WATERSHED RESTORATION & PROTECTION (WRAP)
- GRAND MARAIS CREEK WATERSHED
WRAP INFORMATION:
- Sub-navigation
- Project Introduction
- Schedule
- Public Participation
- MPCA Contacts
- Technical Advisory Committee
GRAND MARAIS CREEK WRAP
- Project Description and Objective
Grand Marais Creek Watershed:
Located in the Glacial Lake Agassiz Plain and part of the Red River Basin in northwestern MN, the Grand Marais Creek watershed covers 298,264 acres. The Grand Marais Creek WRAP spans both the Red Lake Watershed District (RLWD) and the Middle-Snake-Tamarac River Watershed Distirct (MSTRWD).
In the RLWD:
The Grand Marais Creek begins north of Fisher then meanders to the northwest until it enters the Red River seven miles north of East Grand Forks. Lands that drain through Polk County Ditch 2, including areas east of Highway 75 are included in the project area.
In the MSTRWD:
Lands include the entire Angus Oslo Planning Region in the northwest portion of Polk County and western Marshall County that drain directly to the Red River. Major drainage features included in this area are JD75 and JD1. See map of project area.
Grand Marais Creek:
A tributary of the Red River, Grand Marais Creek runs 41 miles and has had multiple water quality impairments in various reaches including: dissolved oxygen, turbidity, pH, and E. Coli.
Objective:
Our main focus is assessing the waters of the Grand Marais Creek Watershed against state water quality standards for aquatic life and aquatic recreation where waters:
- ARE meeting those standards, protection plans are prepared.
- ARE NOT meeting those standards, restoration plans are prepared + total maximum daily loads (TMDLs) are calculated.
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.