Through the Root River Field to Stream Partnership state agencies are conducting intensive surface and groundwater monitoring at multiple scales in order to provide an assessment of the amount and sources of pollution. The goal is to better understand how agricultural practices affect the health of local streams and rivers.

The Partnership is based on a cooperative approach to engaging farmers and residents in the Root River watershed. Formed in 2009, it consists of farmers, agricultural groups, conservation organizations and state agencies. The Partnership selected three sub-watersheds to represent the three geologic regions of the watershed. Since 2010, sediment, nutrient and hydrologic data have been collected in-stream at each sub-watershed outlet and at edge-of-field runoff flumes.

Kevin Kuehner, adviser with the Minnesota Dept. of Agriculture will talk at the Oct. 21 BALMM meeting about current efforts with this ongoing project that began in 2009.

Now in Phase 2, the Partnership is using the data from Phase I to work with farmers to build on existing conservation practices, and to identify which practices are practical, best suited for field conditions, and have the greatest potential to benefit water quality.

Kevin will share benchmark monitoring results from the past five years and Donna Rasmussen with the Fillmore SWCD will highlight the approach taken to enhance conservation planning and delivery during the next phase of the project.

The Minnesota Environmental Quality Board’s Water Policy Report is organized as a menu of options to move beyond the status quo on water challenges. It provides a framework to continue a broad conversation on water policy with local and state implementation partners. The report includes voluntary and regulatory solutions as well as proposing system changes that harness market forces and look to change cultural expectations. Finally, in some areas, more study is needed to best determine how to take action.

Key findings from the report include:

• Minnesota is a global leader in water: Water concerns are a global issue and Minnesota water technology industries are leading the way in innovations to clean, reuse, and more efficiently use water for the whole world. This sector employs more than 13,500 Minnesotans, pays above average wages, and puts Minnesota in the top 10 in technology export and patents.
• Minnesotans need to protect their waters: Living plant cover and green infrastructure reduce runoff and increase infiltration on urban and agricultural lands. These practices hold water on the landscape, filter contaminants, and reduce runoff.
• Minnesotans need to identify vulnerabilities and increase the resilience of all communities. Flooding is becoming a reality for more Minnesotans as extreme rainfall events increase. And while not all parts of the state have water supply issues, many wells have shown decreased water levels in recent years.

The Environmental Quality Board is made up of nine Minnesota agency heads and five citizen members. In addition to other duties, the board provides leadership and coordination across agencies on priority environmental issues that are multi-jurisdictional and multi-dimensional, as well as provide opportunities for public access and engagement.

• Clearwater River
• East Fork Des Moines River
• Lower Des Moines River
• Lower Minnesota River
• Rainy River – Headwaters
• Red River of the North – Marsh River
• Upper/Lower Red Lake
• Wild Rice River

The MPCA is also looking for data on the Minnesota River from the headwaters to the Mississippi River.

If you have data from outside a priority watershed or one of these areas, the agency will also accept it.

 The MPCA will use your data to:

• Help plan for future monitoring efforts including what to monitor for and where to monitor.
• Identify pollutant “stressors” that are causing or contributing to problems or threats to fishing, swimming, and recreational uses.
• Evaluate the success of ongoing activities to protect and restore water quality.

Deadline: Submit project, lab, and field data now through Nov. 2.

Deadline: By Dec. 15 you will need to review the data entered by the MPCA.

Find out more on the MPCA's surface water data website.

Your role in collecting these data is important to Minnesota’s effort to identify impaired waters, as well as those waters in need of additional protection. Thank you for your help.

For more information on submitting data:

• Nancy Flandrick, 651-757-2361 (St. Paul, Duluth, Rochester, and Mankato regional offices)
• Jean Garvin, 651-757-2378 (Brainerd, Willmar, Marshall, and Detroit Lakes regional offices)

 For more information about how we use your data to assess lakes and streams see the MPCA’s water quality assessment website.

The Request for Proposal (RFP) process for the Watershed Pollutant Load Monitoring Network (WPLMN) is now open. Agreements/contracts under this program are financed through the Minnesota Clean Water Fund as established by the Legacy Amendment.

The MPCA will award up to $1.5 million in two-year terms with the option to extend an additional two years. All proposals must be submitted through the SWIFT e-supplier portal and must be received no later than Oct. 13. Proposals received after this deadline will not be considered. Date is subject to change. Please check the SWIFT Event for any updates to submittal date.

Proposers must have a SWIFT Vendor ID and Supplier Portal Account to access the RFP and apply for WPLMN funding. Detailed registration directions are available on the  SWIFT e-supplier portal.  Proposers should be aware that it can take several days to receive a required Vendor ID from SWIFT. If you need technical assistance for the SWIFT e-supplier portal, please contact the SWIFT helpdesk line: 651-201-8100, option 1.

 The primary objective of the WPLMN is to obtain spatial and long-term pollutant load information from Minnesota’s rivers and streams. Eligible entities include:

• Soil and Water Conservation Districts
• Watershed Districts
• Regional Planning Organizations
• Watershed Management Organizations
• Local government units (LGUs such as counties, cities, townships, and Lake Improvement Districts)
• Regional governmental groups
• Joint powers boards
• Minnesota colleges and universities
• Nonprofit organizations
• Native American tribal governments

This RFP seeks local partners to collect water quality data at select sites in the Red River, Minnesota River, Upper Mississippi River, Rainy River, and Lower Mississippi River Basins. Water quality samples will be collected across a full range of flow conditions with the greatest emphasis given to periods of moderate and high flow.

Additionally, local partners will use the FLUX32 model  to yield estimates of contaminant loading from within a watershed. All pollutant load estimates will be reviewed by an MPCA verification team.

Recipients will be notified and required to submit a detailed work plan and budget.

Please note that the successful execution of these projects by the start of the monitoring season is dependent on adhering to this process and timeline. Additionally, recipients will be required to use SWIFT to review and approve, through electronic signature, the final agreement or contract and work plan.

The 2015 Green Lands Blue Waters Conference will be held Nov. 3-4 on the third floor of the Coffman Memorial Union at the Minneapolis-East Bank Campus of the University of Minnesota.

The theme this year, "Buffers and Bridges, Farms and Cities,” responds to the growing interest in Continuous Living Cover farming sparked, in part, by Minnesota’s new buffers law, the Des Moines Water Works lawsuit, and the larger than expected dead zone in the Gulf of Mexico this summer. 

Conference speakers include:

• Wes Jackson, founder and president of The Land Institute
• Joan Nassauer, professor of Landscape Architecture, School of Natural Resources and Environment, University of Michigan
• Don Wyse, professor of Agronomy and leader of the Forever Green Initiative, University of Minnesota
• John Jaschke, executive director, Minnesota Board of Water and Soil Resources
• Wayne Anderson, Minnesota Pollution Control Agency and Mississippi River Gulf of Mexico Nutrient Task Force
• Mark Tomer, USDA Agricultural Research Service, National Laboratory for Agriculture and the Environment, Ames, Iowa
• John Baker, USDA Agricultural Research Service and adjunct professor in the Department of Soil, Water & Climate at the University of Minnesota

Registration for the conference, which offers Continuing Education Units, is available online.