Mostly water-covered area would add 22.5 acres to state WMA — April 26, 2023 Much of Ramsey Mill Pond’s lake-shaped area north of Austin likely will become publicly owned by this summer as the state moves to acquire nearly 23 acres mostly covered by water. On Tuesday, the Mower County Board unanimously approved a plan for the Minnesota Department of Natural…

84 Mower residents re-enrolled for second round of funding — April 25, 2023 — Another application round has opened for the state’s Lawns to Legumes grant program focused on helping homeowners start a “pocket prairie” of pollinator-friendly, native plants. Those who applied unsuccessfully for a Lawns to Legumes grant on Aug. 22 or later will have their application automatically rolled…

CRWD to build upland storage for stormwater in creek’s south branch headwaters — March 31, 2023 — Spanning a quarter-mile in length each, two berms planned for a nearly $1 million project in the headwaters of Dobbins Creek’s south branch will play a big role in reducing floods and improving water quality. Cedar River Watershed District soon will seek bids for construction this…

Land sales drive change in rates for permanent conservation — March 30, 2023 More financial incentives are available now for Mower County farmers and others across the state who are interested in converting marginal cropland into permanent native prairie and wetlands. Payment rates offered by the state-federal MN CREP program have increased on average by $2,900 per acre as decided…

Fett, watershed technician, honored by SE MN colleagues — March 23, 2023 — Whether he’s taking water-quality samples from rivers or working to create permanent prairies and wetlands, James Fett shows a strong passion for conservation work. Those efforts and numerous achievements have led to Fett — watershed technician for Mower Soil & Water Conservation District — to be…

Mower SWCD continues to offer cost-share up to $1,000 per well — AUSTIN, Minn. — March 20, 2023 — Mower County residents whose property includes an old well are strongly encouraged to apply for cost-share assistance to help them seal the hole that poses a danger to people, animals and drinking-water resources. A strong reminder of the dangers posed by unused wells…

State approves 31 local applications; 84 in Mower await funding — Feb. 28, 2023 In the spur of the moment last fall, Jaimie Timm decided to take out her family’s backyard flower bed consisting of a hodgepodge of hand-me-downs and random plants. She didn’t have a new plan for the roughly 75-square-foot flower bed at her home overlooking Austin’s Skinners Hill…

County sees 98 SSTS replacements in 2022; nealry 340 in 3 years — Feb. 14, 2023 — Nearly 340 septic systems have been replaced in three years across Mower County as part of an initiative aimed at protecting groundwater and local waterways. After the 2022 construction season, Mower County Environmental Services now has overseen the installation of 338 subsurface sewage treatment systems (SSTS)…

Clays lose two sons in separate accidents one year apart; made history with injury lawsuit against railroad for one child — With rakes tied to poles, the Rayman brothers and two other men frantically dragged the bottom of the frigid Cedar River from boats. Frankie Clay Jr., a 13-year-old Austin boy, had fallen through the ice of a river bend while skating with friends that Sunday afternoon in December 1906. They…