Marsh Lake restoration project poised for federal funds

A lake in west-central Minnesota has $6.7 million in federal funds for an environmental restoration project at stake in a bill being considered by Congress.

If passed, the Water Resources Development Act will offer money for several projects aimed at improving the ecosystem of Marsh Lake, which sits on the Minnesota River near Appleton.

Construction of a dam on the Minnesota River near where it intersects with the Pomme de Terre created the 4,500-acre Marsh Lake in the 1930s. Now, it faces high turbidity, among other issues.

The $10 million project's main facets call for re-routing the Pomme de Terre River to its natural path and modifying a dam on the Minnesota River to allow for fish passage. State officials and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers began planning the work in 2007.

"We have been waiting for this [bill] for a long time," said Ken Varland, a regional wildlife manager for the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. "This is kind of a big deal for us."

The plan also would include water control structures to help restore the Minnesota River's natural ecosystem and flooding-drying cycles.

Most of the remaining funds will come from the state. Varland said Minnesota lawmakers have provided about $2.6 million, helping to round out the project's total cost.