Here is some information on reducing sediment in the Zumbro Watershed. Not that they are looking for public comment. If you care about water quality, check it out and make some comments.
Dear ZWP Members,
Over the last several months ZWP Planning Coordinator Norman Senjem has been working on a sediment reduction plan for the Zumbro River Watershed. This is an implementation plan funded by the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) to satisfy the requirements of the Zumbro turbidity Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) study completed last year. Norman has held three public stakeholder meetings and also sought the input of ZWP’s technical partners in reviewing preliminary drafts of the plan. Using feedback from these meetings and partners, he has updated the plan to its most recent version. He would like to let you know that the Draft Plan is now posted on our website (http://www.zumbrowatershed.org/projects/active) for a final public review. Please take a moment to review the plan and provide comments by Tuesday, May 29th. Comments provided will be incorporated into a final draft which will then be routed to MPCA for approval.
After this plan is finalized, Norman will be turning his attention to developing the larger, comprehensive watershed management plan for the Zumbro.
Please let Norman or I know if you have any questions.
Here is a list of Projects funded or partially funded with local option sales tax dollars since 1983. Every time Rochester has voted on this we have approved the sales tax by better than a 2-1 margin. I hope that this continues in 2012. Big thanks to Gary Neumann for keep track of these projects. Read the rest of this entry »
Raingardens are one of the most cost effective, beautiful, and effective ways to clean our stormwater. I am planning on designing one for my home.
In 2009, the City of Rochester launched Realize Raingardens Rochester – a cost-share grant program promoting the installation of residential raingardens in Rochester. A task force of interested citizens and the City’s Public Works staff developed this program. Selected sites are used to demonstrate how raingardens slow, treat, and infiltrate storm water, while adding beauty to neighborhoods and creating habitat for songbirds and butterflies.
Citizens who want to make a difference in their neighborhoods while protecting water quality are invited to participate in the City of Rochester’s new Adopt-A-Storm-Water-Pond program. There are over 100 storm water management ponds in Rochester that can be adopted by interested groups, businesses, and individuals.
Interested volunteers should contact Mike Kraszewski (mkraszewski@rochestermn.gov or 328-2431) to inquire about adoptable locations.
Here is some information on Denver’s Amazing Waterfront Restoration, Protection and Redevelopment. I would love to see this type of vision for Rochester’s River fronts. Instead we vote a pathetic 4-3 to prevent a waterfront parking ramp.
I will not be able to attend because I will be watching the Fighting Sioux win another hockey national championship, but some of you may be interested in this event.
The Rochester Area Alumni and Friends of the University of Minnesota Winter Lecture, “Sources of Bacteria that Contaminate our Waterways and Beaches – Can we clean-up our Environment?”, has been rescheduled for Thursday, April 7, 2011. Thank you for your understanding. Read the rest of this entry »
Fortunately we fought opposition from the Rochester Area Builders Association and passed the Decorah Edge Protection ordinance. But there is much more work to do. Here is a note that I received with a link from Jeff Broberg. Jeff is one of the states leading experts on water issues and we share a interest in healthy trout streams.