|
December 2017
The Basin
Alliance for the Lower Mississippi in Minnesota (BALMM)
will meet Wednesday, Dec. 20, from 9 a.m. to noon at the Minnesota Pollution
Control Agency, 18 Wood Lake Drive S.E., in Rochester, Minn.
Agenda as follows:
-
9 a.m.: “10 Web-Based GIS Tools for Understanding Your Watershed” – Ashley Ignatius, GIS analyst, Minnesota Pollution Control Agency
- 10:15 a.m.: Break
- 10:30 a.m.: County and watershed updates from local partners
- Noon: Adjourn
Don’t have ArcMap at your work? GIS skills a little rusty? You don’t need to be an expert to use GIS – all you need is a web browser and an internet connection.
If you want to know how many acres were in corn in last year (example at right), or create a map of landowners interested in cover crops from a table of address points, or anything in between, web-based GIS tools can help! At the Dec. 20 BALMM meeting, Ashley Ignatius, GIS Analyst with the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, will demonstrate and share web-based GIS tools to help you better understand your watershed. After her demonstration, you will readily be able to do spatial analysis on the web with the helpful resources discussed.
|
The Clean Water Partnership program is now offering loans at 0% interest to those who applied after July 1, 2017. Loans can be up to $2 million. These loans offer great flexibility as any government entity with taxing authority can apply. There is no annual call for applications; they can be submitted to the MPCA at any time.
Other groups such as Soil and Water Conservation Districts can administer the loans. Funds can be loaned again as a second-tier loan to farmers, businesses, and homeowners at a maximum interest rate of 1.5%. They also can match for federal and state grants.
Funds can be used for subsurface sewer system upgrades or repairs, green infrastructure, upgrades to feedlots, equipment, and best management practices. A fact sheet with more information is available on the MPCA's Clean Water Partnership webpage.
The MPCA is holding a triennial standards review to gather comments on the rules that govern state water quality standards. The federal Clean Water Act requires that states review their water quality standards every three years and solicit public input on the need for revising or adding to state standards. This review helps set priorities and a work plan for water quality standards development and rulemaking.
What is open for comment?
-
All subject matter in Minnesota Rules chapters 7050 that address waters of the state and 7052 that address Lake Superior basin water standards.
-
Variances from water quality standards granted by the MPCA.
This review period is also an opportunity to provide new information on limited resource value waters that may have potential to attain higher uses.
How to comment?
-
Submit written comments by 4:30 p.m. Friday, Feb. 9, by email to minnrule7050.pca@state.mn.us or by mail to Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, ATTN: Catherine O’Dell, 520 Lafayette Road North, St. Paul, MN 55155-4194.
-
Participate in a public meeting on the triennial review on Wednesday, Jan. 10, starting at 3:30 p.m., at the MPCA office, 520 Lafayette Road North, St. Paul. This meeting will also be webcast; details on how to connect will be posted closer to the date on the Participate in the 2017 triennial standards review webpage.
Need more information?
If you need more information, please attend the Jan. 10 public meeting referenced above, or contact one of these MPCA staff members:
The public comment period for Minnesota’s draft 2018 Impaired Waters List is now open. The MPCA will accept comments on the list, which was released last month, through 4:30 p.m. Jan. 26. All written comments received by that deadline, and MPCA responses, will go to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), along with the draft list and accompanying documentation, for its review and approval. Please submit written comments to Miranda Nichols, MPCA research scientist, by one of these methods:
- Email: miranda.nichols@state.mn.us
- Mail: Miranda Nichols, Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, 520 Lafayette Rd N, St Paul, MN 55155 (A return postal address must be included.)
| 
