Ben Nicklay, a river project manager from the Minnesota DNR, is a part of a team that is taking measures to improve Kingsbury Creek. The goal is to reduce sediment in the creek by focusing on restoration and repairs along two tributaries.
"Due to development over the years," says Nicklay, "water just runs off that much faster and gets directed right into the stream." Parking lots, roads and buildings, have resulted in less collected ground water. Revegetating the banks of tributaries is one approach that will allow for water to be spread out, thus reducing erosion, collecting more ground water, and diminishing the amount of sediment ending up in Kingsbury Bay. Replacing old and damaged culverts is also on the to-do list.
The work will have minimal impact on the aesthetics of the area. Any impact that does occur is being taken into consideration. "We won't be taking away any green space," says Nicklay. "We've had to remove some vegetation, some trees to get our equipment in there... we have a monitoring plan, so well be going back in to make sure that the vegetation is coming back in as planned." Much of the work is taking place on private property, but even that land is being approached in such a way that in a few-years' time the impact will go largely unnoticed.
The project began in mid-December and the initial work will likely last through February; the job will be completed sometime during the summer. Anyone with questions about the project can contact Nicklay directly at 218-302-3242 or visit the project website.