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Big Sandy Area Lakes Watershed Management Project... What is the Big Sandy Area Lakes Watershed? A watershed is an area of land drained by a particular stream, water system, or body of water. The Big Sandy Lake Watershed is much more than just Big Sandy Lake. The watershed includes the following, and much more:
The Big Sandy Area Lakes Watershed Management Project
(BSALWMP) was organized in 1991 in an effort to provide a local
mechanism to encourage equal partnership among all stakeholders
and governmental agencies, in protecting and enhancing the
esthetic, ecological, economic, agricultural, and recreational
value of lakes, streams, shoreland, and wetland resources in the
Big Sandy Area Lakes Watershed Management Project. It is
believed that this coordinated, cooperative watershed approach
is key to protecting water, shoreland, and wetland
resources. This goal is best achieved through community-based
collaboration. Projects Undertaken by the Big Sandy Area Lakes Watershed Management Project: 1. Clean Water Partnership Continuation Grant: The BSALWMP received $260,000 in grant funds from the MPCA in 2006. The funds are available for use until the end of the grant period in June of 2009, and are being used for a combination of on the ground water quality improvement projects, and education efforts. Projects include:
2. Volunteer Monitoring in the Big Sandy Area Lakes Watershed: The BSALWMP recently received a Surface Water Assessment Grant from the MPCA. Volunteers will assist with taking water samples on Davis, Sandy River, and Island Lakes in Aitkin County. Two stream sites in St. Louis County will also be monitored. These include Hasty Brook just before it enters Prairie Lake, and the Prairie River near the county line. All sampling will be conducted during the open water seasons of 2009 and 2010. The monitoring plan has been designed to complete the assessment dataset for each site – giving us a good picture of the health of the waterbody.
The Big Sandy Area Lakes Watershed Management Project
is coordinated through the Aitkin County SWCD office. The
project is directed by a volunteer committee that meets
monthly. All meetings are open to the public, and additional
input and ideas are always welcome. For more information on any
of the programs offered in the watershed or to learn about the
next meeting, please call (218) 927-6565. Map of the Big Sandy Area Lakes Watershed Management Project. |
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The Big Sandy Lake Watershed extends eastward from the
Mississippi River about 26 miles and is about 18 miles wide in
the north-south direction. Water in Big Sandy Lake originates
from four main rivers: The West Savanna from the north, the
Prairie and Tamarack from the east, and the Sandy River from the
south. The watershed is about one third wetlands, and one third
wooded upland, with the remainder being a combination of
agriculture, open upland, lakes, industrial, residential, and
roads.
3. Demonstrating Shoreline Buffers in Big Sandy Lake’s
Watershed: Beginning in the fall of 2009 the Watershed Project
will focus on Shoreline Buffers.This project will
promote the implementation of Shoreline Buffers through the use
of demonstration projects, cost-share funding, educational
workshops, and newsletters. Shoreline Buffers reduce non-point
source pollution by stabilizing shorelines, controlling soil
erosion, and filtering and slowing runoff. The combination of
these efforts, focused on a common goal of promoting shoreline
buffers, will provide a comprehensive effort that is successful
in reaching the goal of protecting fragile shorelines while
providing landowners with the tools they need to implement
projects on their own properties. Typical shoreline development
in this area often includes
removing the vegetation at the
lakeshore to create access and use areas, while opening up a
view of the lake. This project will work to restore native
vegetative buffers on fragile shorelines. Funding for this
project is provided by an EPA Section 319(h) Grant.-WEB.jpg)