Projects

The Lower Minnesota River Watershed District (LMRWD) is participating with Riley Purgatory Bluff Creek Watershed District and the City of Eden Prairie to restore a portion of Lower Riley Creek to significantly reduce streambank erosion, provide diverse habitats, and enhance the public’s access to Riley Creek.

The Lower Minnesota River Watershed District (LMRWD) is home to five state-designated trout streams, two trout lakes, and several additional undesignated streams that are thought to have sustained past trout populations. In 2019, the LMRWD completed a geomorphic assessment of all trout waters to assess their health. The Trout Streams Gaps Analysis and Management Plan focuses on managing three trout species—brook trout, brown trout, and rainbow trout. All three species require cold water habitat, but each has slightly different needs that affect their distribution and survival. The trout streams in this study were evaluated based on a range of parameters suitable for both brook and brown trout and a high-level summary was created for each of the streams reviewed.

Using the Minnesota River as a focal point, the Lower Minnesota River Watershed District (LMRWD) has spent multiple years examining issues of the river’s complex natural system, a shared resource and a place where varied interests and other systems converge. The Gully Inventory and Condition Assessment has identified new gullies that are forming throughout the watershed, which may be contributing sediment to the Minnesota River. The project uses a combination of desktop assessments, fieldwork, and data evaluation.