 Due to a winter storm warning for the region, the MPCA is
cancelling the nutrient reduction strategy open house public meeting that was
planned for Wednesday, Dec. 4, in Fergus Falls. Another public meeting is planned for Dec. 10 from 11 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. at the MPCA office in Duluth. A
draft strategy is open for public review and comment through Dec. 18, on the
web at: www.pca.state.mn.us/nutrientreduction.
In
addition to hosting open houses, MPCA staff have been providing information at
a variety of association and trade show events. Two events remain: Dec. 12, Crop Production Retailers, Minneapolis Convention Center; Dec. 18, Basin Alliance for the Lower Mississippi in Minnesota, Rochester MPCA
office. More information on previous meetings appears in an article below.
Minnesota’s
state-level strategy is scheduled for completion by the end of 2013.
Involvement of interested citizens and organizations is vital. Success depends
on actions from many people around the state. For more information on the
strategy development process and opportunities to provide feedback, visit www.pca.state.mn.us/nutrientreduction,
or email nutrientreduction.pca@state.mn.us.
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A strong program and the lure of a Pizza Ranch buffet drew a record attendance of more than 50 watershed professionals and other interested parties to the ninth Watershed Network meeting Nov. 19 in New Ulm. Slides from the presentations will be posted shortly on the Watershed Network webpage. The program included: Brad Redlin, Dept. of Agriculture, Agricultural Water Quality Certification Program site analysis demonstration; Kate Frantz, Environmental Quality Board, Minnesota River Integrated Watershed Study; Greg Eggers, DNR, Gridded Subsurface Surface Hydrologic Analysis (GSSHA) model; Wayne Anderson, MPCA, Minnesota nutrient reduction strategy; Dave Wall, MPCA, Nitrogen report; Annie Felix-Gerth, Dept. of Agriculture, Nitrogen Fertilizer Management Plan. Planning will begin in February for the spring meeting mid- to late April 2014. Ideas and topics are welcome.
 Winter is trade show season, and the MPCA is back on the circuit participating in eight convention trade shows with information
about water quality and agriculture topics. The next event will be the Minnesota Association of Soil and Water Conservation Districts convention trade show Dec. 2, DoubleTree Hotel, Bloomington. Programs to be featured include: Statewide nutrient reduction strategy, feedlots, water quality standards, watershed restoration and protection, citizen monitoring, and SSTS. Recent past events include the Agri-Growth Council annual meeting Nov. 5; Minnesota Farm Bureau annual meeting, Nov. 22-23; and Minnesota Association of Soil and Water Conservation Districts convention Dec. 2, DoubleTree, Bloomington.
The MPCA invites everyone attending these events to
visit its booth at upcoming trade shows and conferences:
- Midwest
Dairy Expo, Dec. 2-4, Rivers Edge Convention Center, St. Cloud.
- Association of Minnesota Counties, Dec. 9-11, Hyatt Regency, Minneapolis.
- Minnesota
State Cattlemen's Association, Dec. 13-14, Arrowwood, Alexandria.
- Ag
Expo, Jan. 8-9, 2014, Verizon Center, Mankato.
- Pork
Congress, Jan. 14-15, 2014, Minneapolis Convention Center.
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The MPCA is in the midst of conducting the 2013 Triennial
Standards Review (TSR), an every-three-year opportunity for the public
to provide comment and opinion on the need for amendments and revisions to
rules governing state water quality standards. These rules are found in
Minnesota Rules chapters 7050 and 7052.
The MPCA seeks comments from all parties with an interest in
or information about Minnesota’s lakes, rivers, streams, wetlands, and
groundwater. Comments on any subject matter contained in Minn. R. chs.
7050 and 7052 that should be considered for revision are welcome. In addition,
the MPCA requests comments on topics it is considering for future revisions to
state water quality standards. Comments must be submitted to the MPCA in
writing on or before Jan. 15, 2014, to be considered as part of the 2013
TSR. For further information, please refer to water quality standards pages on
the MPCA’s website.
 Two open house meetings remain during the statewide nutrient reduction draft strategy public comment period. So far, a total of about 250 people have attended and participated in meetings in St. Paul Nov. 18, New Ulm Nov. 19, Willmar Nov. 26 (photo below, right), and Red Wing Dec. 3. The final meeting will be Tuesday, Dec. 10, 11 a.m.-12:15 p.m., MPCA office, Duluth. In the open house format, staff are available at several stations for questions and informal discussion in several categories: Nitrogen and phosphorus science, wastewater and agricultural strategies, nutrient sources and pathways, and current programs.
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 Comment period through Dec. 18
The draft strategy is open for public review and comment through Dec. 18. The statewide plan aims to get various agencies and groups working together to increase current efforts to reduce nutrients in Minnesota waters and those downstream. Phosphorus and nitrogen are the primary nutrients that in excessive amounts can pollute lakes, streams, wetlands and groundwater. Excess nutrients make up 18% of Minnesota’s water impairments, and the number is expected to grow in the coming decade.
Surface water leaving Minnesota flows north to Lake Winnipeg, east to Lake Superior, and south to the Gulf of Mexico. The initial targets are a 35% reduction in phosphorus and 20% reduction in nitrogen by 2025 in the Mississippi River basin, as well as reductions for the Red River/Lake Winnipeg and Lake Superior basins. The ultimate goal is a 45% reduction for the Mississippi River.
Agencies and organizations can use the strategy to focus and adjust state-level and regional programs. Watershed managers and local water planners can also translate strategy ideas and priorities into the best practices on the ground to meet the goals.
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Arne moves to BWSR post in Detroit Lakes
Brett Arne, Pomme de Terre River Association coordinator, has accepted a position as a Board Conservationist for the Board of Water and Soil Resources. He will be administering the LGU programs and grants including Clean Water Funds, state cost share, and local water management plans as well as providing technical guidance and planning assistance to organizations for a variety of programs including TMDL and watershed restoration and protection implementation plans. He will be located in the new Detroit Lakes office and working with Polk, Norman, Clay, Mahnomen, and Becker counties and SWCDs as well as the local watersheds/WDs.
Applications due Dec. 9 for PdT coordinator vacancy
The application deadline for the Pomme de Terre River Association coordinator is 4 p.m., Monday, Dec. 9. Applicants must send a one-page cover letter and resume by that time to Brett Arne, Pomme de Terre River Association, 12 Hwy 28 East, Suite 2, Morris, MN 56267. Email to brett.arne@pdtriver.org; phone: 320-589-4886 Ext 109.
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Steve Woods named Freshwater Society president
Steve Woods, an assistant director of the Minnesota Board of Water
and Soil Resources, has been named to succeed Gene Merriam as the Freshwater
Society's top leader. Woods, a civil engineer with
extensive experience in water conservation and pollution prevention, will be
Freshwater's executive director. Beginning in December, Woods will
assume Merriam's role in executing Freshwater policy on key water issues,
especially those dealing with groundwater sustainability and the pollution of
lakes and streams by runoff from farm fields and city streets. He will be the Society's point
person in relations with state and local policy-makers and with other
environmental organizations. He also will assume some of the duties of Joan
Nephew, Freshwater's current executive director who will begin a phased
retirement in 2014.
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Awards presented at MASWCD convention
Jerad Bach of the Blue Earth Soil and Water Conservation District office received the Outstanding District Employee award at the Minnesota Association of SWCDs convention Dec. 2 in Bloomington. The Outstanding Supervisor award went to Steve Sunderland of the Chippewa County SWCD (at left in photo, with Ian Cunningham of Pipestone County). Among other awards, the MPCA presented the Community Conservationist award to the city of Buffalo, the DNR presented the Division of Ecological and Water Resources Appreciation award to the East Otter Tail SWCD, the Teacher award went to D.C. Randall of St. Francis, and Paula Mohr of The Farmer received the media award.
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 The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) has posted the 2014 draft Impaired Waters List on the Impaired Waters List webpage.
Updated every two years, Impaired Waters List consists three major components: the 303(d) (TMDL) List, the Inventory of Impaired Waters, and an “Appendix A”(waterbodies part of the Statewide Mercury TMDL). The list contains impairments that require Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) “cleanup”studies. The Inventory waters includes impairments in need of TMDLs, those with completed TMDLs that have not yet been restored, ”non-pollutant” impairments, and impairments due to natural sources.
The MPCA will hold a series of public meetings throughout the state in December to discuss the content of the Impaired Waters List including the delistings, recategorizations, and impairments proposed in the List. Each meeting will be focused to discuss the assessments that have gone on in that region in the last two years which have contributed to the 2014 List. The meetings will be held at the following locations but you can also participate live online. Email miranda.nichols@state.mn.usto request the online meeting information for any one of the four meetings below:
- Thursday, Dec. 5, 10-11 a.m., MPCA Office, 525 Lake Ave., Duluth
- Thursday, Dec. 10, 9-10 a.m., MPCA Office, 520 Lafayette Road N., St. Paul
- Wednesday, Dec. 11, 1-2 p.m., MPCA Office, 714 Lake Ave., Detroit Lakes
- Wednesday, Dec.18, 11 a.m. - 12 p.m., MPCA Office,18 Wood Lake Dr. SE, Rochester (in conjunction with BALMM meeting)
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The MPCA will hold a public hearing Jan. 8, 2014 on proposed rules establishing new water quality standards for eutrophication in rivers, streams, Mississippi River pools and Lake Pepin and revise the existing water quality standard for turbidity to a standard of Total Suspended Solids (TSS). The amendments also make a number of minor, supporting changes and clarifications to existing rules. The proposed amendments replace the current water quality parameter “turbidity” with a standard of TSS, and provide a regional, seasonal, more accurate numeric standard for protecting beneficial uses.The hearing is scheduled at MPCA offices starting at 9 a.m., and again at 6 p.m. on Jan. 8, 2014. The hearing of record will occur at the MPCA’s office in St. Paul, 520 Lafayette Road N. Live video conference links at each of the MPCA offices for the convenience of the public: Duluth: 525 Lake Avenue South, Suite 400; Brainerd: 7678 College Road-Suite 105, Baxter; Marshall: 504 Fairgrounds Road, Suite 200; Rochester: 18 Wood Lake Drive SE; Detroit Lakes: 714 Lake Avenue, Suite 220. The hearing will not be rescheduled in the event that one or more of the video conference links fail. State Register notice.
Citizens and watershed
professionals can access heath scores for Minnesota’s watershed through the Watershed Health Assessment Framework (WHAF),
provided by the Minnesota Dept. of Natural Resources (DNR) with Clean Water
Legacy funding.
With this framework, the DNR
offers a comprehensive overview of the ecological health of the state’s 81
major watersheds. By applying a consistent statewide approach, the framework
expands understanding of processes and interactions that create healthy and
unhealthy responses in Minnesota's watersheds. Health scores are used to
provide a baseline for exploring patterns and relationships in emerging health
trends. The health scores consist of five components: Biology, connectivity, geomorphology, hydrology, and water
quality.
For example, water quality
scores in the Minnesota River Basin range from 43 for the Blue Earth River
watershed to 64 for the Lac qui Parle River and Chippewa River watersheds, on a
scale of 0 to 100, with 0 being the least desirable result and 100 being the
best existing condition. See the Health Score Cards for all 81 major watersheds
on the DNR website.
With six state/regional
agencies involved with water and each having separate websites, trying to
understand what information is available and where you can find it can be a
problem. To make it
easier for people to find what information the state has available
on-line about water, a Key Water Information (KWI) Catalogue webpage of links has
just been setup. The KWI Catalogue lists
links to key water information at all six Minnesota agencies’ websites. The agencies involved are the Board of Water
and Soil Resources, Metropolitan Council, Minnesota Department of
Agriculture, Minnesota Department of Health, Minnesota Department
of Natural Resources, and Minnesota Pollution Control Agency. Most of the main water related web pages at MPCA now have a link to the KWI Catalogue. The other agencies involved have added or are adding links to the KWI Catalogue on their main water related web pages. You can also go to it directly by taking this link: http://es.metc.state.mn.us/KeyWaterList/ . The project was made possible by the Clean
Water Fund.
 Members of the Minnesota River Watershed Alliance steering committee are continuing to promote the nomination of the Minnesota River Watershed into the federal National Blueways System (NBS). They are working on a postcard "blizzard" hoping to send hundreds if not a thousand or more postcards to the U.S. Department of Interior, expressing support for the program. Postcards will be distributed at meetings and events, and offices including New Ulm DNR, Citizens for a Clean Minnesota River-New Ulm, Friends of the Minnesota Valley, CURE-Montevideo, Granite Falls Chamber of Commerce, and others. Anyone interested in helping to distribute postcards may contact Ted Suss at tedlsuss@gmail.com. Find more information on the Minnesota River Blueways project website.
The Minnesota River Watershed Alliance is a citizen-led network that has created and held a space for watershed wide interaction for the past eight years. The National Blueways System seeks to align the programs and efforts of national government agencies with the work and priorities set by grassroots citizens, non-profit organizations and state agencies that have learned how to work together on a watershed scale.
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Minnesota: Down the drain?
Ron Schara-Minnesota Bound
MPCA announces 2014 draft impaired waters list
News release, 11/18/13
Watershed pros mull basin issues
New Ulm Journal, 11/20/13
Open house events scheduled for state nutrient reduction strategy
News release, 11/15/13
Multi-agency research
project finds half of Minnesota’s stream miles physically altered
News release, 11/25/13
Local partners brave the elements to detect pollutants in rivers
News release, 11/12/13
Nov.
20-21: Green Lands Blue Waters conference, Coffman
Union, U of M-Minneapolis.
Dec. 5-7: Minnesota Association of Watershed Districts annual meeting, Arrowwood, Alexandria.
Dec. 16: Minnesota River Board, Max's Grill, Olivia.
Jan. 10-11, 2014: Organic Agriculture conference, River's Edge, St. Cloud
 Watershed
Network News welcomes news from partners about funding opportunities, project
updates and events. 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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