Riverway Mitigation
The new St. Croix River Crossing Bridge located in Oak Park Heights, Minnesota and Houlton, Wisconsin will create significant impacts and changes to St. Croix County and the Lower St. Croix National Scenic Riverway and its watershed, including stimulating additional residential growth and related business development, and changes to the surface water, groundwater, landscape and other resources.
Mitigation Final Report on Activities
Memorandums of Understanding
To mitigate these and other potential impacts, the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT), Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT), Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (MDNR), Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (WDNR), National Park Service, St. Croix County, Town of St. Joseph and University of Wisconsin-River Falls entered into two Memorandums of Understanding (MOU).
- The Growth Management MOU (PDF) provides financial support for the development of various studies, plans, tools and activities to help address the needs of local governments to improve their abilities to manage growth and to promote natural, cultural and historic resource protection in the watershed, thus preserving water quality and scenic values. $750,000 has been directed toward local government support and $400,000 for greenspace protection.
- The Riverway Mitigation MOU (PDF) is available to mitigate the negative and adverse effects of the new St. Croix River Crossing on the scenic and recreational values of the Lower St. Croix National Scenic Riverway. MnDOT is providing St. Croix County $2,000,000