John G. White (right, in photo) and Butch Halterman both received the
River Keeper Award at the Clean Up the River Environment (CURE) annual meeting Feb. 11 in Montevideo. John is editor of
the Clara City Herald; Butch teaches science at Montevideo High
School. During the event, Sen. Gary Kubly was
honored with the Good Government Award,
which in the future will be known as the Kubly Good Government Award.
Jean Menden was honored as the Volunteer of the Year. The Good Media
Award went to Jon Carlson and John Hickman for their Minnesota River film, which was aired on
KARE 11 television. Three people were honored with the Prairie Paddler
Patch: Nicole Zempel, Scott
Tedrick and Karl Pfaff. About 300 attended CURE's 20th annual meeting, emceed by CURE director Patrick Moore. Speakers included: Dennis Frederickson, DNR Region IV manager; Scott Sparlin, CCMR; Jon Olson, Mississippi River Market; and the Hudson Bay women, Anne Raiho and Natalie Warrren. - Compiled from Montevideo American-News
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Comments about proposed changes to MN Rules 7076, Clean Water Partnership Financial Assistance, have been posted on the MPCA's CWP rule change webpage. At a video conference Feb. 3, representatives from watershed organizations asked questions and expressed views about the proposed changes. The Clean Water Partnership Rules (Chapter 7076) have not been amended since
1995 and MPCA is also considering changes to streamline rule requirements based
on current MPCA water quality objectives. Changes may include housekeeping
changes to address obsolete requirements, elimination of noncompetitive
continuation grants, and funding changes from advance payments to expense
reimbursement, as well as other changes necessary to streamline and update
existing requirements. Comments are posted at Rule Related Documents. Preliminary draft #2 is scheduled to be posted on the Web by April 20, 2012.
Planning will begin soon for the fourth spring meeting of the Watershed Professionals Network. An informal steering committee will meet to discuss and decide on presentation and discussion topics. Past meetings have included presentations on specific technical and operational topics, and provide an opportunity for watershed organization staff to engage in networking and informal discussion. Program ideas and other meeting details will be announced in the next Watershed Network newsletter. Background information is available on the watershed network webpage. Stephanie Klamm has joined the steering committee, replacing Cory Netland who is now with the DNR.
The Lac qui Parle River
Watershed District is hosting a 5k fun run/walk/bike/stroll on Saturday, April
21 in the following communities: Hendricks, Canby, Dawson, and
Madison. The event will take place in all four communities simultaneously to increase awareness of our watershed community. A $10 registration by April 3
includes an Earth Day T-Shir; $15 after April 3. Registration will begin at 8:15 a.m. with the fun run starting at 9 a.m. Families are encouraged to get
out and enjoy the fun run/walk/bike event and appreciate their local natural
resources.Registration Forms available at
local businesses, online at www.lqpybwatershed.org
or email mary.homan@lqpco.com. "Please join us in celebrating
our world and remember we all live in a watershed."
Crow River Organization of Water, the Middle Fork Crow River Watershed
District and Renville County are partnering to bring the Minnesota
Science Museum’s “Water” program to local schools in the Crow River
Watershed. The program engages learners in key concepts about water including
how it moves and cycles around our planet; that freshwater, limited in supply,
is used by people for many purposes; and that through depletion and pollution
it can become unavailable and unsuitable for life. The following schools are participating:
Belgrade-Brooten-Elrosa, New London/Spicer, Atwater-Cosmos-Grove City, Wagner
Elementary in Litchfield, Bold-Bird Island Elementary School, and Buffalo
Lake-Hector-Stewart Elementary school.
Crow River cities offer 324 rain barrels for sale
The Crow River Organization of Water is working with the cities of Buffalo,
Glencoe, Hutchinson, and Pope SWCD to sell 324 rain barrels this spring. Glencoe and Hutchinson send a flyer with their April utility bills, so we
encourage folks to pre-order because they go fast. To order please contact
Dan Nadeau at 763-682-1933 or by email daniel.nadeau@mn.nacdnet.net (limited 4 barrels per household, unless in
Glencoe, which will pay 50% for 2 barrels within city limits). In Pope County, contact Luan Johnsrud at 320-634-5327 to order.
The Hawk Creek Watershed Project will be doing some field work over the next several years on two studies of the impacts of cropland drainage. The Limbo Creek - Watershed in Limbo project, through a $182,000 Dept. of Agriculture grant to Renville County SWCD, will assess the impact of field tile drainage on the biological communities in a wetland. The study
will evaluate the impact of outletting tile drainage into Limbo Creek, a natural wetland
system located in Hawk Creek Township. HCWP will do all
chemical water quality monitoring, and the biological
community assessments will be done by an outside contractor. In another project, HCWP contracted with the Discovery Farms program to collect water samples from automated samplers on a seven-year, field-scale
research project in southeast Renville County.
Applications are due March 16 for a 2012 Chippewa River Watershed Project summer intern position. Job duties include collecting water samples and flow measurements; data collection, entry and analysis, preparing publications; and participating in workshops. Seeking individuals pursuing degrees in environmental studies, biology, hydrology, soil and water Conservation or related fields. Coursework in biology, chemistry, or hydrology recommended. For more information contact Jennifer at 320-269-2139 x120 or email jennifer.hoffman@chippewariver.org. To apply, send resume including cover letter to: Chippewa River Watershed Project, 629 N 11th St., Suite 17, Montevideo, MN 56265.
Beginning this monitoring
season, the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) will be replacing the
equipment it uses for monitoring transparency in streams. The new Secchi tube equipment functions on the same
principle as the transparency tube, but works more like a Secchi disk. With a
Secchi tube, the user lowers a small disk into a tube of stream water until it
disappears, rather than draining water from the tube until the disk appears at
the bottom. This change will result in more accurate data and streamlined
processes for data reporting. Because all monitoring will be conducted with
longer, 100-centimeter tubes, there will be fewer streams in which water
quality exceeds the measuring capacity of the equipment. In addition, the new
tubes are easier to use, and allow the user to fine-tune their reading without
refilling the tube. For more information or to see a video, visit the Secchi tube webpage. |
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The official public comment periods for the Minnesota River and South Metro Mississippi River Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) projects started Feb. 27, and will continue through April 27. The reports focus on turbid water
caused primarily by sediment. After receiving public comments, the MPCA will revise the draft reports and submit to the EPA for approval. Following EPA
approval, plans will be developed to reduce turbidity through land-use
practices that reduce the amount of sediment and nutrients entering lakes and
streams. The reports and other information are available on their respective webpages: Minnesota River turbidity TMDL, South Metro Mississippi River turbidity TMDL. The public notices can be viewed on the State Register Website.
Page 991: Minnesota
River TMDL Study, and Page 993: South Metro
Mississippi River TMDL Study.
A vibrant "buzz" of conversation marked the two water quality dialogue meetings Dec. 6 and Feb. 2. More than 100
people attended the first one in Mankato with a focus on the South Metro
Mississippi, Minnesota River and Greater Blue Earth River. Nearly 100 attended the second in Owatonna with a focus on the
Cannon and Straight rivers. After dinner and a facilitated conversation, participants moved to different
tables to meet new people and continue the discussions. Some
common themes included changing policies, educating the public more, interacting
more with the rivers, collaborating more,
making personal commitments, developing new incentives for farmers, and
using Legacy funds to address water quality issues. Clean Up the River Environment
and several other partners including InCommons, organized and facilitated the meetings for the MPCA. A third dialogue event is being scheduled
for March 29 in Red Wing.
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The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) is leading a
study to characterize total nitrogen loading to Minnesota’s surface waters,
comparing watersheds, sources, pathways and trends. The work is being
conducted by the University of Minnesota, U.S. Geological survey, and MPCA, in
cooperation with others. Findings from this project will be used to
develop and evaluate nitrogen loading reduction strategies for improving
Minnesota’s waters, as well as addressing our nutrient contribution to the Gulf
of Mexico and Lake Winnipeg. A comprehensive report is expected by early
2013. For further information on the total nitrogen loading study contact
Dave Wall at 651-757-2806, david.wall@state.mn.us.
The Science of Healthy Waters
The
Science of Healthy Waters is designed for anyone involved in watershed issues
including water quality (rivers, lakes, wetlands), aquatic and terrestrial
habitat, land use, wetlands, and flooding. This series will present: a) the science
underlying integrative, system-based watershed management, b) the problems,
issues, and barriers hampering our ability to protect and restore watershed
health and c) alternative approaches for accomplishing goals of clean water,
improved fish and wildlife habitat and reduction of flood damages and erosion.
Each workshop addresses a specific topic related to stream health.
The Science of Healthy Waters: The Dam Dilemma *New
workshop*
This
workshop will unpack the science and implications involving dams in terms of:
1) effects on connectivity, hydrology, geomorphology, water quality, and
aquatic habitat, 2) societal and ecological implications of these structures
and 3) the challenges, benefits and design approaches of dam removal, dam
modification, and by-pass fishways.This
class will be held May 21-23 in Fergus Falls, Minnesota. Cost is $300.
The Science of Healthy Waters: The Ditching Dilemma *New
in 2011*
This
workshop unpacks the science and implications of ditching in terms of: 1)
effects on hydrology, geomorphology, water quality, and aquatic habitat, 2)
societal and ecological implications of these practices, and 3) alternative
design concepts and approaches that work towards accomplishing sustainable
agricultural goals while improving water quality and restoring channel
stability and ecological health. This
class will be held July 16-18 in Fergus Falls, Minnesota. Cost is $300. A flyer can be downloaded at www.mndnr.gov/eco/streamhab,
for course descriptions and the registration form.
MPCA news release, 2/28/12
MPCA news release, 2/21
MPCA news release, 2/13/12
Agri-News, 2/16/12
NRCS news release
March 8-9: Minnesota
Erosion Control Association annual conference and trade show, Grand View Lodge,
Nisswa.
March 19: Minnesota
River Board, 9 a.m., K of C hall, Fairmont
March 20: CURE listening session, 5-9 p.m., Bootleggers Supper Club, Granite Falls.
March 29: Water quality dialogue, St. James Hotel, Red Wing.
April 17: Minnesota
River Watershed Alliance, 6 p.m., Ridgewater College, Hutchinson
May 8-10: Art of hosting training, Prairie's Edge, Granite Falls, Register at 877-269-2873, dixie@cureriver.org.
Watershed Projects
Watershed Districts
Joint Powers Boards and Associations
Citizen/Organizations
Watershed Network News
welcomes news from partners about funding opportunities, project updates and
events. Email your news to forrest.peterson@state.mn.us. Please note
that the MPCA has switched to a new service, called GovDelivery. To ensure
delivery of these messages, please add mpca@public.govdelivery.com
to your address book or safe sender list. Please forward this to any other
interested parties. Past issues are located on the MPCA Minnesota River Basin webpage |
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