1st WRAPS Cycle Complete; PFOA Serum Study: Clean Water Council Update

Minnesota Clean Water Council sent this bulletin at 06/22/2023 07:00 AM CDT

All 80 Watershed Restoration and Protection Strategies (WRAPS) Now Complete

The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) has completed a major milestone with the completion of the final Watershed Restoration and Protection Strategy (WRAPS). The WRAPS resembles a "to-do list" or blueprint for activities that must happen for waters in a major watershed to meet water quality standards.

The State of Minnesota uses a “Watershed Approach” to assess and address the water quality of each of the state’s 80 major watersheds on a 10-year cycle. Each WRAPS report summarizes the MPCA Watershed Approach work findings, addressing the fishable, swimmable status of surface waters in each watershed. This work relies on a scientific approach by MPCA staff and a team of local watershed partners (soil and water conservation districts, counties, and other state agencies) to provide local knowledge and understanding of the area’s water resource challenges, opportunities, and recommendations to achieve higher adoption of conservation practices within the watershed.

The WRAPS is then used by state and local stakeholders to develop a comprehensive watershed management plan under the Board of Water and Soil Resources (BWSR) One Watershed One Plan. The plan identifies which projects will get priority funding from the Clean Water Fund.

You can look at the WRAPS for each watershed, along with other relevant reports, at the link below!

Look Up a Watershed

Upcoming Meetings and Project Updates

Upcoming Meetings

Full Council: The next meeting is Monday, June 26th. (Topics: New member introduction; fish kill campaign; strategic plan.) The last meeting was Monday, May 15th (Visit to Forever Green Initiative). The packet from the April 17th meeting (topics: strategic planning on drinking water, election of new vice-chair, recognition of outgoing Councl members, legislative update) has been posted at our web site.

Policy Committee: The next meeting is Friday, July 28th via Webex only. (Topic: TBD.) The June 23rd meeting was cancelled. The packet from the May 19th meeting (topics: drainage) has been posted at our web site.

Budget & Outcomes Committee: The next meeting is Friday, July 7th (topic: TBD). The meetings on Friday, June 2nd and Friday, May 5th were cancelled. The packet from the March 3rd meeting (topics: report from Minnesota Geological Survey; microplastics update; MAWQCP update) has been posted.

Updates on Projects Supported by the Clean Water Fund

Rewilding Minnehaha: A decadelong plan to repair the degraded creek begins to pay off (startribune.com) One component to improving Minnehaha Creek in Hopkins is a stormwater system that treats 22 acres in the refurbished Cottageville Park expansion.

Minnesota Agricultural Water Quality Certification Program Case Studies - Sustainable Farming Association: Hear from a variety of farmers around Minnesota about their operations, including what kind of soil health practices they have implemented and what motivated them to get Ag Water Quality Certified.

Bois de Sioux Project Providing Multiple Benefits: "An $800,000 projects and practices Clean Water Fund grant the Minnesota Board of Water and Soil Resources awarded to the Bois de Sioux Watershed District in 2022 supports the river rehabilitation. The work will curb sediment loading to the Mustinka River by an estimated 253 tons and phosphorus by an estimated 72 pounds each year." A previous Multi-Purpose Drainage Management grant from the Clean Water Fund is also featured.

How to protect yourself, and Minnesota's lakes, as water-borne illnesses shut down more beaches - CBS Minnesota): The story notes that a recent Clean Water Fund appropriation will create a Recreational Water Quality Online Portal at the Department of Health that will develop a statewide portal for beach monitoring results, closures, and public health notifications.

Retrofitting existing SCMs to enter the nutrient trading market | Water Resources Center: The Water Resources Center at the University of Minnesota hosted Dr. William Hunt on June 21st on credit trading using stormwater control measures (SCM). Check out the recording at the Center's YouTube channel where you can also find past recordings.

Next GWMA Meeting: The DNR will host a North and East Metro Groundwater Management Area (GWMA) meeting on Tuesday, June 27, 2023 from 9:30 to 12 pm (noon). The meeting will be at the White Bear Lake Boatworks Commons Community Room at 4495 Lake Avenue South, White Bear Lake, MN 55110.

Corn-powered planes? Why Delta — and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz — lobbied for new biofuel tax credit | MinnPost: The story features winter camelina, an oil seed developed at the Forever Green Initiative at the University of Minnesota, that could be used as sustainable aviation fuel.

Celebrating 40 Years - Kernza® Perennial Grain in 40 Milestones - Kernza®: This timeline highlights key milestones in the development of Kernza perennial grain.

Time for Minnesota to get the lead out (startribune.com): This editorial cites a 2019 Clean Water Fund supported analysis from the Department of Health showing the costs and benefits of removing lead from Minnesota's drinking water delivery infrastructure.

Lessons from other states can help Iowa advance its water goals - North Tama Telegraph: An Iowa report looks at Minnesota's Clean Water Fund as a way to address water quality issues. “Minnesota’s approach to watershed management has been effective...The state’s rigorous approach to water quality and dedication to providing equitable and sustainable funding has enabled these successes.”

Other Relevant Water News

Is it safe to swim in the Mississippi River? - CBS Minnesota: Experts discuss swimmability of the Mississippi River in the Twin Cities.:

Nitrate Pollution Not Always Tested (winonadailynews.com): The Winona paper gives thorough coverage to nitrate in private wells, including a petition to EPA from organizations in southeast Minnesota to step up regulation.

Drought in Minnesota | Minnesota DNR: This is a good page to track actions and data on drought.

New Publication by the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) Compares the Impact of Drinking Water and Non-Drinking Water PFOA Exposures on Serum Levels

Health Risk Assessment scientists at the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) recently published a mathematical analysis to examine how people may be exposed to perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA). Humans are exposed to PFOA through both drinking water and non-drinking water sources. MDH’s new study indicates that non-drinking water sources of PFOA can also significantly contribute to PFOA serum levels, highlighting the critical need to develop a comprehensive approach to reduce all nonessential uses of PFAS.

PFOA is a per- and polyfluoralkyl substance (PFAS). PFAS are a family of human-made chemicals that have been widely used for decades and are present in people all over the world. PFAS are found in the environment, food products, and consumer products. Some PFAS can build up and stay in the human body for many years. PFAS have known harmful impacts on human health, including immune suppression, changes in liver function, and lower birth weight. MDH has been at the forefront of studying PFAS and their impact on human health.

During this year’s legislative session, Governor Walz signed the Environment and Natural Resources Appropriations omnibus bill (HF2310) into law, which includes PFAS labeling requirements and prohibitions on PFAS in a number of consumer products. This law will help reduce Minnesotans’ exposure to PFAS and protect public health.

The study was published in Environmental Health Perspectives, the scientific journal published by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), a part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

Publication:

Estimation of Serum PFOA Concentrations from Drinking and Non–Drinking Water Exposures | Environmental Health Perspectives | Vol. 131, No. 6 (nih.gov)

Information on reducing PFAS exposure can be found here:

https://www.health.state.mn.us/communities/environment/hazardous/topics/pfashealth.html

General information on PFAS can be found here:

https://www.health.state.mn.us/communities/environment/hazardous/topics/pfcs.html

Information on HF2310 can be found here:

https://www.house.leg.state.mn.us/bills/Information/BillNumber?FileNumber=hf2310

This work was supported by the Clean Water Fund, funded by the 2008 Clean Water, Land, and Legacy Amendment.