Making the connection between soil health and water quality

For release: Nov. 21, 2012 Contacts: Angie Becker Kudelka, 612-616-5112

                                                           

 

Soil Health and Water Quality – Making the Connection

 

St. Paul, Minn. — Minnesotans rely on soil to sustain life.  Soil is critical for the production of food, fuel and fiber.  Yet, we don’t think that much about that resource directly under our feet.

 

Soil and water are strongly linked. Implementing conservation practices to improve soil health improves water quality as well. Healthy soils perform many functions such as improving infiltration, retaining water for crops, using excess nutrients, filtering storm water and resisting erosion.

 

The Board of Water and Soil Resources (BWSR) values the connection between clean water and keeping soil on the land.  John Jaschke, BWSR Executive Director explains, “We focus on helping landowners keep their soil on the land and out of the water.”  BWSR and its Federal, State and local partners strive to target the landscape with conservation practices that build and enhance soil quality so Minnesota’s soil resource continues to be an enduring resource. “The large amount of Federal and State coordination in Minnesota enhances the ability for local organizations to work with landowners” said John Jaschke.

 

Results are showing.  Since 2003, local partners helped landowners prevent nearly 700,000 tons of soil erosion each year by installing best management practices on working lands and retiring land in conservation easements in Minnesota.  That’s like filling 100 dump trucks full of soil – every day of the year.    

 

Governor Dayton’s designation of November 2012 as Soil Month in the State of Minnesota recognizes the importance of Minnesota’s soil resource.   Together we continue to build a stronger future for Minnesota by protecting the soil resource and ensuring healthy soils and clean water for generations to come.  

 

To read the Governor’s Proclamation, visit http://mn.gov/governor/images/Soils_Month.pdf.

 

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Broadcast version:

St. Paul, Minn. — Minnesotans rely on soil to sustain life.  Soil is critical for the production of food, fuel and fiber. The Board of Water and Soil Resources (BWSR) values the connection between clean water and keeping soil on the land.  BWSR and its partners target conservation practices and results are showing. Since 2003, BWSR and partners prevented nearly 700,000 tons of soil erosion each year. That’s like filling 100 dump trucks full of soil – every day of the year. Governor Dayton’s designation of November 2012 as Soil Month in the State of Minnesota recognizes the importance of Minnesota’s soil resource.   We build a stronger future for Minnesota by protecting the soil resource. To read the Governor’s Proclamation, visit http://mn.gov/

 

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