Renew America Success Stories

Big Sandy Area Lakes Watershed Management Project

The Big Sandy Area Lakes Watershed Management Project was established to provide a local mechanism to enable residents, businesses and government agencies to protect and enhace the aesthetic, economic and recreational value of lakes, streams and shoreland in the Big Sandy Area Lakes Watershed.

This community-driven endeavor was the brainchild of Dr. Harold Dziuk, a retired veterinary professor living in the area, who became concerned about the fate of Big Sandy Lake in 1990 when large blooms of algae began to darken the lake's clear water.

As he explored the source of the lake's troubles, it became apparent that a lasting solution would have to address the entire watershed, as all the lakes and streams in the watershed area are interconnected. Watershed management, however, almost always requires the formal establishment of a watershed district, which requires a layer of government regulation and, invariably, an increase in property taxes.

Dr. Dziuk wanted to create a model that would protect the watershed through community involvement, and without an increase in taxes. Seventy people attended the first in a series of meetings starting in January 1993 that eventually produced the community-managed Big Sandy Area Lakes Watershed Management Project. The project unites citizen volunteers with staff from three county governments and federal and state agencies, making it the first such partnership in Minnesota and a sustainable development model for the nation.

Citizen activists work with regulatory agencies and technical experts to implement, monitor and enforce strict water quality standards as the key to protect overall watershed health. An increase in local property taxes was not required to pay for the project.

"You need a volunteer nucleus to pull this off," says Dr. Harold Dziuk, Chairman of the Steering Committee. "It takes a certain number of people working together to build trust and confidence and stay focused."

The project is managed by a volunteer steering committee, who garnered the support of local businesses and residents by publicizing both the environmental and economic benefits of preserving the health of the lakes, streams and shorelands within the watershed. The 32 fishable lakes in the watershed generate more than $10 million in revenue each year and nearly 250 jobs. Travel and tourism in Aitkin County alone generate $71 million in revenue, more than the county's agriculture and livestock production combined.

Many northern Minnesota counties have small populations with low average family incomes and are heavily dependent on healthy, attractive lakes and streams that generate revenue from tourism.

Program Highlights

Goals

• Prevent further degradation of, and improve, the water quality of lakes and streams within the Big Sandy Lake area watershed.
• Protect the aesthetic and economic value of the shoreland.
• Restore fish populations in the lakes to healthy levels.
• Manage aquatic plants for the benefit of fish habitat, wildlife and recreational use.
• Control the spread of exotic species.

• Appointed a watershed coordinator.
• Held workshops to train volunteers to measure water clarity.
• Worked with technical advisors for two years to conduct chemical and biological assessments of the water. Over the two-year period, volunteers gathered hundreds of thousands of pieces of data for analysis.
• Distributed a watershed newsletter to all watershed property owners.
• Purchased, installed and currently maintain water quality monitoring equipment in major tributaries of Big Sandy Lake.
• Identified and mitigated sources of shoreland erosion.
• Identified and repaired non-conforming onsite septic tanks.
• Participated in the development of amendments of local ordinances to protect natural resources.
• Established yard waste disposal sites for use by shoreland property owners.

Vital Statistics

Program Management/Partnerships: The Big Sandy Area Lakes Watershed Management Project is managed by the Big Sandy Watershed Steering Committee, which is composed of volunteers. The project has received the generous support of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, the Minnesota Board of Water and Soil Resources, the Aitkin County Soil and Water Conservation District, the University of Minnesota (Extension Service), the Minnesota Department of Transportation, the Minnesota Sports Club, the McKnight Foundation, as well as the time and dedication of numerous citizens volunteers and activists.

Budget: Grants and in-kind donations to the project total $672,705.

Community Served: The estimated 6,000 permanent watershed residents, 30,000 seasonal residents, and 70,000 annual visitors to the watershed. Rural residents in this area have a median income of just $12,000 a year. The success of the project is critical to these individuals who relay primarily on tourism generated by the area's natural beauty for their income.

Measures of Success:

The watershed project provides matching funds to assist with habitat restoration and in constructing measures to prevent access by livestock to streams and lakes.

Reduced nutrient load in area lakes.

The development of guidelines to allow development of shoreland lots without causing excessive erosion, nutrient runoff or habitat disturbance.

Improved lake, stream and ground water quality.

Increased compliance with guidelines for engaging in environmentally-sound residential alterations.

More than 100 copies of the video, "On Common Ground," have been distributed to community leaders and others playing a role in the project.

Success stories designed by Mark Nowak

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