Citing the need to address nitrates in drinking water in the karst region of southeast Minnesota, MPCA Commissioner John Linc Stine recently announced his decision to deny a general permit for the proposed Catalpa swine facility in Fillmore County near Mabel, Minn. Because of the permit denial, a related decision, whether to deny or approve requests for an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for this specific project, is not needed at this time.

While hundreds have supported an EIS, an in-depth environmental study, for the proposed Catalpa Ag swine facility in Fillmore County, Stine says the issue is bigger than any one feedlot or farm, saying it would be unfair to put the responsibility for the broad issue of existing nitrate contamination of groundwater onto one farmer.

A Minnesota Department of Agriculture study found that 19 of 24 townships in Fillmore County have private wells at or above the health risk limit for nitrates, which is 10 milligrams per liter. Nitrates in drinking water can pose a health risk to people, especially infants and the elderly.

Catalpa Ag proposed to build a new 4,890-head swine farrowing facility that would have generated an estimated 7.3 million gallons of liquid manure annually. More than 700 people attended two public meetings held by MPCA on the proposal in June and December. The MPCA received 771 comments on the project.

Based on the feedback received on this project, Stine is recommending that the Environmental Quality Board (EQB) conduct a regional environmental study of groundwater pollution for the geologically sensitive karst region of southeast Minnesota.

“The karst region is subject to rapid seepage of contaminants from the land and overlying soils, making the groundwater of this region very vulnerable,” Stine said.

Minnesota Health Commissioner Jan Malcom issued a statement supporting Stine's decision. "Nitrates in drinking water can cause blue baby syndrome in bottle-fed infants less than 6 months old and may increase the risk of harm for people with certain health conditions," she said. "Preventing additional problems is far less costly than leaving it to additional private well owners or communities to treat their water for nitrates."

If the recommendation to conduct the regional environmental impact study is approved, it would be paid for by the State of Minnesota, not producers, and would include a public process with opportunities for comment and citizen input. Stine said his recommendation for a larger regional study will be more beneficial for farmers, businesses and area residents, as it will provide an overall picture of sources of nitrate contamination in groundwater.

If the EQB accepts the MPCA recommendation, it would engage the public during a scoping phase to further define the area to be studied and other parameters.

Catalpa Ag may still apply for a customized permit, known as an individual permit. Farmers and producers in the region seeking permits for new or expanded feedlot operations could continue to seek individual permits while a regional study is underway.

For more information, including video of the commissioner’s announcement, see the MPCA's Catalpa Ag LLC webpage.

Photo above. Commissioner Stine addresses the crowd at the Dec. 4 Catalpa public information meeting in Mabel, Minn,

Jan. 14 at 4 p.m. is the deadline for applying for grants from the Expedited Conservation Partners program, a Minnesota Dept. of Natural Resources (DNR) program funded by the Legacy Amendment. This is round three of the funding. If you applied during round two, those applications are in review.

The DNR manages this program to provide competitive matching grants from $5,000 up to $400,000 to local, regional, state, and national non-profit organizations and government entities. Grants must restore, protect or enhance prairies, wetlands, forests, or habitat for fish, game, or wildlife in Minnesota. A 10% match of non-state funds is required for all grants. The match may be cash or in-kind resources. The amount and source of match must be identified at the time of application. Total project costs may not exceed $575,000.

The holiday season provides each of us with a great opportunity to help protect the environment, including water quality. Don’t let it go to waste!

Reducing, reusing and recycling is especially important this time of year because the amount of garbage generated by a typical Minnesotan generally increases by about 25% between Thanksgiving and New Year’s. Making informed choices this time of year can make a real difference; for example, using recycled paper reduces water pollution by 35% when compared to making virgin paper.

The Recycling Partnership has made a list (they’ve checked it twice) of efforts and gifts that help the environment:

• Buy wrapping paper made with recycled materials and that will also be recyclable.
• Put out recycling bins or boxes during parties. Make it easy for guests to recycle glass bottles, cans, etc. by putting labeled recycling containers next to the trash can.
• Recycle your cardboard. After unwrapping gifts, be sure to break down the boxes and put them in your recycling cart.
• People often remember experiences more than gifts. Consider gifting an experience, like concert tickets, a long weekend out of town, or a donation to their favorite charity in their name.
• Shop sustainably. Consider choosing brands that are made with ocean plastic, reused fibers, or recycled paper.
• Plastic bags are a big problem for sorting equipment at recycling facilities. Use a low-cost reusable shopping bag every time you head to the grocery store or mall. If you do use plastic bags, but be sure to bring them back to the store for recycling.
• If you get a shiny new computer or phone this year, don’t toss your old one – recycle it responsibly by bringing it to your local electronic recycling drop-off. Many towns and companies host drop-off sites, or find a local charity that is collecting usable electronics for others who can make good use of them.

MPCA water monitoring crews were challenged by abnormally high rainfall patterns during the 2018 sampling season.

MPCA biologists divide into two monitoring teams – north and south – for monitoring fish and macroinvertebrates (bugs) in streams and rivers from mid-June through September each year. This year the north team focused on the Sauk and Little Fork River watersheds while the south team focused on the Redwood, Root, Le Sueur, Pomme de Terre, Mississippi River-Lake Pepin, and Snake River watersheds.

In the south, above average rainfall at the start of the sampling season hindered most work until July. In addition, more than 7 inches of rain fell in the Snake River watershed during a mid-July event while the Root River watershed received 5 inches of rain in a single August event.

The situation was similar in the north, where high river levels in the Little Fork River watershed prohibited sampling until mid- to late summer. From June to August, 12 inches of rain fell with 8 inches falling in June alone. Although specific large rain events avoided the Sauk River watershed, consistent rains throughout the summer kept the lower main stem of the Sauk River high throughout the watershed.

Due to the high flows across the state, several watersheds will have follow-up sampling performed in 2019.

In spite of the difficult stream flow conditions, MPCA crews were still able to collect good samples from a majority of locations:

• Snake River: Several species of concern, including lake sturgeon, gilt darter, and northern brook lamprey.
• Middle Branch Root River near Chatfield: 30 fish species collected.
• Root and Mississippi River-Lake Pepin watersheds: Trout collected at 48 different stations. 
• Cobb River near Beauford: 34 unique fish species collected at one visit.
• Sauk and Little Fork River watershed: 67 fish species collected, with several stations approaching 30 individual species.

Biological monitoring helps detect water quality impairments that other methods may miss or underestimate. It provides an effective tool for assessing water resource quality regardless of whether the impact is chemical, physical, or biological in nature.

Monitoring by the numbers

• North biological stations: 98 for fish and 112 for macroinvertebrates
• South biological stations: 120 for fish and 147 for macroinvertebrates
• Additional water chemistry data collected from: 114 lakes, 64 stream sections, 8 wells and 5 wild rice lakes
• Local partners and citizen volunteers also contributed to the effort by collecting water samples from lakes and streams in many watersheds

For more information

• Biological monitoring: www.pca.state.mn.us/water/biological-monitoring-water-minnesota
• Lakes and Stream monitoring:  www.pca.state.mn.us/water/large-river-monitoring

Photo above right: MPCA biologist sampled a 42-inch Muskellunge on the Sturgeon River in the Little Fork River watershed this past season.

The MPCA and Minnesota Association of SWCDs recently presented their annual Community Conservation Award to the city of Crosby, as nominated by the Crow Wing SWCD. This award is presented each year at the Minnesota Association of SWCDs convention.

Crosby has collaborated with the Serpent Lake Association, Crow Wing SWCD and MPCA to mitigate the declining trend of water clarity in Serpent Lake. Water clarity in the lake had declined from 25-30 feet in the 1980s to only 12 feet in 2012. An MPCA Clean Water Partnership Investigative Study identified pollution hot spots for Serpent Lake. The study determined the root cause of declining water quality was phosphorus loading, of which stormwater was a major contributor.

Based on the MPCA study, Crosby and the Crow Wing SWCD focused on a 1929 underground pipe that drained 18 acres of impervious surface including streets, buildings, houses and a stormwater sewer straight to the lake. To solve this problem, 511 linear feet of concrete pipe were installed to convey runoff to a sediment trap installed on city property near Crosby City Hall. The water flows through the unit where sediment drops out, and is then filtered through a series of three rain gardens before discharging to the lake.

This project reduces 1,005 pounds of sediment and 6 pounds of phosphorus or 1.5 tons of algae to Serpent Lake per year. Crosby has invested more than $52,000 in an erosion control project and funds to support the original MPCA Clean Water Partnership study. A grant from the Minnesota Board of Water and Soil Resources also contributed to the project. This is a great example of a small city taking actions to reduce sediment into high-quality Serpent Lake and protect its tourist economy.

Crosby was also a leader in adopting Minnesota’s Minimal Impact Design Standards Ordinance designed to better manager stormwater. In 2016, Crosby was the second city in Crow Wing County to adopt this ordinance. City officials and staff attended more than five workshops on stormwater management and the importance of having good ordinances using the minimal impact framework. City leadership has helped to lead the charge for other cities to adopt these standards. Soon, Serpent Lake will have four local government units with consistent stormwater ordinances.

Lastly, the city worked with the Cuyuna Medical Center to require additional stormwater treatment for a large addition to the hospital. The medical center constructed an underground storage for stormwater through a chamber system and expanded its existing on-site practices to treat stormwater before it enters nearby Serpent Lake.

Photo above: Glenn Skuta, MPCA watershed division director, presents the Community Conservation Award to Lisa Sova, city administrator of Crosby, and Kim Coughlin, Crosby police chief.

Dan Livdahl, Okabena-Ocheda Watershed District

The Minnesota Board of Water and Soil Resources (BWSR) recently named Dan Livdahl, administrator of the Okabena-Ocheda Watershed District, as the 2018 Outstanding Watershed District Employee.

Livdahl is the sole employee of the watershed district, where his primary duties involve groundwater and surface water protection efforts. His achievements are proof that a small office can accomplish big goals. In 2016, he helped secure a $428,000 Clean Water Legacy Projects and Practices grant to construct in-stream phosphorus treatment filtration structures on a retired golf course owned by the city of Worthington. Livdahl also coordinates with collaborating agencies, monitors flood prevention structures, and conducts public outreach efforts to increase support for water quality improvement initiatives throughout the southwest region.

In addition to his work for the watershed district, Livdahl is the lead member and coordinator of the Missouri River Watershed One Watershed, One Plan planning effort. He also serves as chair of the Prairie Ecology Bus Center Board of Directors, a non-profit that provides a mobile nature center and ecology lab to residents of southwest Minnesota.

Photo above:Livdahl accepts the award from BWSR Executive Director John Jaschke, left, with Casey Ingenthron, right, of the watershed district’s board of managers.

Donna Rasmussen, Fillmore SWCD

BWSR named Donna Rasmussen, administrator of the Fillmore Soil and Water Conservation District, as the 2018 Outstanding SWCD employee.

Rasmussen has been the administrator for Fillmore SWCD since 2008 and previously served as Fillmore County’s first Water Plan Coordinator. She manages eight staff, including two employees who assist multiple SWCDs in the southeast area. Funding for a shared Soil Health Technician position was set to expire at the end of this year, but Rasmussen worked tirelessly to secure continued funding through an NRCS Conservation Collaboration Grant.

In addition to her work at the SWCD, Rasmussen is involved in a number of water quality initiatives throughout the area. She serves as chair of the regional Basin Alliance for the Lower Mississippi in Minnesota (BALMM), a group that works with partners to coordinate efforts to protect and improve water quality throughout the basin. She was instrumental in forming the non-profit citizen group Friends of the Root River in 2014. She also acts as a day-to-day coordinator for the Root River One Watershed One Plan partnership, completing the comprehensive watershed management plan at the end of 2016 and developing a work plan for a Watershed-Based Funding pilot grant to implement the plan this year.

Photo above: Rasmussen accepts the award from BWSR Executive Director John Jaschke.