 About 300 people attended one
of two presentations Jan. 20-21 by Dr. Peter Wilcock on "Sediment,
science, and stakeholders - clearing the muddy waters of the Minnesota
River." Dr. Wilcock, who now heads the Dept. of Watershed Sciences at Utah
State University, presented a clear and thorough summary of the vast research
so far on sediment in the Minnesota River. For many years he has been among the
leading scientists working on the Minnesota River.
"The Minnesota River basin presents a great opportunity to
solve the great challenge of non-point source pollution," he says. This is
due to the coinciding factors of the basin's distinctive geology, uniform land
use, and the fact that it lies mostly within Minnesota. The state has strong
conservation values backed by real commitment to action such as the Clean Water
amendment, the latter being 'unusual behavior' among states, he says. "If
we can't solve the non-point source problem in the Minnesota River basin, I'm
not sure where we can." Dr. Wilcock emphasized the importance of using
science to support decision-making. "The watershed is complex, but if we
take a balanced approach to all the evidence, we can provide clear guidance for
the hard decisions and big investments needed to reduce turbidity in the
Minnesota River."
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 Basin geologically primed for sediment
The Minnesota River basin is geologically primed to produce large sediment loads. However, a combination of more intense precipitation, increased artificial drainage, and more row crops - particularly soybeans - has greatly increased flows and sediment loads, beyond natural background conditions. While more research is always needed, the evidence so far is clear. A majority of the sediment comes from near-channel sources. This is evident in the 'sediment budget' developed for the LeSueur River and Blue Earth River, Minnesota River tributaries that contribute disproportionately large amounts of sediment. The solutions lie in measurable actions to store more water higher in the watershed, and stabilize bluffs and banks that threaten to collapse under buildings and bridges.
Following the presentation in St. Paul, a panel of experts joined Wilcock to answer questions from the audience: Carrie Jennings, Shawn Schottler, and Paul Nelson. Wilcock noted that more information is available in the publication, "Identifying sediment sources in the Minnesota River Basin." A recording of the St Paul event is available at freshwater.org, the website of the Freshwater Society, which sponsored the events at the U of M-St. Paul, and City Center Hotel in Mankato. Photo: A house behind the trees near a bluff on the LeSueur River.
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 A group of volunteers met Tuesday, Jan. 27 at the Henderson Community Center to begin working on organizing principles, studying summaries of the previous two Minnesota River congress events, and drafting mission and vision statements for a Minnesota River organization. These will be developed as recommendations for discussion and voting at a third congress in late March or early April.
More than 20 people from various organizations and interests volunteered to serve on an organizing team. At Tuesday's meeting they worked on crafting mission and vision statements that embody the purpose of a basin-wide organization. They also favored a name change, such as Minnesota River Council. The organizing team will meet again in February at Henderson. Final decisions will be made by all participants at the next full congress meeting.
Organizers believe there’s a need for a citizen-led entity that is inviting and all inclusive for the many different groups active in the Minnesota River Valley, including agriculture, industry, natural resources, recreation, economic development, tourism, all levels of government, faith communities, first nations, and watershed organizations. Top actions and initiatives identified at the congress meetings included: Political action or lobbying, conservation actions, communication, and education. For more information, contact Scott Sparlin, 507-276-2280, yasure@lycos.com; or Ted Suss, (507) 828-3377, tedsuss@gmail.com. Photo: Planning committee meeting Jan. 27 at the Henderson Community Center.
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Hawk Creek Watershed Project annual meeting Feb. 25
An interesting program and lunch are scheduled for the annual meeting of the Hawk Creek Watershed Project Feb. 25 in Willmar. Speakers and topics include Ryan Jones, erosion control practices in the Minnesota River Basin; George Rehm, Discovery Farm concept-measuring losses; and Mark Seeley, climate trends and consequences. Register by Feb. 13 at 320-523-3666. Registration opens at 8:30 a.m. at the MinnWest Technology Center auditorium, 1800 Technology Dr. NE, Willmar. A free lunch will be served at noon for registered guests .
Heron Lake Watershed District seeks two summer interns
The Heron Lake Watershed District is accepting applications for two summer intern positions. Qualified applicants must be enrolled as a full-time college student. For a complete job description and application form, contact Jan Voit at 507-793-2462, jan.voit@mysmbs.com, or www.hlwdonline.org. Employment will begin mid-May. Some flexibility exists depending upon the end of the school year. Salary: $10 per hour. Interested applicants may send a completed application form, resume, and cover letter describing work experience and reasons for wanting to work as a summer intern to: Jan Voit, Heron Lake Watershed District, PO Box 345, Heron Lake, MN 56137. Applications must be received by 4:00 p.m. on February 12, 2015.
Chippewa River Watershed Project 2015 photo calendar available
The 2015 Chippewa River Watershed Project calendar featuring
photos and information from the watershed is available. Free copies are available at the CRWP office or at one of the SWCD offices in the
watershed. Supplies are limited. Contact Jennifer Hoffman, Chippewa River Watershed Project, 629 North 11th Street, Suite 17, Montevideo, 320-269-2139 ext 120, www.chippewariver.org.
WRAPS reports for Sunrise, North Fork Crow, and Sauk rivers posted
The final version of the Sunrise River Watershed
WRAPS report was approved by MPCA on Dec. 16, 2014 and is posted on the Sunrise
River Watershed web page web page. The approval
lists have also been updated.
The final version of the North Fork Crow River
Watershed WRAPS report was approved by MPCA on Jan. 5, 2015 and it is posted
on the North
Fork Crow River Watershed web page web page.
The Approved
WRAPS and TMDLs lists have also been updated.
The Sauk River Watershed WRAPS
report is posted on the Sauk
River Watershed web page on the Overview tab,
along with information about the public notice. The Draft/Public
Noticed TMDLs web page has also been updated.
The public notice for this report is Jan. 20-Feb. 19.
Candlelight hike at Lac qui Parle State Park
CURE-Clean Up the River Environment and Lac qui Parle State Park are hosting a Candle Light Walk, 6:30-8:30 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 1 at the park. There will be a 1/2-mile walk into the WPA warming shelter by candlelight. Hot chocolate, s'mores, and cookies will be shared at the warming shelter.There is no fee for this event but participants must have a Minnesota State Parks pass. Questions can be directed to the park at 320-734-4450.
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 Middle Fork Crow WD welcomes new staff
Laura Christensen and Clayton Fischer have joined the staff at the Middle Fork Crow Watershed District in Spicer. Mike Behan has moved on from the Middle Fork Crow Watershed District to become an inspector with the Rice Creek Watershed District. Laura is watershed technician, lead program manager and head of outreach and education. Clayton is the hydrologic technician and lead monitor.
Laura is from a family grain farm near Slayton, and graduated from Bemidji State University with a BS in biology and minors in environmental studies and wetlands ecology. At BSU she was a research technician for shore-nesting birds. She was a DNR naturalist at Gooseberry Falls State Park, and served in internship on invasive earthworms with U of M-Extension Great Lakes Worm Watch.
Clayton is from Pine City, and majored in environmental studies at the U of M-Morris. He worked one year with the U of M-Extension Center for Small Towns researching aquatic invasive species, water quality, and
communication/impact of education and outreach programs regarding water
issues.
David Miller joins MPCA watershed administration unit
David L. Miller has joined the MPCA Watershed Division in the statewide administration unit. His duties include watershed program database management, ensuring compliance with grant/program funding agreements and reporting requirements, Clean Water Fund (CWF) funding coordination, and assisting in funding coordination for Clean Water Partnership (CWP) and Section 319 grant programs. Previously, he worked at the Department of Agriculture, and was a student worker in the MPCA Technical Unit about six years ago.
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Wymar joins MPCA watershed staff in Marshall office
Paul
Wymar started Jan. 7 as a Pollution Control Specialist position in
the MPCA Marshall office with the South Watershed Unit. This was a vacancy
created when Joe Hauger left in September for the Office of Pipeline Safety.
For the past 14 years Paul was a scientist with the Chippewa River Watershed
Project. He graduated from the U of M with a BS in biology and a MS in forestry, and served in the U.S. Peace Corps from 1997 to 1999 in Paraguay. He lives with
his family on a farm near Montevideo.
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 A 20th anniversary celebration for Great River Greening is scheduled for 6-10 p.m. Saturday, May 2, at the Radisson Blu Hotel-Mall of America. Tickets for the gala event soon will be available by contacting Rob Nygaard,
Development Director, at RNygaard@greatrivergreening.org.
According to information on its website, Great River Greening was founded in 1995 as part of the St. Paul Foundation to restore the downtown St. Paul riverfront. In 1999, it incorporated as its own nonprofit and now works throughout the entire Twin Cities metro area and beyond to mobilize community volunteers to restore our native landscapes. It is funded by contributions from individuals, foundations, and businesses; government sources, including the Minnesota Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund, Minnesota Outdoor Heritage Fund, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, and watershed districts and organizations; cost-share or other agreements with landowners; and corporate sponsors.
In the Minnesota River Basin, Great River Greening is beginning work on the first of several partnerships demonstrating that conservation impact can be made in agricultural watersheds. At Seven-Mile Creek (Nicollet County), a tributary of the Minnesota River and the only designated trout stream in the southern Minnesota region, Greening is working with several partners including the Fishers and Farmers Partnership, the Minnesota Agricultural Water Research Center, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, Natural Resources Conservation Service, Nicollet Soil and Water Conservation District, and University of Minnesota. Great River Greening photo: Bridge over Seven-Mile Creek.
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Farmers and agriculture professionals can hear about the
latest nutrient management research regarding fertilizer use efficiency at the
sixth annual Minnesota Crop Nutrient Management Conference on Monday, February
9, 2015, at the Verizon Wireless Center in Mankato.
The conference will examine current nutrient management
issues in a rapidly changing production environment. The program will focus on
nitrogen and phosphorus management from commercial fertilizers and animal
manures. Speakers will provide an in-depth approach to various management
practices for these important nutrients. Sessions will also address fertilizer
industry trends, micronutrients, and the effects of cover crops and changing
weather on fertilizer management.
Speakers include fertilizer industry professionals, staff
from the USDA Agricultural Research Service, and extension research specialists
from Iowa State University, North Dakota State University, University of
Illinois, University of Minnesota, and University of Wisconsin. The conference
is organized by the Minnesota Agricultural Water Resources Center.
There is no fee for attending the conference. However,
pre-registration is requested for event planning purposes. To register, visit
the conference website and follow the links online at www.mda.state.mn.us/nutrientconference.
You may also register via e-mail at nutri.conf@state.mn.us or by calling
the Minnesota Department of Agriculture’s Ryan Lemickson at 612-209-9181. When
registering, please include your name, organization, address, phone number, and
email address. - Allen Sommerfeld, MDA, 651-201-6185, allen.sommerfeld@state.mn.us.
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State secures $9 million federal funds for Ag Water Quality Certification Program
Dept. of Agriculture news release
Des Moines intends to sue over polluted drinking water
News release, 1/8/15
MPCA seeks comments on restoration/protection report for Sauk River Watershed
News release, 1/20/15
Will Des Moines water lawsuit change farming rules?
Des Moines Register, 1/19/15
Rivers, erosion require attention
Mankato Free Press, 1/19/15
Don't think residue or trash: Think carbon
Minnesota Farm Guide, 1/22/15
Research funded by Minnesota corn farmers to be highlighted in new publication
Minnesota Cornerstone, 1/28/15
Governor's proposal prompts lively talk of buffer strips
Mankato Free Press, 1/24/15
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Jan. 28-29: Minnesota Ag Expo, Verizon Wireless Center,
Mankato.
Feb. 5: Shoreland buffer basics, Windom. Contact: Karen
Terry, 218-770-9301, kterry@umn.edu.
Feb. 9: Crop nutrient management conference, Verizon
Center, Mankato.
Feb. 14: Sustainable Farming Association annual conference, College of St. Benedict,
St. Joseph.
Feb. 18-19: Midwest Soil Health Summit, Arrowwood Resort,
Alexandria.
Feb. 25: Hawk Creek Watershed Project annual meeting, MinnWest Tech Center, Willmar.
March 6, 2015: Nitrogen conference, Kelly Inn, St. Cloud.
March 25 (26-repeat): Workshop: Linking land use and water quality. Fulda.
Contact: Karen Terry, 218-770-9301, kterry@umn.edu.
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 Watershed
Network News welcomes news from partners about project updates, events, staff,
and funding opportunities. Email your news to forrest.peterson@state.mn.us.
Please note that the MPCA has switched to a new service, called GovDelivery. To
ensure delivery of these messages, please add mpca@public.govdelivery.com
to your address book or safe sender list. Please forward this to any other
interested parties. Past issues are located on the Watershed Network publications webpage.
Forrest Peterson
Information Officer
MPCA-Willmar office
320-441-6972
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