Buffalo Red River Watershed Sediment Modeling for Best Management Practices Implementation

The most important water quality issue within the Buffalo-Red River Watershed District (BRRWD) and many watersheds in Minnesota are the sources and amounts of sediment reaching waterways and waterbodies. Several stream reaches have been identified by the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) within the BRRWD as being impaired because of an excessive amount of sediment based on elevated turbidity (Figure 1-1). Elevated turbidity can affect drinking water quality and the ability of aquatic life to sustain healthy and viable populations. Understanding the sediment sources and the magnitude of these sources is critical to improving water quality. The focus of this study is to expand upon previous work. Computer modeling will be used to address sediment water quality goals, and identify practical measures to achieve these goals for the BRRWD. The computer model will aid in establishing sediment goals, guide focused implementation actions on the landscape, and quantify benefits. Expectations are that the measures identified by modeling will be implemented (as action items) within the BRRWD's revised Watershed Management Plan (WMP).