in Northfield for the public and local units of government on sustainability and community-based planning objectives. The project will draw on the organization’s national Sustainability Education Project to promote planning in Minnesota. The follow-up support, provided by the project staff, will include technical advice, help in identifying and seeking funding for community-based projects and other participant-identified needs.

Tracking Sources of Fecal Pollution Using DNA Techniques - 1999-01 biennium. Elevated levels of fecal bacteria are found in many watersheds due to inadequate septic systems, runoff from pastures, manure treated agricultural land and wildlife. University of Minnesota scientists are working to discover an effective way of identifying the source of E. coli bacteria in samples drawn from the Rush River in Sibley County, the Grindstone River in Pine County, Prairie Creek in Rice County and the Mississippi River above Lock and Dam #1 in Hennepin County. To find out more about this project, visit www.ecolirep.umn.edu.

Minnesota’s Forest Bird Diversity Initiative - 1999-01 biennium, 1997-99 biennium, 1995-97 biennium, 1993-95 biennium and 1991-93 biennium. Forest birds are key indicators of the health of Minnesota’s forest ecosystem. To address concerns of forest sustainability, the 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 is attempting to improve freshwater mussel conservation and to protect them from invading Zebra mussels. In Rice County, mussel life history research will take place in the Cannon River.

Protecting Rural Historic Landscapes in High Development Areas - 1997-99 biennium. Rice County still has significant rural landscape features - windbreaks, barns and farmhouses - that reflect the state’s agricultural history. This project identifies significant landscapes, documents resources and prepares a management plan to protect them. Lead agency: Minnesota Historical Society.

State Park and Recreation Area Acquisition, Development, Betterment and Enhancement - 1997-99 biennium. The Department of Natural Resources is expanding and improving state parks and recreation areas by building new facilities, repairing and upgrading existing facilities and buying privately-owned land within park boundaries. In Rice County, 34 acres were acquired for Nerstrand Big Woods State Park.

Accelerated Native Grasses and Forbs Along Roadsides - 1995-97 biennium. Grasses and plants that grow along roadsides greatly impact the soil and water quality, wildlife and rare plant habitats. In Rice County, new techniques were used to plant and manage native grasses which will improve and protect biological diversity. Lead agency: Department of Natural Resource.

Cannon River Watershed Strategic Plan: Integrated Management - 1995-97 biennium. The Cannon River in southeast Minnesota and some of its tributaries are being cleaned up through the Cannon River Watershed’s partnership with the Board of Water and Soil Resources. Improvements are being made to improve water quality by reducing pollution and erosion, protecting sensitive areas and encouraging agricultural practices. Lead agency: Cannon River Water Project.

Environmental Action Grants for Minnesota Schools - 1995-97 biennium. The Department of Natural Resources will work with St. Olaf College in making grants for school area nature sites.

RIM Accelerate Critical Habitat Match Program - 1995-97 biennium. This program is to acquire and improve game and nongame fish, wildlife and native plant habitats. In Rice County, 156 acres were acquired at Boyd Wildlife Management Area while 32 acres were acquired at Cannon River Wildlife Management Area.

State Park and Recreation Area Acquisition, Development and Betterment - 1995-97 biennium. This project was used for the acquisition of new land for state parks and to develop and rehabilitate existing state parks. Nerstrand Big Woods State Park received this grant for a new interpretative center and to acquire 17.76 acres. Lead agency: Department of Natural Resources.

Water Access - 1995-97 biennium. This grant was to acquire and develop boat access sites, fishing piers and shoreline access. In Rice County, a fishing pier was installed at Cody Lake. Lead agency: Department of Natural Resources.

County Geologic Atlases, Assessments and Groundwater Sensitivity Mapping - 1993-95 biennium. The Minnesota Geological Survey is studying the geology and groundwater in southern Minnesota. Maps will be produced and used for planning and environmental protection. The Department of Natural Resources is also producing maps of areas with the potential for groundwater pollution from materials like farm chemicals. These maps can be used for land-use planning, regulation and management.

Minnesota River Implementation Project - 1993-95 biennium. This project works with landowners and governmental agencies to reduce the high amounts of pollution in the Minnesota River. The goal is to use land-management practices that reduce the amount of pollutants and runoff that empty into the river from a 30-county area. The project includes an educational program being used by 15 high schools that brings attention to water quality. Lead agency: Pollution Control Agency.

RIM Critical Habitat Match - 1993-95 biennium. This project provided matching funds to those who want to either buy or improve critical fish, wildlife and native plant habitat. In Rice County, 133 acres were acquired at Nerstrand Big Woods State Park. Lead agency: Department of Natural Resources.

State Park Betterment - 1993-95 biennium. This program improves state parks by rehabilitating existing facilities and building new ones. Projects range from rehabilitating and restoring trails and historic structures to building new offices and shops including a new shop at Sakatah Lake State Park.

Cannon River Watershed Grants - 1991-93 biennium. The Cannon River is facing increasing industrial, agricultural and suburban pressures. This project distributed grants to promote proper resource management techniques and enhance the watershed's natural systems for the Cannon River Watershed. Several projects were undertaken in Rice County including a wetlands biodiversity study, a wood turtle study at Carleton College, a study of ecological aquascaping for water quality and a study of weed control options for hardwood tree planting. Lead agency: Board of Water and Soil Resources.

County Geologic Atlas and Groundwater Sensitivity Mapping - 1991-93 biennium. This project resulted in expanded production of county geologic atlases and creation of a new Atlas Service office. In Rice County, this program was used to expand production of county geologic atlases. Lead agency: Minnesota Geological Survey.

Easement Acquisition on Restored Wetlands - 1991-93 biennium. This program acquires permanent easements of federally-restored wetlands. With the destruction of wetlands, many species of waterfowl are at all-time lows and rural Minnesota faces significant water contamination, soil erosion and downstream flooding problems. By restoring and protecting wetlands, many of these problems can be reduced or eliminated. Easements were acquired on over 139 acres of Rice County wetlands through this program. Lead agency: Board of Water and Soil Resources.

Minnesota County Biological Survey - 1991-93 biennium. Since 1987, the Department of Natural Resources has been collecting information on plants and animals throughout Minnesota to identify the location of natural areas and rare plants and animals. This information is being collected on a county-by-county basis and will be used to better manage areas that have native species of plants and animals. The Rice County survey was completed during the 1991-93 biennium.

Minnesota River Basin Water Quality Monitoring - 1991-93 biennium. This project sought to identify the sources of nonpoint pollution threatening the water quality and uses of the Minnesota River and its tributaries including Sand Creek and Porter Creek. The results are used to direct state and local pollution programs. Lead agency: Pollution Control Agency.

RIM Conservation Reserve Easements - 1991-93 biennium. This program assists landowners in returning marginal farmland, especially legally-drained wetlands, back to its natural habitat thus improving water quality, controlling erosion and enhancing fish and wildlife habitat. The Board of Water and Soil Resources purchased easements on 16 acres of Rice County land through this program.