Lower Poplar River Land Owners Form Poplar River Management Board
April 14, 2006, LUTSEN, Minn – Land owners along the lower Poplar River in Lutsen have formed the Poplar River Management Board (PRMB) in order to protect and improve the water quality of this segment of the river. The lower Poplar River is defined as the section from the falls north of Lutsen Mountains, to where it empties into Lake Superior.
The group formed in response to this section of river becoming listed on the Impaired Rivers list as developed by the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA). According to Charles Skinner, PRMB president, “We’ve partnered with key people and organizations from around the state to learn more about the situation and take action to remove the lower Poplar from the list. We’ve found that 2,274 of Minnesota’s waters are classified as impaired. None have ever been removed from the list; our goal is to be the first.”
According to the MPCA and local studies, the main source of the river’s impairment has been identified as above-average sediment levels, during high-flow, from areas where pronounced erosion has taken place. Sediment causes turbidity and the standard of turbidity is the one being exceeded.
One of the PRMB’s first priorities is securing funding to define the best method to repair the largest source of erosion on the river. The PRMB has applied for a grant from the Minnesota Lake Superior Coastal Program to develop a plan for reducing soil erosion from what is being called the “Mega Slump.” Skinner said, “The Mega Slump alone is estimated to be the source of 65% of sediment in the lower river.” The group has also applied for a grant from the Great Lakes Commission’s Great Lakes Basin Program for Soil Erosion and Sedimentation Control.
Additional monitoring is being conducted by the University of Minnesota Duluth Natural Resources Research Institute (NRRI) in Duluth to better identify the conditions causing turbidity. A meter will be installed in the river that is designed to measure the scattering of light in water defined as “turbidity.” Flow and turbidity will be measured continuously for the next two open water seasons.
The MPCA announced that the Poplar River will be one of three priority waters designated for the establishment of a total maximum daily load (TMDL) study, and stated in a letter to the PRMB president, “The MPCA staff recognizes the considerable effort that has gone into documenting existing environmental conditions and provides a sound framework for additional work within the watershed for the Poplar River TMDL study.” It is expected that the study will take two years to complete. The PRMB, NRRI, MPCA, and Cook County Soil and Water Conservation District are working together to accomplish the completion of the TMDL study and to focus on developing solutions to reduce turbidity in the river.
The PRMB is advised by North American Wetland Engineering, a private consulting firm. Other participants include Lutsen Township, Cook County, the Cook County Soil and Water Conservation District, US Forest Service, MN DNR, private land owners along the lower Poplar River, and other participants as advisory board members. The organization’s stated propose is to: Protect and improve the water quality and other natural resources of the lower Poplar River through sound land use planning and management.
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