In the middle of an Olmsted County cornfield during Climate Week 2020 (the week of September 21), Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) Commissioner Laura Bishop and other state leaders charged with protecting Minnesota’s treasured waters saw first-hand how a changing climate affects farmers’ fields and livelihoods.
In an era of flashy quick fixes, the Rainy River is a story of how slow and steady wins the race. Once one of the most polluted rivers in the state, the Rainy River now boasts “good to excellent” water quality — thanks to regulations and hard work by local business, industry, and citizens—and now needs protection. We are sharing that story, along with maps and images, on our website.
Nutrient pollution needs to significantly decrease — by as much as 75 percent in some waters — for lakes and streams in the Shell Rock River Watershed to better support fish and recreation, according to two reports by the MPCA and its partners. Expanded cropland practices and wastewater treatment, among other strategies are needed, to continue improving water quality in the watershed, which is in Freeborn County and includes the city of Albert Lea.
Reports for the Mississippi River – Sartell Watershed show surface waters are in fair condition, but phosphorus and E. coli pollution are threatening aquatic life and recreation in several streams and lakes. In addition, a stretch of the Platte River was classified as an exceptional use stream and is a focus for protection.
A TMDL Report for the Upper Mississippi River from near Grand Rapids to Brainerd show it is in good condition overall, but has excess sediment in the water in some areas. The report specifically addresses sediment (also known as total suspended solids or TSS) in three stretches of the Upper Mississippi River.
The MPCA first studied the Snake River Watershed in 2006. Scientists conducted a second cycle of intensive water monitoring in 2017-2018. The report based on this monitoring finds that generally lakes and streams in this watershed remain in good condition, though there is some room for improvement and these waters must be preserved and protected to prevent future impairments.
Cloudy water caused by too much sediment. Unsafe swimming conditions due to high bacteria levels. Algae growth from nutrients that cut off oxygen to fish and bugs. The MPCA has documented these common water-quality problems throughout the Red River Basin in ten years’ worth of in-depth studies. Reports from the Roseau River and the Snake-Middle are among the last in a series of reports detailing the agency’s comprehensive assessment of the broader Red River Basin.
Additional reports are expected over the next several months for the Clearwater, Marsh, Wild Rice, Upper and Lower Red Lakes, and Otter Tail watersheds.
A first-generation farmer with a passion for cows gets a start, and a longtime producer finds a way to pass on his farm. Assistance from the USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service and Clean Water funds from BWSR play a role in the gradual transition that will result in a more efficient and environmentally sound setup in the Upper Chippewa River watershed. Get the story here.
For homeowners who are not served by municipal sewer systems, fixing a malfunctioning septic system can be a significant expense. The MPCA has been using Clean Water Legacy Funds to help fix failing septic systems for eight years. As of October 2019, Clean Water Fund dollars have helped approximately 850 Minnesota homeowners repair their septic systems.
The University of Minnesota - Morris is incorporating all available guidance to host a COVID-conscious version of We Are Water MN at the Morrison Gallery. The exhibit will run through October 19, 2020.
Bryan Simon, pictured, who runs Lakeside Prairie Farm in west central Minnesota, is featured. Simon wants the “best of both worlds” for Minnesota, meaning a system that doesn’t compromise our water quality or supply when we grow food.
The Minnesota Department of Agriculture has produced a series of videos that help viewers visualize the complex flow of groundwater in southeast Minnesota due to the area's unique geology. "By understanding how groundwater moves through the soil and various layers of rock, viewers can better understand how water-soluble contaminants like nitrate-nitrogen can enter drinking water wells and streams."
The MPCA provides financial and technical assistance to local government units and other water resource managers to address nonpoint-source water pollution through the federal Clean Water Act Section 319 (Section 319) program. “While the amount of Section 319 funds, which come through the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EAP), is relatively small compared to other funding sources, it can fill the niche of supporting local staffing with consistent funding, which is so crucial to project success,” says Glenn Skuta, director of the MPCA Watershed Division.
Section 319 funds are a source of leverage to local dollars and augment projects funded with Minnesota Clean Water Funds. Section 319 grantees are also encouraged to use the funds for effectiveness monitoring to determine the success of projects on the ground. In addition to supporting projects, the Section 319 funds also support the MPCA’s watershed approach, which includes developing Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) studies, watershed restoration and protection strategies (WRAPS), watershed modeling, and water quality monitoring. The money is intended for implementation of projects that restore or protect lakes and streams. Restoring waterbodies, for example, might involve helping landowners install buffers and sediment control basins in their fields to reduce runoff and erosion.
Learning the A, B, Cs of Section 319 funding
For each round of Section 319 grant funding, the MPCA evaluates and whittles applications down to a group of 10 final recipients. Current and pending grant recipients have been organized so far into three “small watershed focus” groups: A, B and C. There will be a final Group D as well. “Small watershed focus” refers to the fact that Section 319 grant money is now being awarded to focus implementation efforts on a specific waterbody or subwatershed, rather than for large watershed projects.
Each group will be prioritized for funding over a period of up to 16 years, with recipients each receiving one-tenth of the total amount of the group’s funding every four. The criteria for achieving priority funding includes the availability of technical information such as monitoring data, but also an organization’s ability to collaborate with a number of different entities. “A Section 319 grant provides local water managers, such as watershed districts and SWCDs, with a steady stream of funding to achieve measurable water quality improvements in a targeted area,” says Scott Schroeder, an MPCA watershed project manager.
Group A recipients have completed their project planning requirements (a nine key-element plan known as an NKE, to reach non-point source pollution reductions needed to reach water quality standards in a specific water body in 10 years, that must be approved for funding by the EPA) and are expected to begin receiving grant money as early as October -- roughly $284,000 for their first projects identified in their NKE plan. Group A recipients are listed here.
“We expect these Group A recipients will get approved for funding by the EPA this fall,” Schroeder says. “Depending on that approval and on getting contracts in place, actual BMP (best management practices) project work funded by the Section 319 funds might get started as early as this fall or into winter or spring 2021.”
The MPCA has also identified the 10 grant recipients for Group B. This group is in the process of developing their NKEs. Final funding levels have not been announced but are expected to be awarded beginning in October 2021.
Letters of interest for Group C were received in summer 2020 and the MPCA recently narrowed the field of applicants down to 15. Total funding available for the final 10 selected Group C recipients has not yet been determined, but should be prioritized for funding beginning in October 2022.
The application process for Group D will then be expected to begin in mid-2021, and Group D recipients will be eligible for funding beginning in October 2023. Group A will then be eligible for their second round of the four-year grant funding beginning in October 2024.
Example in northwest Minnesota
The Buffalo-Red River Watershed District (BRRWD) in northwest Minnesota is one of the Section 319 recipients in Group A that should receive its first installment of funding in October. This $284,275 four-year grant provides partial funding for focused efforts to reduce total suspended solids in 30-mile long Whiskey Creek that drains 157 square miles in Wilkin and Otter Tail counties.
The Whiskey Creek Watershed was selected in part because of the data collected in the watershed, planning efforts already completed, the geographical location, outreach and partnership efforts, and the participation in the National Water Quality Initiative (NWQI) by the National Resource Conservation Service. The BRRWD and the Wilkin County Soil and Waters Conservation District have invested the time to develop strong relationships with the landowner, increasing the likelihood of successful implementation.
Complete funding for the Whiskey Creek restoration work is expected to be around $10 million. Other sources of funding include $2 million from the Outdoor Heritage Funds from the DNR, a $320,000 Clean Water Fund grant, and money from landowners through watershed district levies.
What does it take to develop a comprehensive watershed management plan? The Nemadji River Watershed has summed it up in a video recently published on YouTube with the assistance of the Carlton County SWCD.
The video describes the issue areas, activities, and goals in the plan in under seven minutes.
Due to continuing uncertainties about the COVID-19 pandemic, a number of organizations are moving their annual conferences online.
Minnesota Water Resources Conference - Oct. 20-21. More details can be found here.
Minnesota Association of SWCDs - Will be held December with an exact date, time and scope of convention offerings to be determined soon. From their Board: "In light of this shift to an online format, as well as the significance of in-person recognition for our landowners and partners from across the state, the Board has also decided to postpone this year’s MASWCD Award Programs."
The MPCA publishes the Waterfront Bulletin as an email-based newsletter featuring updates on watershed funding, projects, events and research throughout Minnesota. Waterfront is published to share information with internal MPCA staff and external watershed partners. If you have a story to share, please contact MPCA Public Information Officer Dan Olson at the email or phone number listed below.