 The Le Sueur River Watershed Network is sponsoring a family-friendly celebration for the Le Sueur River, 4-7 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 24 at Jack McGowan’s Farm near Mankato. The public
is invited to this free event to learn about the river, what citizens can do to
improve its water quality, and to share a meal with watershed neighbors. Events include a scavenger hunt and hands-on learning about
the fish, mussels, and macroinvertebrates living in the river. Music will be led by Scott
Sparlin and Patrick Moore of the Minnesota River Watershed Alliance; all are encouraged to bring music instruments for a jam session. A new video by Queenan Productions will be
shown that documents how watershed residents and local staff are making a
difference across the watershed. Since
April 2012, citizens have been meeting to discuss ways to improve the water
quality of the Le Sueur River Watershed. This 711,838-acre watershed in Blue
Earth, Waseca, Steele, Le Sueur, Faribault and Freeborn counties is a major
contributor of sediment and nutrients to the Minnesota River. The event is a
celebration for the network of citizens who have been meeting and talking and
developing strategies to solve problems and reduce pollution in the watershed. See the LeSueur River story video by Anne Queenan on the LeSueur River Watershed webpage.
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 On a hot
Tuesday, Aug. 27, 35 citizens crowded into the Amboy Cottage Cafe to
discuss the future possibilities for organizing an ongoing entity to keep
harnessing and advancing the citizen energy that has emerged over the past year
in the LeSueur River Watershed. They divided into four small groups and rotated from one group to another to discuss
the following questions:
- What
type of citizen organization do we want to create?
- How
does this citizen group relate with other existing efforts (e.g. GBERBA, SWCDs)?
- How do
we involve existing farm organizations?
- What
ideas do you have for celebratory kickoff event at McGowan’s Farm?
After lively and
substantive discussions, the basic take-aways are
that there is citizen energy to start a new watershed-based organization, and there
are opportunities to work more closely with established agencies such as GBERBA
and SWCDs. The Minnesota Agricultural Water Resource Center (MAWRC) is currently organizing
multi-county groups of farmers that could eventually connect and collaborate
with the citizen-led organization. It was decided to plan a celebration at McGowan’s Farm on Sept. 24, 4-7 p.m.
For more information contact Kim Musser kimberly.musser@mnsu.edu
507-389-5307.
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 Recognizing that a significant portion of the Minnesota River basin lies outside Minnesota, a delegation from the Blueway nomination project headed upstream Aug. 26. They were warmly welcomed by hosts in Sisseton, SD, and toured what some consider the true source of the Minnesota River, a little network of creeks tumbling from the densely-wooded flanks of Buffalo Ridge west of Sisseton. Within the borders of Sica Hollow State Park, the rain and spring-fed streams form the Little Minnesota River. This accounts for about 90 percent of the inflow to Big Stone Lake, which is claimed to be the source of the Minnesota River.
The purpose of the delegation's visit was to engage support in South Dakota for the Minnesota River Blueway nomination. The visit opened with a lunch meeting at the Joseph Nicollet Tower Museum. The hosts learned about the Blueway project; the visitors learned about Dakota Indian history and the exploration of the area by Joseph Nicollet.
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 A spiritual place
At Sica (pronounced 'See-cha') Hollow State Park, the group hiked the trails along the creeks, and heard more description of the area. "This is a spiritual place for the Dakota people," says Darlene Pipeboy, an educator and elder with the Sisseton-Wahpeton-Oyate Dakota community. "A combination of values brought the Dakota people here," she says. Woods, water, game, herbal medicines, the land, were all part of the native ecosystem. "Take care of nature, and nature will take care of you," Darlene says.
After a short stop at the historic Stavig House Museum in Sisseton, the delegation moved to the Sisseton City Hall for an open house gathering and potluck. Local guests and visitors heard a short overview of the Blueway project, and stayed for food and informal conversation with the visitors from Minnesota.
During a pause in the Blueway program at the federal level, the Minnesota Blueway project continues to develop support, particularly among state and federal elected officials from all four states claiming portions of the Minnesota River basin. Organizers remain optimistic that eventually the Minnesota River will become the second in the U.S. to be recognized as a national Blueway. For more information about the project visit the website at www.minnesotariverblueway.com.
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Watershed Network fall meeting Nov. 12 at New Ulm
The Watershed Network fall meeting is tentatively set for Tuesday, Nov. 12, at the New Ulm Pizza Ranch. This is a great opportunity to learn and network with colleagues from water management organizations and agencies, in an informal setting. This will be the ninth meeting since spring of 2009. Ideas for program topics are welcome. Check out the Watershed Network webpage for more information.
A celebration of food, community, and landscape
Clean Up the River Environment and Land Stewardship Project invite everyone to "Better Together: A Celebration of Food, Community, and Landscape," 5-10 p.m., Saturday, Sept. 21 at the Watson Town Hall. After a potluck supper at 6 p.m., there will be music, readings, stories, and perhaps dancing. Bring a dish to share; some beverages will be provided. Weather permitting, the activities may move outdoors; dress in layers and perhaps bring a lawn chair.
10th annual Crow River clean-up Sept. 21
The 10th annual Crow River Clean Up Day activities start at 8 a.m. and run until noon Saturday, Sept. 21, in each community. Following the clean up, volunteers receive lunch and a t-shirt. It’s a great activity for Boy Scout Troops, Cub Scout Packs, Girl Scouts, 4H Clubs, Church or School groups, and businesses. Contact Dan Nadeau, CROW Watershed Resource Specialist at 763-682-1933 Ex. 3 or by email daniel.nadeau@mn.nacdnet.net.
Yellow Medicine report available for review
The MPCA water quality assessment report for the Yellow Medicine
River and Hawk Creek watersheds is now available for review.The report is on the MPCA website, and a limited number of printed copies are available at the district office in Minneota.
Seven Mile Creek coordinator
The Nicollet County SWCD and Great River Greening are interviewing candidates for the Seven Mile Creek coordinator position.
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 On Sept. 18 a group of eleven young adults, including a videographer, will embark on “Paddle Forward,” a canoe expedition down the Mississippi River from its headwaters at Lake Itasca to New Orleans. The team will interview mayors, park rangers, paddling clubs, and other community members to learn about their relationship with the Mississippi River Watershed. The interviews will be used to create a video documentary called Voices of the Mississippi River that seeks to answer the question: How do individuals and communities interact with America’s Mighty Mississippi? Wild River Academy, the parent organization of Paddle Forward, is a nonprofit organization based in the Twin Cities dedicated to watershed education and outdoor recreation. The Paddle Forward group includes Wild River Academy cofounders Natalie Warren, Anna Johnson and Nick Ryan as well as Martha Brummitt, Erika Gotcher, John Hartzheim, Eric Immler, Sami Pfeffer, Liz Just, Sarah Schaefer, and Lee Vue. The group is raising money for the project hope to premiere the documentary in Spring 2014.
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 The Mississippi River/Gulf of Mexico Watershed Nutrient Task
Force holds public meetings throughout the Mississippi River Basin
to inform the public of the progress toward moving forward on Gulf hypoxia. The
next public meeting will be in Minneapolis on
Tuesday, Sept. 24, from 8 a.m.-3:45 p.m. at The Depot Renaissance Hotel, 225
Third Ave. S. in Minneapolis. MPCA Commissioner John Linc Stine will give the
welcome at the meeting, with Assistant MPCA Commissioner Rebecca Flood giving
an overview on Minnesota’s state nutrient reduction strategy at 1:45 p.m. Other
topics include:
- Size
of the hypoxic zone;
- Applying
social and economic science to state nutrient strategies;
- Role
of foundations in nutrient reduction; and
- Cover
crops.
Registration for the public
meeting is available online.
The Task Force includes federal
and state agencies and Native American tribes. Federal agencies include those
with responsibilities over activities in the Mississippi River and its basin,
and in the Gulf of Mexico. The role of the Task Force is to provide executive
level direction and support for coordinating the actions of participating
organizations working on nutrient management within the Mississippi River/Gulf
of Mexico Watershed.
In Minnesota, nine state
agencies are working to create a statewide strategy to reduce nutrients in
Minnesota waters. A recent study led by the MPCA found that 158 million pounds
of nitrate leave Minnesota in the Mississippi River per year on average,
contributing to the “dead zone” in the Gulf of Mexico (see story below).
Being held
concurrently with the Task Force meeting, CenUSA
Bioenergy will hold a workshop on “Enhancing
Mississippi Watershed Ecosystems with Perennial Bioenergy Crops”
Sept. 23-25 in Minneapolis. CenUSA is a project based at Iowa State
University with funding from the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture. Visit the workshop website for details and online
registration.
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As
partners in water quality efforts, the MPCA thought you would be interested in
this call for data. The MPCA will conduct surface water assessments –
determining whether water bodies meet state water quality standards – for these
watersheds in early 2014:
- Leech
Lake River
- Pine
River
- South
Fork Crow River
- Zumbro
River
- Red
Lake River
- Red
River - Grand Marais Creek*
- Lake
of the Woods*
* Data requested only for the
portions of these watersheds that are within the state of Minnesota.
The MPCA is interested in
obtaining all available water quality data for these watersheds for use in the
assessment effort. If
you manage a water quality monitoring project in any of these areas, please
submit your data, which will help the MPCA assess the condition of these waters
and build a national database of water quality. Note the data
submission timeline below to ensure that your data is available for the
assessment process. To be included in the assessment effort, data must be
received by the MPCA and uploaded to the agency’s water quality data management
system (EQuIS) prior to data analysis. Be advised that steps involved in data
storage for any project can span more than a month. Information on how to
submit data is available on the MPCA website.
2013-2014 Data
Submission Timeline:
- Through
Nov. 1, 2013: Submit project lab and field data.
- Dec.
2, 2013: Begin final data review.
- Dec.
16, 2013: Complete final data review for assessment related data.
- Jan.
15, 2014: Data finalized and ready for the 2014 assessment process.
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On Sept. 25, EPA's Watershed Academy will host
a webcast on the link between nutrient pollution and harmful algal blooms
(HABs), entitled, "Linking Nutrient Pollution and HABs: State of the
Science and EPA Actions." Professor Hans Paerl from UNC, Chapel Hill will
begin the webinar with a review of the scientific evidence, and EPA's Ellen
Gilinsky and Mario Sengco will continue with a discussion of the relevant work
of the EPA in mitigating the problem, including both the Framework for State
Nutrient Reductions and the development of numeric nutrient criteria. They will
conclude with suggestions for the public on how to minimize nutrient
contributions from everyday activities.
This webcast series is a part of a broader outreach
effort this summer that aims to focus public attention on HABs, which are
associated with nutrient pollution, and can sicken people and pets, devastate
aquatic ecosystems, and be a detriment to the economy. To register, visit www.epa.gov/watershedwebcasts.
Additionally, broadcast-quality versions of EPA's new HAB
PSAs are now available. Protect your Pooch from Harmful Algal Blooms: When In
Doubt, Stay Out http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=goPMNzDmJDg
(15 seconds), And I Didn't Get My Bacon Either http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4JxFfMiDdzQ.
If interested, please contact Patty Scott (scott.patricia@epa.gov).
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Cameras to catch LeSueur River erosion Mankato Free Press, 8/25/13 Raising crops and conservation awareness Star Tribune, 9/1/13
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Sept. 20: Mississippi River Forum, 8 a.m., St. Cloud City Council chambers; topic: Nitrogen in Minnesota surface waters, Dave Wall, MPCA. Sept. 21: Crow River clean-up, various locations. Sept. 21: A celebration of food, community, and landscape, 5-10 p.m., CURE-LSP, Watson Town Hall. Sept. 30: Minnesota River Board, 9 a.m., Henderson Community Center. Oct. 10: Mississippi River Forum, a.m., St. Cloud City Council chambers; topic: Nitrogen in Minnesota surface waters, Dave Wall, MPCA. Oct.
28-30: BWSR Academy, Cragun's, Brainerd. Nov. 12: Watershed Network fall meeting, New Ulm Pizza Ranch (tentative).
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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 Watershed Network publications webpage.
Forrest Peterson
Information
Officer
MPCA-Willmar office
320-441-6972
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