The Cedar River Watershed in Mower County, Minn., is getting another big dose of generosity from The Hormel Foundation to improve water quality and reduce flooding.

The Hormel Foundation has approved a $500,000 grant request from the Cedar River Watershed District, which, in turn, will match that with $500,000 primarily from state funds.

Most of the matching funds will come from the bonding bill passed by the state Legislature under the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources’ flood hazard mitigation program.

TEMPORARY STORAGE: CRWD project manager Cody Fox checks a capital improvement plan (CIP) structure on March 9 as snowmelt is temporarily stored behind the upstream Dobbins 1 berm.

In 2015, The Hormel Foundation granted $3.2 million to CRWD to begin its five-year capital improvement plan (CIP) to build upland storage projects mainly in the watershed’s headwater areas. CRWD matched that grant with $3.4 million in state and local funding.

Work with landowners

With a $1 million overall budget heading into the 2021 construction season, CRWD staff now can work with landowners in the headwaters of Dobbins Creek on potential projects for building earthen berms that temporarily store large amounts of stormwater and snowmelt. This would continue the past five years of progress made by CRWD under its CIP initiative in collaboration with The Hormel Foundation and the state of Minnesota.

“Everyone who lives in the Cedar River Watershed can be very thankful for the significant and ongoing support of The Hormel Foundation,” says Justin Hanson, CRWD administrator. “Together, we are making a difference with these upland storage projects, and others from across the state are learning from this work.”

Help from state legislators

Hanson also expressed gratitude for the legislative efforts by outgoing state Sen. Dan Sparks and state Rep. Jeanne Poppe, both of Austin, to support CRWD’s projects in 2020 and during their many years serving in the Legislature.

“Getting state approval to form the Cedar River Watershed District, designating the Cedar River as a state water trail and helping to secure millions of dollars in state funding for our upland-storage projects — Sen. Sparks and Rep. Poppe did outstanding work for the local natural resources during their legislative careers,” Hanson says.

HOLDING IT BACK: CRWD’s Dexter 30-Dam 1 berm — part of the district’s CIP — temporarily holds back stormwater on May 27 in the upland area of Dobbins Creek’s south branch in Dexter Township.

CRWD’s new grant is part of $10.6 million approved in November by The Hormel Foundation to nonprofit organizations in the Austin community. To date, The Hormel Foundation has given more than $300 million to the community.

“This is only possible due to the visionary plan established in 1941 by George and Jay Hormel, and the generations of hardworking employees of Hormel Foods,” says Jeffrey M. Ettinger, Hormel Foundation chair.

CRWD’s initial five-year goal for its CIP initiative was achieved in 2020, thanks to the original $3.2 million grant from The Hormel Foundation and another $3.4 million in state and local funding that built 14 projects, including 11 upland storage structures in the Dobbins watershed. Most projects were built on streams flowing into Dobbins’ north and south branches.

Peak flow reduced at Cedar-Dobbins confluence

This year, CRWD has surpassed its original CIP goal of 8% by achieving at least a 10% peak flow reduction at the Cedar-Dobbins confluence in Austin, after it constructed the district’s biggest project to date in summer 2020 — Dexter 30-Dam 2. Spanning nearly 2,000 feet long, with a 21-foot peak berm height, the $1.2 million structure is fully functional for temporary stormwater storage in the headwaters of Dobbins’ south branch.

HOW IT WAS: Vehicles are shown driving through a stretch of Interstate 90 flooded by the nearby Dobbins Creek in June 2008 in northeast Austin, downstream from the Jay C. Hormel Nature Center. CRWD’s CIP projects are heavily focused on the Dobbins Creek watershed to reduce the effects of its propensity for flash flooding.

Nearly 3,000 acres, primarily cropland, are now controlled by CIP projects in the Dobbins watershed that is prone to flash flooding. With all CIP projects in place, a 10-year rainstorm (roughly 4 inches of rain) — which leads to some rural roads being overtopped by flooding — would be about 1 foot lower at its peak downstream from Dobbins Creek’s confluence of its north and south branches in Austin’s Jay C. Hormel Nature Center.

Additional 2021 funding

Part of the next CIP work in 2021 will be funded by $100,000 in state funding under the first budget for the Cedar-Wapsipinicon Comprehensive Water-Management Plan. This is part of the One Watershed, One Plan funding from the Minnesota Board of Water and Soil Resources.

To learn more and view drone footage of CRWD’s CIP projects, visit cedarriverwd.org or find the YouTube channel for Mower Soil & Water Conservation, which also includes CRWD projects.

Source: Cedar River Watershed District, which is solely responsible for the information provided and is wholly owned by the source. Informa Business Media and all of its subsidiaries are not responsible for any of the content contained in this information asset.