Impaired Waters Success Stories & Public Mtgs: Clean Water Council Update

Minnesota Clean Water Council sent this bulletin at 11/30/2023 07:00 AM CST

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Impaired Waters Hearings & Success Stories

The MPCA has released some additional success story articles about de-listings from the Impaired Waters List.

Little bugs, big indicators: How stream-dwelling creatures shape the impaired waters list | Minnesota Pollution Control Agency: This covers the state of Beaver Creek in Winona County.
Real bottom feeders: How removing carp can improve water quality | Minnesota Pollution Control Agency: Middle Lake in Kandiyohi County is the focus.

The Washington Conservation District also described progress in the east Twin Cities metro.

Minnesota water – some getting better, some getting worse – East Metro Water

The MPCA will hold five online public meetings to discuss the content of the 2024 Impaired Waters List with special focus on watersheds assessed in the last two years. Meetings will be recorded and posted.

December 4, 2023, 2 p.m.: Central regional meeting - including Mississippi River – Twin Cities and Minnesota River – Yellow Medicine River watersheds.
December 5, 2023, 2 p.m.: Greater MN regional meeting - including Bois de Sioux, Mustinka River, Crow Wing, and Big Fork River watersheds.
December 7, 2023, 11 a.m.: Southeast regional meeting - including Mississippi River – Winona and Mississippi River - La Crescent watersheds.
December 8, 2023, 11 a.m.: Statewide assessments - focused conversation on statewide assessments of PFOS in fish tissue and sulfate in waters used for production of wild rice.
December 12, 2023, 6 p.m.: Statewide assessments - focused conversation on statewide assessments of PFOS in fish tissue and sulfate in waters used for production of wild rice.

Upcoming Meetings & Project Updates

Upcoming Meetings

Full Council: The next meeting is Monday, December 18th (Topics: strategic planning; possible supplemental budget request for the Clean Water Fund). The packet from the November 20th meeting (topics: strategic planning; petition to EPA on nitrates in private wells) has been posted at our web site.

Policy Committee: The next meeting is Friday, December 22nd. (Topic: TBD.) The packet from the November 17th meeting (topics: Updated drainage policy statement) has been posted at our web site.

Budget & Outcomes Committee: The next meeting is Friday, December 1st (topic: Restoration evaluations and possible supplemental Clean Water Fund requests). The packet from the November 3rd meeting has been posted.

Update on Projects Supported by the Clean Water Fund

Stillwater Public Library’s We Are Water MN exhibit attracts visitors from across the state and the country | hometownsource.com: A national event brought visitors to Stillwater.

MPCA Smart Salting News - Fall 2023: All the chloride de-icer reduction news.

MnTAP Annual Report: Interns supported by the Clean Water Fund help businesses reduce their water use.

McLeod SWCD Water-quality Collaboration - YouTube: BWSR features a multi-purpose drainage management (MDM) grant to improve water quality in Winsted Lake.

Kernza, a climate-friendly grain, gets the attention of brewers, distillers: National Public Radio covers the perennial intermediate wheatgrass, including the need to build demand.

Tackling the 'big brown spot': Keeping fields in living cover could be path to reducing nitrate | MPR News: Story on using continuous living cover to protect drinking water.

Continous Living Cover Report and Webinar: From Friends of the Mississippi River-- "Developed by Friends of the Mississippi River, Ecotone Analytics and the Forever Green Partnership, we are pleased to share the recently completed report “Putting Down Roots: Analyzing the economic and environmental benefits of continuous living cover for Minnesota’s farmers, water and climate.” Please join us Monday, December 4th at noon for a free webinar presenting the report’s key conclusions and a Q&A with the authors."

Other Relevant Water News

Elevated lead levels found in some St. Paul homes, buildings (fox9.com): St. Paul Regional Water Services (SPRWS) in a press release said it found elevated levels of lead in drinking water in some homes and buildings, with tap water sampling showing 13 samples were above the 15 parts per billion action level for lead.

Nitrate contamination of Minnesota waters shows little sign of going away, despite years of effort (startribune.com): The Star Tribune sums up the nitrate issue in public and private drinking water sources.

MWMO Newsletter - November 2023: The Mississippi Water Management Organization (MWMO) in Minneapolis features some green stormwater infrastructure (GSI) and a news story about stormwater reuse for Metro Transit bus washing.

Waterline: Winter 2023 - 2024 - MN Dept. of Health: Quarterly newsletter of the Drinking Water Protection Program.

How To Bring Back the Prairie, a Tiny Bit at a Time - Cool Green Science (nature.org): Minnesota example of using prairie strips.

Press release: Winona County residents win legal case to protect drinking water from pollution from large industrial feedlot | Minnesota Center for Environmental Advocacy (mncenter.org): "A Minnesota court on Tuesday upheld Winona County’s ability to limit the size of large animal feedlots operating within its borders in order to protect residents’ drinking water from affiliated nitrate pollution due to its vulnerable karst geology."

MWMO Awards Grants to Support Greener Minneapolis Streets: "A pair of grants to the City of Minneapolis and one to nonprofit Southside Community Health Services will fund green stormwater infrastructure (GSI) features that will capture and treat polluted runoff, add public green space and habitat, and help reduce the urban heat island effect. The projects are located mainly within the Southside Green Zone — one of two designated areas of Minneapolis with high levels of environmental pollution and a history of racial, political, and economic marginalization."

Conservation Legacy Partnership Grant Round

The Conservation Partners Legacy (CPL) grant program is now accepting applications for the 3rd round of Expedited Conservation Projects.

The second round of Expedited Conservation Projects (ECP) grants recently closed. Approximately $325,000 remains for the third round of ECP funds which is open now until January 16, 2024.

The ECP grant cycle funds eligible activities that restore or enhance forests, wetlands, prairies, or habitat for fish, game, and wildlife on public lands/waters in Minnesota. Grant requests may range from $5,000 to $50,000, with a maximum total project cost of $1,000,000. Nonprofit organizations and government entities are eligible to apply, and a 10% match of non-state funds is required. Apply online by 3:30 PM on January 16, 2024. Funding for the CPL program comes from the Outdoor Heritage Fund.

Additional Information:

FY2024 Request for Proposals

FY2024 Full Funding Schedule

CPL Best Practices Guide for Applicants

Questions? Please email lscplgrants.dnr@state.mn.us for more information.