Project Purpose
Hay Creek is one of four stream reaches in the Roseau River Watershed identified by the Roseau River Watershed District (RRWD) for water quality restoration. The RRWD identified the stream for restoration given its identification as being impaired for aquatic life and aquatic recreation uses by the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA). The goals for restoration are to achieve the water quality criteria for fish index of biotic integrity (FIBI), macroinvertebrate index of biotic integrity (MIBI), total suspended solids (TSS), and Escherichia coli (E. coli). The total maximum daily loads (TMDL) completed for the TSS and E. coli impairments are the only TMDLs needed in the Roseau River Watershed.
In addition to the water quality concerns, flooding and water quantity impacts on land productivity and water quality are significant concerns of the landowners in the watershed. The RRWD, along with its partners, will address the sources of the excess TSS and E. coli in the watershed along with poor habitat conditions and related biological stressors affecting the fish and macroinvertebrate communities. The RRWD's roles for drainage and flood damage reduction are integral to the overall management of the watershed.
The RRWD entered into a partnership with Roseau County and the Roseau County Soil and Water Conservation District to form the Roseau River Joint Powers Board (RRJPB). The RRJPB is actively pursuing watershed management opportunities through programs ranging from the federal flood damage reduction program for the Red River Basin, MPCA monitoring and reports, Board of Water and Soil Resources (BWSR) watershed planning, Department of Natural Resources (DNR) water, fish, and wildlife programs in addition to their own and other programs.
The Hay Creek Watershed is a hydrologic unit code (HUC) 10 watershed (0902031403) located in the Roseau River HUC-8 watershed (09020314). The watershed is comprised of the three HUC-12 watersheds listed in Table 1. The drainage area of the watershed is approximately 67,840 acres.
Implementation Profile Report
The purpose of this report is to target conservation practices that would improve geomorphic and hydrologic conditions within the Hay Creek Subwatershed. There have been many studies completed in the watershed that indicate Hay Creek's channel is unstable and could benefit from focused implementation efforts. This report describes a study that focused on targeting conservation practices— with stakeholder input—that would help to reduce sediment, water, and total phosphorus (TP) delivered to Hay Creek. It also describes targeted strategies for managing the stability of the creek itself. This project also sought to target potential conservation practices that would make progress towards measurable goals from previous studies, like the Roseau River Watershed Restoration and Protection Strategy (WRAPS; https://www.pca.state.mn.us/water/watersheds/roseau-river), that have been identified within the Hay Creek subwatershed. The potential conservation and best management practices (BMPs) in this report align with preferred BMPs as determined by surveys conducted within the subwatershed.