WATER STORAGE VIRTUAL TOUR

The Need for Storage

Minnesota is experiencing larger and more frequent and intense rainfall events, resulting in negative impacts to agriculture and infrastructure, significant erosion along riverbanks and declining water quality.

What is water storage and treatment?

Water storage projects are engineered to slow down or temporarily hold back water from reentering a stream or river. For example, during a storm, water is directed into a wetland, holding basin, or soil in a farm field and then is slowly released downstream. This action provides water quality treatment by allowing sediment to settle out. It also reduces the water volume and speed leaving our landscape, which in turn reduces erosion along river banks and the amount of sediment entering Minnesota’s streams, lakes and rivers (Source: BWSR Water Storage and Treatment Handout).

Minnesota State University, Mankato, Water Resources Center

This project was developed by staff and students at the Water Resources Center at Minnesota State University, Mankato

Kimberly Musser, Project Manager

Namidu De Silva, Research and GIS

Benjamin Von Korff, Research and GIS

Alex Bowerbank, Research and Editing

Regional Sustainable Development Partnerships

This project was funded by Minnesota’s Southwest and Southeast Regional Sustainable Development Partnerships (RSDP) who work toward region-wide sustainability in southwest and southeast Minnesota. University of Minnesota Extension’s Regional Sustainable Development Partnerships bring together community and University resources to support local projects. Community members and University faculty and staff work hand-in-hand to identify and nurture locally grown projects. RSDP is committed to bringing together people with diverse backgrounds and perspectives to jointly work on sustainability issues.  

Advisory Committee

David Benson, Regional Sustainable Development Partnerships

Brad Carlson, University of Minnesota Extension

Paul Davis, Minnesota Pollution Control Agency

Mark Dittrich, Minnesota Department of Agriculture

Anne Dybsetter, Regional Sustainable Development Partnerships

Tim Gieseke, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources

Bryce Hoppie, Minnesota State University, Mankato

Tyler Hurley, Regional Sustainable Development Partnerships

Carrie Jennings, Freshwater Society

Linda Meshke, Rural Advantage

Anne Sawyer, University of Minnesota Extension

Scott Sparlin, Minnesota River Congress, Coalition for a Clean Minnesota River

Ted Suss, Minnesota River Congress, Friends of Minnesota Valley, Izaak Walton League

Henry Van Offelen, Board of Water and Soil Resources

Donald Waskosky, Le Sueur River Watershed Network 

Becky Waskosky, Le Sueur River Watershed Network 

Adam Wilke, University of Minnesota, Water Resources Center, RSDP

Gary Wyatt, University of Minnesota Extension

Emma Young, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources

Case Study Interviewees

Thank you to the many interviewees that carved out time for meetings, interviews and provided case study materials.