WATERSHED RESTORATION & PROTECTION (WRAP)
- CLEARWATER RIVER WATERSHED
WRAP INFORMATION:
- Sub-navigation
- Project Introduction
- Schedule
- Public Participation
- MPCA Contacts
- Technical Advisory Committee
CLEARWATER RIVER WRAP
- Project Description and Objective
The Clearwater River Watershed Restoration and Protection (WRAP) project is a watershed wide assessment of the water quality, biotic integrity (fish, aquatic macro-invertebrates), and stream channel stability in the Clearwater River and its major tributaries. The primary goal of the project is the completion of a watershed-based Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) study, which will provide a watershed restoration and protection strategy (WRAPS) report, protection plans, and TMDL reports (restoration plans) for impaired waterways and lakes in the watershed. There are several objectives (biological monitoring, stream channel stability assessments and civic engagement) that take this project beyond a typical TMDL study. Civic engagement is an enhanced version of stakeholder involvement that is being incorporated into WRAP projects throughout the state. See the project's schedule, to see where we are in the process.
Previous water quality studies in the Red Lake River Watershed have already led to stream bank stabilization, grade stabilization, and best management practice (BMP) implementation projects. This project will broaden our knowledge of the watershed and the completion of official TMDLs will open doors to additional funding sources for water quality improvement projects.
Thanks to the Clean Water Land and Legacy Amendment, the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency has been able to provide the Red Lake Watershed District and other organizations with funding for watershed restoration and protection (WRAP) projects. The Clean Water Land and Legacy Amendment has also recently funded the collection of additional data to guide assessment, restoration, and protection efforts through the surface water assessment grant (SWAG) for water quality monitoring projects. See MPCA's Watershed Approach to Restoring and Protecting Water Quality.