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April 2014
The Basin Alliance for the Lower Mississippi in Minnesota (BALMM) will meet Wednesday, April 16, from 9 a.m. to noon at the People’s Energy Cooperative, 1775 Lake Shady Avenue South, Oronoco, MN 55960.
NOTE LOCATION CHANGE!
Agenda as follows:
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9 a.m. - “NRCS cover crop and soil health promotion programs” and “Update on the NRCS honey bee pollinator initiative,” Jim Fritz, Area Resource Conservationist, Natural Resource Conservation Service
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9:30 a.m. - “Update on activities,” Dean Thomas, Area Soil Health Technician
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10 a.m. – Break
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10:30 a.m. - “Outreach opportunities and policy issues with cover crops,” Ryan Stockwell, Senior Agriculture Program Manager, National Wildlife Federation
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11:30 a.m. - Open discussion on regional topics
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Noon - Adjourn
 Across the United States, 41,509 water bodies are considered too polluted to meet water quality standards, according to the National Wildlife Federation. When it has been determined that a river, lake or stream cannot be used for drinking, swimming, or fishing, local authorities often face difficult decisions to address these water quality deficiencies. Constructing water quality treatment infrastructure can be a costly means of meeting water quality standards. Alternatively, addressing non-point sources of nutrient pollution can improve water quality at a much lower cost.
As more states and watersheds adopt nutrient reduction strategies, increasing numbers of local entities will look for innovative ways to improve water quality through agricultural stewardship. In particular, cover crops are proving to be a valuable agricultural practice that can significantly reduce pollution flowing into water bodies and help meet nutrient reduction goals.
Cover crops are non-commodity crops that are typically grown during the non-growing season, when the soil would otherwise be bare. Farmers who invest in cover crops typically do so for higher yields, nutrient retention, soil tilth, forage for livestock, reduced erosion, reduced input costs, and a more sustainable cropping system overall.
At the April 16 BALMM meeting, Jim Fritz, Natural Resources Conservation Service conservationist, who will talk about regional efforts and available assistance.
Continuing the cover crop theme will be Ryan Stockwell of the National Wildlife Federation. Stockwell will explain three outreach opportunities to increasing cover crop use: cover crop champions, water utility programming, and coordinating research. Additionally, he will provide an introduction into some policy issues that can have significant impacts in farmers’ interest in adding cover crops to their farming practices. See the federation’s "Cover Crop Outreach Efforts" online for more details about its programs.
Dean Thomas, area soil health technician, will also discuss recent activities in southeast Minnesota to preserve soil health, often an important component in protecting water quality.
Through a Clean Water Fund grant from the Minnesota Board of Water and Soil Resources, Thomas serves 11 counties in southeast Minnesota. His position focuses on soil health practices, with an emphasis on managed grazing and cover crops. Because of increasing interest in cover crops, he is working with livestock producers who want to use cover crops for forage and with crop farmers who had prevented planting acres in 2013.
In addition to prevented planting acres, Thomas has signed up 999 acres in the EQIP Soil Health cover crop practice for five years and another 2,468 acres in regular EQIP for one to three years in Fillmore County alone.
In this new position, Thomas serves a larger area and a broader audience of producers including commodity and canning crop farmers. Among his duties will be one-on-one assistance for farmers, providing training to NRCS and SWCD staff, conducting field days, workshops and other educational events, and providing assistance to local agronomists and canning company ag managers.
The grant required a 10-percent local cash match, and among the contributors are the Southeast Minnesota Forage Council, Minnesota Milk Producers, Minnesota Grazing Lands Conservation Association, Minnesota Farmers Union, CPS in Harmony, Pinnacle Foods in Owatonna, Lakeside Foods in Plainview, and Seneca Foods in Rochester plus seven SWCDs.
Photo above shows Thomas leading a cover crop field day in southeast Minnesota in September 2013.
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 Reducing the sediment that is choking the Minnesota and Mississippi rivers, and filling in Lake Pepin, will require major changes on the landscape, according to a draft strategy recently released by the MPCA. The long-term strategy, open for public comment through April 17, calls for significant reductions in sediment that is degrading habitat for fish and other aquatic life in the Minnesota and Mississippi rivers. The excess clay and silt in the water also hurts the aesthetic quality of the rivers for recreation and tourism.
The strategy addresses the Minnesota River and Mississippi south of the metro Twin Cities, including Lake Pepin. Both the Minnesota River and this part of the Mississippi have sediment levels that fail to meet water quality standards. The standards are designed to protect aquatic life and recreation such as fishing and swimming. According to extensive water monitoring over several years, more than 1 million tons of sediment flow with the river past Jordan every year. Downstream, much of that sediment settles out in Lake Pepin, a natural impoundment of the Mississippi.
For the Minnesota River, the strategy proposes interim targets of a 25-percent reduction in sediment by 2020 and a 50-percent reduction by 2030. An 80-90 percent reduction from current sediment loading is needed to meet the goal for the Minnesota River in a study called a Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL). A TMDL determines the amount – or load – of a pollutant that a river can accept and still meet water quality standards. The South Metro Mississippi sediment TMDL also requires a significant reduction from current loading.
Major changes in policy, technology and the science behind these issues are expected during the next two decades. Because these changes may influence planning efforts in unforeseen ways, a focus on meeting shorter-term goals will help ensure that each step of the implementation process is based on current data and information.
Because the majority of the suspended sediment load in the South Metro Mississippi River comes from the Minnesota River, efforts in the Minnesota River basin directly affect downstream areas. Sediment erosion in the Minnesota River Basin and its tributaries comes from four main sources:
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Uplands — surface erosion from areas of exposed soil;
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Urban areas and other developed land uses;
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Ravines and gullies;
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Bluffs and streambanks.
According to several scientific studies, the greatest contributors to increased sediment in the Minnesota River are ravines, bluffs and streambanks, often referred to as “near-channel sources.”
Regardless of the main cause or causes, many of the solutions are the same. They can range from traditional conservation practices that reduce soil erosion on cropland, to innovative practices and programs that increase water storage on the land.
The strategy provides a framework that focuses on both policy issues that can affect soil erosion and conservation efforts, as well as strategies and actions that can be used to meet local sediment reduction goals. It acknowledges the complexity of land use and geographical issues facing sediment reduction goals.
It emphasizes the importance of citizen involvement in setting short- and long-term goals, tracking progress and adapting to future research and monitoring.
Photo above shows the confluence of the Minnesota and Mississippi rivers in St. Paul.
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The Mississippi River Forum topic this month will be “River Protection Standards for the Mississippi River in the Twin Cities.” The forum will be held Friday, April 18, 8-9:30 a.m., at the McKnight Foundation (710-2nd Street South, Minneapolis).
In the Twin Cities, the Mississippi River is protected by standards. The Minnesota Dept. of Natural Resources will discuss the process that has developed these standards for the section of river known as the Mississippi River Corridor Critical Area (MRCCA)--which shares the same boundary as the Mississippi National River and Recreation Area. The rules are currently under redevelopment again, after new direction was set by the Legislature in 2013.
There is no charge for the forum but an RSVP to Lark Weller of the National Park Service is requested.
 Resource managers now have an online tool for identifying potential areas for wetland restoration. The MPCA contracted with the Natural Resource Research Institute (NRRI) to develop this wetland restoration prioritization tool. Wetlands retain water and provide a critical reduction in several pollutants. The goal of the new tool is to help watershed professionals target wetland areas for effective watershed restoration and protection.
Training workshops have been scheduled to help watershed managers and wetland restoration practitioners get the most from this exciting new online tool. Space is limited so reserve your spot soon.
- May 13, St Cloud: MnDOT Training Center, 3725 12th St. N., St. Cloud
- May 20, St. Paul area: MnDOT Training and Conference Facility, 1900 County Road I West, Shoreview
- May 21, Fergus Falls: Ottertail Power Community Room, 216 S. Cascade St., Fergus Falls
Each workshop will run 9:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. There is no fee to attend the workshops, but lunch is on your own. To reserve a spot please contact Laura Dickison at the MPCA at 651-757-2689.
The Wetland Prioritization tool is available at https://beaver.nrri.umn.edu/MPCAWLPri/ . Note that full tool functionality is available using Firefox or Google Chrome internet browsers. Internet Explorer does not support all functions.
This tool has statewide data layer coverage and approaches wetland restoration prioritization using three primary decision layers:
- An anthropogenic STRESS layer;
- An estimated derived BENEFITS layer; and
- A restoration success or VIABILITY layer.
Users control the importance of each of these three layers to scale down and select best regional restoration locations to best meet watershed challenges. The three decision layers can be applied to address Phosphorus, Nitrogen or Habitat interests.
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The Minnesota Dept. of Health is marking the 40th anniversary of the federal Safe Drinking Water Act with a video program available online. In the program, former Vice President Walter Mondale talks about the fundamental change the law made in protecting the nation’s drinking water. “Safe drinking water is almost the first requirement of a prosperous community,” he says.
The Safe Drinking Water Act is the main federal law that ensures the quality of Americans' drinking water. Under this law, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency sets standards for drinking water quality and oversees the states, localities, and water suppliers who implement those standards.
This law was originally passed by Congress in 1974 to protect public health by regulating the nation's public drinking water supply. The law was amended in 1986 and 1996 and requires many actions to protect drinking water and its sources: rivers, lakes, reservoirs, springs, and ground water wells.
When Congress first took steps to ensure all U.S. residents had access to safe drinking water, Minnesota was already a leader in providing this necessity. The Legacy Amendment helps ensure that Minnesota will continue to protect its water resources, including drinking water.
The Minnesota Environmental Quality Board (EQB) recently approved the “Tools to Assist Local Governments in Planning and Regulating Silica Sand Projects.” This document is a resource available to local government entities that are interested in planning for and regulating silica sand. In addition to these standards and criteria, the EQB has an ordinance library and a Technical Assistance Team available to assist with ordinance development, zoning, environmental review, permitting, monitoring, and other issues arising from silica sand mining and processing operations. All this can be found on the EQB website.
The 2014 America’s Watershed Initiative Summit will be held Sept. 30-Oct. 2 Galt House Hotel, in Louisville, Kentucky. The summit will bring together key private, public, and non-profit sector stakeholders to improve governance of the Mississippi Watershed. This is a collaboration that seeks solutions for meeting the multiple demands placed on the vast and complex Mississippi watershed system by integrating issues, partners and ideas at the full watershed scale. The Initiative seeks to build and implement a vision based on collaboration and mutually beneficial outcomes in contrast to single purpose advocacy.
"Healthy Soils, Healthy Waters, Healthy Communities Festival" will be April 12 in Mazeppa. Want to learn more about the history and animals of the Zumbro River? Ever wonder why the region's ponds and lakes fill with sediment? Want to learn about eagles, otters, and other wildlife that live in our area? Do you wonder what farmers and homeowners can do to protect our soil and keep our rivers clean? Then you'll want to bring your family to "Healthy Soils, Healthy Waters, Healthy Communities Festival" on Saturday, April 12 from 8 a.m.-4 p.m. at the Mazeppa Community Center in Mazeppa, right on the banks of the North Fork of the Zumbro River.
E.P.A.’s Proposed Rules on Water Worry Farmers in the New York Times
“Research reveals cover crops beneficial for farmers” in AgWeek
Black snow highlights soil erosion problems in AgWeek
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