Sibley 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.

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 Sibley County, Sibley County Pheasants Forever received a grant for habitat improvement on the Alfsborg Wildlife Management 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 Web site. Visit http://mrbdc.mnsu.edu/index.html for more information about 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 one site on the Minnesota River in Sibley County during September of 2001.

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.

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 County Biological Survey - 1999-01 biennium and 1997-99 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 began in Sibley County during the 1997-99 biennium and was completed during the 1999-01 biennium.

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 Department of Natural Resources’ program provides matching funds to those who want to buy or improve critical fish, wildlife and native plant habitats in Minnesota. Some of these funds are being used to buy natural areas for scientific study, education and nature observation; others are helping restore waterfowl populations to their 1970s level. This grant allowed the acquisition of 53 acres at the Severance Lake Wildlife Management Area, 34 acres at the Ward Lake Wildlife Management Area and 438 acres and engineering at Altnow Lake Dam.

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. This program led to the acquisition of easements on 84.5 acres of Sibley County wetlands. Lead agency: Board of Water and Soil Resources.

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. 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. In Sibley County, easements on 173.4 acres were purchased under this program. Lead agency: Board of Water and Soil Resources.

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

South Central Minnesota Surface Water Resources Atlases and Data Bases - 1991-93 biennium. Scientists from Mankato State University gathered data to produce the following maps: general land survey, surface hydrology, weather station locations, point source pollution, incorporation of new land-use maps, population data from the 1990 census, county soil maps and cancer and epidemiology maps. The Sibley County project developed surface hydrology atlases and a database.