Carver County Fecal Coliform Implementation IV

Carver County has completed a Fecal Coliform Total Maximum Daily Load(TMDL) and Implementation Plan (IP). These efforts define the concentrations and sources of fecal coliform bacteria polluting Carver, Bevens, and SilverCreeks, and the strategies to reduce fecal coliform concentrations to state standards.A Technician was hired with the aid of these grants to fulfill the need for a person to deliver pertinent and useful information to landowners crucial to protecting and restoring Carver County streams.Due to the large area, a targeted approach on a sub-watershed basis was used for site visits. The technician contacts each landowner by mail and then follows up with an on-site visit. During the on-site visit all of the programs that are available to them are outlined and explained. These include buffer strip incentives, septic system upgrades, manure management, wetland restorations, tillage options and any other state or federal program that might work on their particular parcel.As of January 2011, the technician has made more than 1,000 site visits. From those site visits, over 125 failing septic systems have been updated, over 15 miles of buffers installed, and nearly 50 feedlots inspected in areas sensitive to run-off. Many of the visits conducted result in small changes by landowners wanting to do the right thing. These initiatives are showing beneficial results within Carver, Bevens, and Silver Creeks. Initial results after 5 years of the targeted approach for all sub-watersheds have seen decreases ranging from 1-59% in bacteria (E.coli). Carver County will continue to monitor yearly so progress can be tracked.