Project Overview
Minnesota wetlands provide a wealth of ecological benefits including water quality and habitat enhancement. Yet, it is estimated that Minnesota has lost over 52 percent of its pre-settlement wetland area and their associated benefits. This tool will aid individuals interested in wetland restoration or protection by:
- Predicting likely locations of restorable wetlands with a statewide restorable wetland inventory.
- Locating highly stressed areas most in need of water quality or habitat improvement.
- Prioritizing areas that already are or are most likely to result in high functioning sustainable wetlands.
- Identifying areas that will provide the greatest benefits in the form of water quality and habitat.
- Refining prioritizations with aerial imagery and available environmental data.
Visit the Restorable Wetland Prioritization Tool.
Decision-Making Tool
This web application enables one to prioritize areas for maximizing water quality improvements, in the form of nitrogen or phosphorus removal, and/or habitat and for restoring or protecting high functioning sustainable wetlands. The tool utilizes readily available GIS data at the 30 meter pixel resolution and consists of five primary decision layers.
Project Goal
To help decision-makers prioritize where to restore and protect wetlands in Minnesota.
Project Team
Original Creation Team: Lucinda Johnson, Terry Brown, Valerie Brady, Jeremy Erickson, with collaborator Mark Gernes, MPCA.
Revision Team: Lucinda Johnson, Will Bartsch, Katya Kovalenko, Kristi Nixon, with collaborator Steve Kloiber, MN DNR.
Funding and Partners
This project was funded through the Clean Water Land and Legacy Amendment.
- Clean Water & Legacy Amendment and the Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund
- Minnesota Pollution Control Agency