A long stretch of the Vermillion River just east of Hastings was restored in the fall of 2001. Robert Bauer, the landowner, took on a large restoration project with the help of the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, Friends of the Missippi River, Natural Resources Conservation Service, and Dakota SWCD. Historically the river and its flooplain has been used for grazing cattle. This resulted in widespread erosion of the banks. The restoration plan included excluding livestock from the river while providing year-round watering through the use of a pump. In addition to the livestock exclusion, the project entailed regrading and stabilizing much of the river's banks using bioengineering practices and flow diversions. Funding was provide from a combination of sources. The primary source was a grant from the Metropolitan Council, which funded FMR's Vermillion Buffer Initiative. Additional funding came from the landowner, DNR, and Dakota SWCD. The total project cost came to around $20,000. Photos (Summer 2001): Fall 2001: July 15, 2004