Seven Mile Creek Watershed
The Seven Mile Creek Watershed lies east of Mankato and just south of St. Peter in Nicollet County. The watershed is comprised of 23,551 acres (36.8 square miles). Cultivated lands cover 86% of the watershed, while 6% is deciduous forest. The remaining areas are wetlands, grasslands and farmsteads. The watershed is home to Seven Mile Creek Park, a 628-acre park that offers hiking, fishing and picnicking.
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The Seven Mile Creek itself is 6.1 miles long and drains water from 24,000 acres of Nicollet County farmland through Seven Mile Creek Park and into the Minnesota River, just upstream of St. Peter. Water quality issues, including contamination, and soil erosion are present. The majority of the watershed is farm land, so to address the water and soil issues, many agencies came together to form a partnership. The goals were clean water and soil conservation and erosion reduction through farm management.
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Through the Targeted Watershed Grant, Ag practices were put into place to improve both soil and water. Conservation techniques were implemented including Buffers, Grassed Waterways, Bioreactor Intakes, Stabilization and Cover Crops. Education and outreach programs were implemented for area land owners and park users. Monies from the grant also went towards monitoring progress and restoration events.
The installation of practices that address erosion control have been put into action and conservation solutions have been brought to the attention of land owners in the Seven Mile Creek Watershed.