Steward of the Earth
The SMSC’s environmental stewardship includes wide-ranging efforts to protect, preserve, and restore all of our local water resources.
Our water stewardship efforts are reflected in the following ways:
- Extensive water monitoring program.
- Stormwater and wastewater treatment for reuse in the irrigation system.
- Our work to prevent and reverse the effects of water pollution.
- Maintaining two weather stations to track local conditions and long-term trends.
- Ongoing commitment to identify new and better ways to support healthy waters.
Surface Water
The SMSC’s lands are perched above the Minnesota River and at the top of local watersheds, including the Prior Lake Outlet Minor Watershed, Lower Sand Creek Minor Watershed, and City of Shakopee Minor Watershed. Protecting and improving SMSC waters has a direct effect on the quality of water flowing downstream to our neighbors.
The SMSC’s water-centric best management practices include green roofs, pervious pavement, rain gardens, street sweeping, implementing a winter salt management plan, and using low-impact development principles.
For 25 years, the SMSC has monitored the health and water quality of its lakes, streams, wetlands, and springs. The SMSC’s Water Resources team collects data on compounds of concern including chloride, phosphorus, and nitrogen, monitors biological indicators for aquatic health, and measures properties like dissolved oxygen, conductivity, and the flow of water entering and leaving SMSC lands. All this work is done with the goal of ensuring that tribal waters are clean and provide a safe and healthy resource—for tribal members and surrounding communities—for generations to come.
Groundwater
The Natural Resources Department helps protect the aquifers that provide 100% of the drinking water on tribal lands. Activities include wellhead and overall groundwater management, sealing abandoned wells, and protection of the surface waters that ultimately feed groundwater sources. The production of drinking water and reclamation services are performed by the SMSC Public Works Department.
Water Quality Monitoring
The Natural Resources Department staff have been sampling SMSC waterbodies for over 25 years to monitor indicators of aquatic health. This data is used to determine historical trends and guide management activities for SMSC lakes and streams.
A large component of local surface waters is stormwater runoff, which can transmit unwanted sediment, nutrients and other pollutants with it. Stormwater can also disrupt natural water temperatures and water levels. The SMSC employs a variety of techniques to reduce the impact of stormwater on our lakes and streams including rain gardens, green roofs, pervious pavement, street sweeping, infiltration areas and mitigation wetlands.
Best Management Practices
A large component of local surface waters is stormwater runoff, which can transmit unwanted sediment, nutrients, and other pollutants with it. Stormwater can also disrupt natural water temperatures and water levels. The SMSC employs a variety of techniques to reduce the impact of stormwater on our lakes and streams including rain gardens, green roofs, pervious pavement, street sweeping, infiltration areas, and mitigation wetlands.
Education and Outreach
Every April, the Natural Resources Department hosts Earth Week, inspired by Earth Day. Since 2000, Earth Week has educated thousands of people about sustainable practices, water issues, alternative energy, habitat management, and many other natural resources-related topics.
Water Resources staff hosts a summer educational series focused on water-related topics for children ages 7-12. This offers youth an opportunity for outdoor learning to explore and learn about the natural world around them.
Water Reuse
To support responsible water use, the SMSC has an irrigation system that uses recycled water from its Water Reclamation Facility to irrigate maintained green space on the reservation. Cleaned effluent water is discharged from the facility, and flows through a series of ponds and wetlands where it joins other stormwater sources. Then it is pumped and piped for irrigation in the surrounding areas. Saving groundwater for drinking and personal use while reusing excess surface water for irrigation is an important conservation measure.
Dakotah! Ice Center Pervious Pavement
The 72,000-square-foot Dakotah! Ice Center was designed with state-of-the-art energy efficiency and environmentally friendly components. In addition to a 32,000-square-foot green roof, 16 solar panels, rain gardens, and recycled benches, the ice center features 14,000 square feet of permeable composite pavers installed along the parking lot center aisle and at the entrance of the facility. Lightweight, durable, and maintenance-free, the pavers are made from 95% recycled tire rubber and plastics and are manufactured with zero waste or harmful emissions. Every 1,000 square feet of these pavers saves 500 scrap tires and 15,000 plastic bottles from landfills. At the end of their lifecycle, the pavers can be removed and recycled into new pavers.