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The
Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) is seeking proposals for projects
that will reduce nonpoint
source pollution in Minnesota’s lakes, rivers, and streams. Funding for
selected projects will be provided by the Federal Clean Water Act Section 319
grant funds. This program addresses nonpoint sources of pollution such as agricultural activities and feedlots.
Proposals
may be for:
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Nonpoint source development, education or applied research projects (DER) projects; and
- Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) or Watershed Protection and Restoration Strategy (WRAPS) implementation projects.
The
MPCA anticipates about $2.5 million will be available this year, contingent
upon Congressional appropriation.
The
maximum limit of funding per project is $300,000. Projects must be funded with
at least a
45-percent local cash or in-kind match. Grant funds are limited and the MPCA
urges proposers to request only those funds needed to complete a project by
Aug. 31, 2019. Eligible projects must have a TMDL Implementation Plan or WRAPS
approved by the MPCA by March 1, 2015.
The
complete Request for Proposal (RFP), proposal form, and other information is
available on the state
SWIFT e-supplier portal. Prospective responders must have a SWIFT Vendor ID
and Supplier Portal Account set up to apply. Please note that it can take up to
four days to receive your vendor ID from SWIFT. If you need assistance
registering in the Supplier Portal so you can bid on this solicitation, you may
contact the SWIFT help desk at 651-201-8100, option 1. Then follow the prompts
to connect you to the correct contact person.
Proposals
must be electronically received through the state SWIFT Supplier Portal no
later than Friday, April 3. Submissions received after the deadline will not be
eligible for consideration. Successful proposers will be notified around May 15
and will then be required to submit a detailed work plan, budget and
timeline/Gantt chart.
The
date and all other information in this notice are subject to change and up-to-date
information will only be found in the SWIFT Vendor ID and Supplier Portal
Account. Questions
may be e-mailed to Contracts.pca@state.mn.us, subject line: 319-15 Grant.
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The Fund for Wild Nature provides small grants to North American companies to save native species and wild ecosystems. The deadline for its next cycle of grants is May 1. More information is available on its website.
- The Conservation Legacy’s Environmental Stewards Program offers help with water monitoring and other environmental work from 10 weeks up to a year. Stewards can start anytime throughout the year. Details on the program website.
The Root River’s unique topography, geology and location make it
an outstanding example of a river in need of extra consideration, according to
a report recently posted by the
Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA).
Of all the rivers that drain to the Mississippi, the Root River
in southeast Minnesota is distinct. It is one of the largest watersheds in the
state, 1,670 square miles, and touches six Minnesota counties. The river system
is famous for trout fishing.
The Root River starts as a drainage ditch in Mower County, then
winds 81 miles from intensely farmed areas through more wooded, rolling
terrain, and finally through towering bluffs before emptying into the
Mississippi River south of La Crescent. Near Forestville State Park, the river
literally disappears underground and resurfaces at the Mystery Cave near Preston.
The river flows through some of the most unique geology in the
world – karst. Here the erosive effects of water have sculpted thick layers of
limestone over thousands of years. The landscape is characterized by abundant
sinkholes, springs, caverns, and underground waterways. Karst is like the Swiss
cheese of rock. As water flows through karst, it mixes above and below ground.
This mixing means pollutants on land can easily reach groundwater used for
drinking.
As part of a health
checkup of watersheds across Minnesota, a team of experts identified
conditions, many of them driven by land uses, stressing aquatic life in the
Root River system:
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Low dissolved oxygen levels;
- Water temperature higher than optimal;
- Nitrate levels;
- Total Suspended Solids (TSS) clouding the water;
- Lack of physical habitat; and
- Connectivity issues, such as dams or culverts blocking migration of fish.
Stressor identification also detects streams in healthy
condition with the goal of protecting them. The Root watershed has several
streams of exceptional quality and maintaining their condition should be a
priority. Several streams are vulnerable to becoming impaired and also need
protection to keep them healthy for aquatic life.
To
improve water quality in the Root River watershed, the MPCA recommends:
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Making the following high priorities: Reducing sediment and nitrate levels, and restoring habitat. Focus on reducing sediment eroding from cattle pastures and streambanks. Restore habitat by increasing woody debris and shade along streams. Shading will also help reduce temperatures that are stressing fish and bugs.
- Collect additional data on dissolved oxygen levels, water temperature and connectivity
on some streams.
See the
full report and other information about the Root River on its webpage. This
study and other watershed efforts are funded by the Clean Water, Land and Legacy
Amendment.
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 The third Minnesota River Congress is scheduled for Thursday, April 16, beginning at 5 p.m. at Turner Hall in New Ulm. The purpose will be to continue working toward an organizational structure in the Minnesota River basin. An organization team of 17 citizen volunteers and agency staff met Feb. 24 in Henderson to further discuss potential mission and structures. Another organization team meeting will be held prior to the next full congress to further develop proposals for consideration by the larger group. Photo: Cathi Fouchi describes one of the small group discussions Feb. 24 about structuring a Minnesota River basin organization.
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. Two previous congress events June 19 and Oct. 30, and regional meetings were well-attended. For more information, contact Scott Sparlin, 507-276-2280, yasure@lycos.com; or Ted Suss, (507) 828-3377, tedsuss@gmail.com.
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 A draft general permit for operating livestock feedlots with 1,000 or more animal units will be open for public review and comment through March 11, 2015. The State Disposal System (SDS) permit requirement affects about 1,000 feedlots, which account for a large portion of the state’s total livestock population.
Currently, more than 1,300 large feedlots in Minnesota operate with a permit that combines the federal National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit and the state SDS permit.
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In 2011 the state legislature removed the NPDES permit
requirement for feedlots that do not discharge water quality contaminants.
However, the SDS permit remains in state law, requiring the development of a
separate state permit.
“The permitting system that has been in place since 2000 has
worked well,” says Randall Hukriede, manager of the Pollution Control Agency
feedlot program. “It has provided certainty to livestock producers about
requirements, and meets both federal and state law. Also, permits for large
feedlots improve planning for construction, manure management and emergency
response.”
Feedlots with existing NPDES/SDS permits can continue to operate
with this permit until it expires in 2016. Beyond that time they have the
option of continuing with the federal NPDES permit, which will fulfill the
state law requirement.
Written comments on the general permit must include a statement
of your interest in the draft SDS feedlot permit; an explanation of the action
you wish the MPCA to take, including specific references to sections of the
draft permit that you believe should be changed; and specific reasons
supporting your position.
Comments may be sent to Kim Brynildson, MPCA, 520 Lafayette Rd.
N., St. Paul, MN 55155-4194, or e-mailed to kim.brynildson@state.mn.us. The proposed SDS
general permit (MNG450000) and fact sheet are available for review at all MPCA
offices during business hours.
A copy of the proposed SDS general permit and factsheet may also
be downloaded from the MPCA feedlot website at: www.pca.state.mn.us/feedlots. Written copies are
available by request.
Gov. Mark Dayton’s proposal to
require vegetative buffer strips along waterways in Minnesota will likely be a
hot topic at the Waseca County Farmer Forum March 11. Jason Garms, agricultural program liaison in the Department
of Natural Resources, will speak about the proposal at 9:15 a.m. at the forum,
which is being held at Farmamerica from 9 a.m.-3 p.m.
Meanwhile, a report by the Environmental Working Group states that
requiring a 50-foot buffer between cropland and streams in Iowa would greatly
benefit water quality without a big impact to farmers and acres. The report,
titled "Iowa's
Low-Hanging Fruit: Stream Buffer Rule = Cleaner Water, Little Cost," is
available on the group’s
website. This group also published the report “Broken
Stream Banks” last year, a research project that showed riparian buffers could do a great deal to reduce
pollutants in cropland runoff to the Minnesota and Mississippi rivers.
Related news stories:
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The MPCA recently started a new online series to recognize
permit holders who go above and beyond. This first story recognizes how
donations helped a women’s shelter comply with sewage treatment rules.
Like furnaces and foundations, septic systems aren’t the first
thing people think about when remodeling. But working septic systems are
critically important to our state's lakes and rivers.
That’s why a $5,000 donation from the Minnesota Onsite
Wastewater Association (MOWA) and services donated by Advanced Septic Solutions
was such a big deal for Whispers of Hope, a rural Rice County women’s shelter.
Whispers of Hope is a residential and non-residential counseling ministry
serving young women who are struggling with difficult issues in their lives.
The donation and equipment helped Whispers of Hope install a new septic system
that was required to meet the needs of the seven-acre facility.
Located near Northfield, Whispers opened in 2014, and the first residents
arrived last July. The MOWA donation and contractor services provided by Tom
Wirtzfeld and his crew at Advanced Septic Solutions in Northfield paid for a
new septic system that will keep the facility in compliance with local county
septic system requirements and protect area ground and surface water. The new
system allows them to combine the residential home, a counseling shed and an
activities barn into one complete system.
For the generous
donation and effort, MPCA thanks MOWA and Tom
Wirtzfeld and his crew at Advanced
Septic Solutions for going above and beyond to protect water.
The Mississippi River Forum in March will
address “How Futures Research Might Lead Us to a More Resilient Mississippi
River.” The forum will be held Friday, March 13, from 8-9:30 a.m. at the McKnight Foundation
(710-2nd Street South, Suite 400, Minneapolis, 55401).
George
Kubik, president of the Anticipatory Futures Group, will give the presentation.
He is a former strategic futurist and assistant regional director for strategic
planning with the U.S. government, and is president of the Minnesota Chapter of
the World Future Society.
There
is no charge for the forum, which includes a light breakfast, but an RSVP to Lark Weller of the National Park Service is required.
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