The Daily News

A Minnesota amendment intended to boost environment and art projects over the next 25 years is making some headway in Wilkin County.

An estimated $275 million per year will be generated each year as a result of the three-eighth cent sales tax increase, which the state began to collect in July.

Two-thirds of the funding approved in the amendment last year are dedicated to habitat and clean water projects, which makes Whisky Creek a perfect candidate. The creek, which flows into the Red River near Kent, Minn., has been identified by the state as impaired after it failed to meet water quality standards, said Don Bajumpaa, district manager for Wilkin County Soil and Water Conservation District.

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As a result, the conservation district hopes to create 28 miles of erosion control along two ditches that flow into the creek using grants funded by the amendment. Water control structures would be installed parallel to county ditches and temporarily store water in the fields to prevent uncontrolled runoff. More than 100 side inlet structures would also be built at ditch outlets.

"The objective of our grant is to improve water quality by sediment reduction," Bajumpaa said. "If we do this, we're going to do the whole thing."

The comprehensive project would prevent flood damage to fields and also provide groundwater recharge, as water would be held on the surface during a runoff event.

"We've been stuck in wet cycles for three years now, but people forget that... there will be times when we're in a real dry cycle," he said.

After some calculation, Bajumpaa estimated 668 tons of sediment will stop flowing into the ditch system if the project is approved. The application deadline for the office is Dec. 1.

Other projects include the installation of buffer strips along the entire county ditch system, which would improve water quality for recreational purposes and wildlife. Residents would carry half the cost and be encouraged to install a minimum 16 foot-wide buffer or larger if they can.

"Someone's going to pay for cleaning up the water at some point," said Bajumpaa, who added that the savings will benefit in the long run. "There are people that use surface water for drinking purposes, and they have to treat it before they can drink it."

Additional goals of the county water district include more conservation practices in the watershed, which should reduce another 225 tons of sediment per year. The water structures and side inlets represent just one project, said Bajumpaa.

"We certainly can't accomplish everything in our county in one or two years," he said. "This is just the first phase of many future projects that we're looking at."

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