The project is located on the headwaters of the minnesota river and will provide a wide range of benefits to communities in both MN and SD including ecological water quality and flood control.most…

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (DOI) awarded a $10,900,000 Cooperative Agreement under the National Fish Passage Program (CFDA 15.685) to the Upper Minnesota River Watershed District. The project aims to restore fish passage and longitudinal connectivity in the Minnesota River watershed through a two-phase approach. Phase 1 involves modifying the Little Minnesota River floodway channel to decrease a flood control weir's slope and construct a rock arch rapids structure. Phase 2 will permanently reconnect the historic Whetstone River channel to the Minnesota River. This comprehensive river restoration project will address deficiencies from previous flood control efforts and enhance fish migration between the Whetstone, Minnesota, and Little Minnesota Rivers and their tributaries, including access to Big Stone Lake. The award period is from June 3, 2025 to June 3, 2029.

The project is located on the headwaters of the minnesota river and will provide a wide range of benefits to communities in both MN and SD including ecological water quality and flood control.most notably the project will address deficiencies from previous flood control projects to enhance fish passage through the region through a two phased watershed approach that reconnects 780 miles upstream with 9 miles of downstream river. The project will restore longitudinal connectivity and fish passage between the whetstone minnesota. Little minnesota rivers and their tributaries with big stone lake. These streams range from ephemeral to continual discharge and provide a multitude of important habitats for all life stages of numerous fish and wildlife species.phase 1 includes revisions to the little minnesota river floodway channel by decreasing the slope of a permanently fixed flood control weir structure and constructing a rock arch rapids structure. These revisions will restore nearly 100 percent fish passage at all life stages from the little minnesota river and the jorgenson river to big stone lake.phase 2 located 26 miles south near the foot of big stone lake will permanently restore 100 percent of channel forming flow to the historic whetstone river channel via reconnection of the historic whetstone river to the minnesota river and current whetstone river.