Watersheds and Water Quality

Watershed Based Stewardship: One Ecosystem-One Management Plan.
A Watershed is an area of land that drains into one common body of water. A working landscape is one in which agriculture, forestry, and other natural resource based activities are conducted in harmony with the environment, recognizing the value of the ecologic and economic integrity of watersheds for current and future stakeholders. Wise watershed management is the best way to sustain the local economy and the health of the rural environment. The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency is implementing an approach based on this principle to address watershed issues in the state’s 10 major river basins. The effort involves the integration of existing programs, watershed-based permitting, and identification of specific goals and priorities. Greater involvement by partners and the public is also a critical factor in the success of this effort.
"The local watershed group makes the connection between a place and the things people cherish in that place- it invests them with a sense of responsibility in their regional environment." -- Valerie Rapp, What the River Reveals.
Resources:
The Minnesota Project
MPCA: Watersheds/Basins
Watershed Organizations and Projects in the Minnesota River Basin
UMBSN Links to Watershed Programs
Clean Water Illinois
The decline and fall of the Mississippi By Erin Galbally -Minnesota Public Radio- 7/1/04

Wetland Function and the Consequences of Wetland Loss
Experts agree that wetlands serve an important role in our environment. Wetlands act as the biological "kidneys" of the landscape by filtering sediment and nutrients out of water that would otherwise run directly into streams, rivers and other water systems. Wetland loss can cause changes in the water chemistry of major water systems that would otherwise be buffered and protected by those wetlands. Increasing run-off from farm fields, feed lots, urban areas, lawns, and sewer systems have rapidly overloaded the filtering capacity of remaining wetlands. The results of one well known case of upstream nutrient loading having harmful effects on downstream water bodies can be seen in the “Dead Zone” occurring at the mouth of the Mississippi River. Nutrients from fertilizer used on farmland are washed directly into streams and rivers along with large amount of sediment from erosion. Without the filtration historically provided by floodplain wetlands in Louisiana and other Gulf states , nitrates, phosphorus , bacteria, and sediments carried by streams and rivers in the Midwest, are channeled through the Mississippi River directly into the Gulf of Mexico . These pollutants have drastic negative effects on the ecosystem, the principal effect being hypoxia. The resulting “Dead Zone” has had a significant impact on fishing industry along the Gulf Coast . Further, the disconnect between the Mississippi River and its floodplain that is enforced by an extensive system of dikes and levees results in the loss of more than 20 square miles of coastal wetlands each year due to subsidence and coastal erosion. For more information follow the links below:
Widespread Effects of Wetland Loss
Wetland Functions, Values, and Assessment (USGS)
Wetland Hydrology, Water Quality, and Associated Functions (USGS)
Wisconsin Wetlands: Wetland Functional Values
Wetland Functions and Values Fact Sheet (NRCS)
Functional Role of Wetlands in Watersheds

Ecological and societal benefits of river corridor and wetlands restoration are substantial:
The United States Environmental Protection Agency states that “wetlands provide food, protection from predators, and other vital habitat factors for many of the nation's fish and wildlife species, including endangered and threatened species. In addition, wetland ecotypes have economic value associated with recreational, commercial, and subsistence use of fish and wildlife resources and they remove pollutants from overland flows before they reach our lakes, rivers and bays.” Wetlands also receive storm runoff and release floodwaters gradually to downstream systems. When wetlands are converted to systems without water retention capacity, downstream flooding problems increase. Restoration seeks to return altered ecosystems to their pre-disturbance conditions. USDA estimates that from 1982 to 1992 a total of 768,700 acres of wetlands were restored nationwide. Unfortunately, many restored wetlands have been shown to provide inferior ecological functionality, such as maintenance of diversity, improvement of water quality, and habitat for wildlife, associated with natural wetlands. Restoration of appropriate water loving (hydrophytic) vegetation is essential for restored wetlands to function as natural wetlands. For example, denitrification occurs at the greatest rates when emergent plant litter is present to provide a microbial colonizing, surface. Lack of perennial vegetation on the edge of restored wetlands increases sediment loads and sediment-borne agricultural chemicals (phosphorus and pesticides) received by the basin and limits the use of the restored wetland by wildlife.
Benefits of Restoration (EPA)
Economic Benefits of Wetlands(EPA)
Louisiana Coastal Wetlands Restoration Plan
Factors Affecting Biological Recovery of Wetlands Restorations
Reinvest in Minnesota Reserve Program Fact Sheet
Restoration of wetland benefits environment, farmer By Luis Puga

Yellow River of Iowa Watershed Initiative Slideshow Online
A recent National Park Service (NPS) slide presentation details both the beauty of this valuable watershed and the rationale for a watershed project there. Yellow River Intiative Presentation (31MB, .ppt; allow the file time to load). The NPS is leading an effort to begin a study of Iowa's Yellow River watershed, with hope for a more substantial watershed improvement project to follow. Several federal, state and local agencies met in Waukon, Iowa for a public meeting on March 26, 2003 to explain the project to the public. The Yellow is a richly diverse watershed with scenic woodlands and trout fisheries surrounded by both agricultural and park lands. The Upper Mississippi Basin Stakeholder Network is proud to host the Yellow River Watershed Initiative Web Page. Photo (courtesty of National Park Service) is of Red Bridge crossing the Yellow River at an abandoned county road near Postville.

Off Highway Vehicle and ATV Regulation
All Terrain Vehicles (ATVs), commonly referred to as four-wheelers, and other Off Road Vehicles (ORVs) or Off-Highway Vehicles (OHVs) are facing demands for increased regulation. The growing popularity of these recreational vehicles has resulted in grassroots movements to protect sensitive, natural areas from intrusion and environmental devastation by ORVs. Unregulated use of these vehicles greatly increases erosion rates, spreads invasive species into sensitive areas, disturbs wetlands, and fragments habitat. The safety of these vehicles, especially with respect to children, is also an issue of concern. Most environmental and ORV advocate groups agree that appropriate rider training and greater availability of DESIGNATED trails and recreation areas would help to mitigate these problems by limiting damage to specific management areas and simplifying enforcement for “outlaw” activities. Most groups also agree that a small percentage of “outlaw” riders are causing much of the damage occurring in sensitive environmental areas. With public opinion on the side of reasonable environmental protection and safety, the debate boils down to a discussion on how much regulation is enough when it comes to limiting the access of ORVs to our public lands. Follow the links below to learn more about this critical issue.
Off Road Vehicles and ATV Regulation (www.newrules.org)
Protecting Public Lands (BlueWater)
Natural Trails & Waters Coalition
Sierra Club: North Star Chapter
Forests alter timber, ATV rules By John Myers -Duluth NewsTribune- 8/13/04
Off-Road Vehicles and Public Lands: Balanced Policy Needed (The Wilderness Society)
ATV Safety Training (MN DNR)
OHV Maps (MN DNR)
All Terrain Vehicle Operation in Wisconsin (WDNR)
National Off-Highway Vehicle Conservation Council-OHV Safety

Lake Pepin TMDL (Total Maximum Daily Load) Task Force
Lake Pepin has been placed on the 2004 list of impaired waters for both excess nutrients (Phosphorus) and turbidity. Both of these problems originate not in the Mississippi River or in Lake Pepin , but up in the watersheds that drain into these bodies of water. These watersheds include about half of Minnesota 's land area as well as a portion of Wisconsin. The Lake Pepin TMDL Task Force has been created under the leadership of Norman Senjem of the MPCA to address the point and non-point pollution sources that are causing the problem. The Task Force includes both members of regulatory agencies and stakeholders from the public sector. Water Quality Standards will be set by the Task Force to measure the success of improved watershed management efforts. For more information on Lake Pepin, watersheds and watershed management, follow the links below:
Lake Pepin Fact Sheet
Minnesota Pollution Control Agency Water Quality Page
MPCA Basins/Watersheds Page
MPCA TMDL Page
Minnesota River Basin Data Center
Minnesota River Virtual Tour
Minnesota River Basin Management Framework — Priority Pollutant Reduction Strategies: Phosphorous
Lake Pepin Phosphorus Study, 1994-1998
Nitrogen and Phosphorus in Streams in Part of the Upper Mississippi River Basin, Minnesota and Wisconsin, 1984-93 By S.E. Kroening
St. Croix River Basin Facts
St. Croix Watershed Research Station
St. Croix Basin Phosphorus Based Water-Quality Goals
Phosphorus Loading from the Redwood River Basin By William F. James et al.
Long Term Resource Monitoring Program Lake City Field Station
The decline and fall of the Mississippi By Erin Galbally -Minnesota Public Radio- 7/1/04

Minnehaha Creek Watershed District
The Minnehaha Creek Watershed District provides some valuable and well organized tools to residents of this metropolitan watershed who are concerned about water quality in their area. The Watershed District works with issues ranging from long-range ecological restoration planning to enhancing recreation opportunities in the watershed. The Watershed District also works with residents to review and approve permits for appropriate erosion control, floodplain alteration, wetland protection, dredging, shoreline and streambank improvement, stream and lake crossings, and stormwater management projects. To learn more about the Minnehaha Creek Watershed District and some of the resources that it provides follow the links below:
Minnehaha Creek Watershed District Webpage
Minnehaha Creek Canoe Route Map
Minnehaha Creek Watershed District Projects and Studies
Riparian Buffer Program Grants
Cynthia Krieg Memorial Watershed Stewardship Fund
Minnehaha Creek Watershed District Internet Mapserver

Gulf Dead Zone Grows in 2004, Contributes to Spate of Shark Bites
The "Dead Zone" at the mouth of the Mississippi River is back in 2004. This plume of water so devoid of oxygen that sea life cannot live in it has spread across 5,800 square miles (15,000 square kilometers) off the coast of the Gulf of Mexico. Experts at the Loisianna Universities Marine Consortium (LUMCON) say winds and currents have pushed the hypoxic zone closer to shore than normal this year. Oddly enough, the mass of oxygen poor water may be contributing to a rash of shark bites on the Texas coast. Rabalais: No historical dead zone. In a reply to a query about the existence of a historical dead zone, the LUMCON scientist said the dead zone is a recent phenomenon.
Read the complete 2003 and 2004 Dead Zone news releases with maps and annual comparative chart from LUMCON.
‘Dead zone’ spreads in Gulf of Mexico -Reuters- 8/3/04

Related Topic: Chesapeake Bay Hypoxic Zone
"Bad Water," Algae Blooms Return to Virginia Rivers -Chesapeake Bay Foundation- 7/14/04
Pollution from Manure Must Be Reduced -CBF- 7/28/04 Full Report (957KB .pdf)

WATER QUALITY PROBLEMS ON VERMILLION RIVER DRAW ATTENTION
Recent reports of bacterial contamination, questionable drinking water, and kayakers with bloated legs have drawn some real attention to the problems facing the Vermillion River Watershed. The Vermillion River, along with many of our streams and rivers in the southern part of Minnesota,contains levels of fecal bacteria make the water unsafe for human contact, and has been listed as impaired for fecal coliform bacteria by the US EPA. Recent studies published by the Dakota County Soil and Water Conservation District have identified the major sources for the bacterial contamination as failing septic systems, agricultural manure application and urban runoff. The area in and around Hastings has been struggling for years with contamination of drinking water aquifers. Studies show this contamination is widespread, directly linked to pollution in the Vermillion River, and getting worse. A study by Dakota County showed that 26% of private wells tested had nitrate levels above the drinking water standard set by the EPA for safe drinking water. Pesticide and pharmaceutical residues have been found in both private and Hastings public wells.
Vermillion River water making people sick - KSTP5 - 7/21/04
Trouble upstream for the Vermillion River By Ben Ganje - Hastings Star Gazette (Subscription)- 7/15/04
Residents need to be concerned about the Vermillion’s health By Star Gazette staff 7/15/04
Metropolitan Council Awards 14 Water Quality Grants Follow Links for More Clean Water News

UMBSN Stakeholder Water Quality Survey 2004
The 2004 UMBSN Stakeholder Survey was conducted during the 2004 Grand Excursion Event as our outreach effort distributed the Mississippi Monitor to approximately 6,000 new readers along the route of the Grand Flotilla. This year's survey was simplified from previous years so that the eight questions would fit onto a postcard inserted into the June/July issue of the Monitor . Of the 6,000 surveys distributed, 128 (2.1%) have been returned at this time. Click here to view the results of the survey.

The State of Water Quality Information: Inconsistent Monitoring Methods and Standards Present Problems for Water Resource Managers and Public Health. Summary: A recent Environmental Integrity Project study indicates that inconsistent water quality monitoring methods and standards present problems for resource managers and public health in the Great Lakes Basin. "Until the states and EPA get serious about water quality monitoring, the public will be flying blind when it comes to potentially grave risks to their health," said Ilan Levin, the study's author. The same problem afflicts the utilization of water quality data collected in the Upper Mississippi Basin . The Upper Mississippi River Basin Association (UMRBA) and the USGS have made some progress in moving towards a standardized data collection and maintenance paradigm, but problems with comparability and consistency still exist. Inconsistencies continue to hinder the use of available data in scientific research and modeling efforts, which in turn limits the ability of resource managers to make decisions based on sound ecological information. Public awareness of water quality issues remains limited by the difficulty of gaining access to water quality information (EPA STORET). This, in turn, limits the involvement of local stakeholders in the communication and decision making process. A new paradigm of cooperation, consistency, and community is needed among scientists, resource managers, and stakeholders in the Upper Mississippi Basin. The UMBSN strives to foster the development of a more cooperative and effective research, monitoring, and management environment. This new paradigm of consistent data collection and management methods combined with greater public awareness and involvement with water quality issues will facilitate the implementation of a true ecosystem-based adaptive management approach to environmental quality issues in the Upper Mississippi Basin.

Full Article By David Wilson--UMBSN Staff Writer
Water-testing methods create muddied picture for public, report says. By Sarah Kellogg Washington Bureau 3/11/04
Minnesota Environmental Data Access Model (MPCA)
STORET Water Quality Data Access (EPA)
Upper Mississippi River Water Quality: The States’ Approaches to Clean Water Act Monitoring, Assessment, and Impairment Decisions (UMRBA)
Memorandum of Understanding: Interstate Assessment Reaches for Upper Mississippi River Water Quality Reporting (UMRBA)
The Strategy for Improving Water-Quality Monitoring in the United States (USGS)

EPA APPROVES MINNESOTA’S 2004 IMPAIRED WATERS LIST
The list of impaired waters in southeast Minnesota has grown to 193 with the recent approval of the 2004 list of impaired waters (303d list) by the US Environmental Protection Agency. The majority of listed impairments are for toxic substances (76 mercury and 39 PCBs). Of the remaining impaired waters, 35 are for fecal coliform, 31 for turbidity, 11 for excess nutrients in lakes, and one for ammonia. The updated list is now posted on MPCA’s Impaired Waters web site.
View Maps:

Toxic Impairments in the Lower Missississippi River Watershed of MN (303d)
Conventional Impairment in Lower Mississippi Watershed of MN (303d)

Mapping Groundwater Susceptibility to Nitrate-Nitrogen Contamination in Winona County
The Minnesota Department of Health has developed nitrate contamination probability maps for many counties in Minnesota, including Winona County. These maps identify areas of each county with very high, high, moderate, and low probabilities of having elevated nitrate concentrations in groundwater drinking water supplies. The nitrate probability maps are designed to help with state and local water quality planning efforts. These maps do not show actual nitrate contamination, but rather, the probability that nitrate levels will be elevated in improperly constructed wells in these areas. Good water quality can usually be found even in high nitrate probability areas by using a deeper well installed by a licensed well driller. Nitrate contamination may also be limited by low levels of nitrogen inputs (low nitrate leaching resulting from responsible fertilizer and manure management) and denitrification of the nitrate (reduction of nitrate to harmless nitrogen gas). Several nitrate-nitrogen probability maps and the full text of the MDH report can be viewed through the following link:
Winona County Nitrate-Nitrogen Probability Map (.pdf document)
Map of Nitrate Probability in Upper Mississippi Basin of Northern Minnesota
Nitrate Probability Maps and Source Water Protection Areas for other Minnesota Counties
Guidance for Mapping Nitrate in Minnesota Groundwater (MDH)

Rainwater Gardens: An effective, natural and beautiful way to manage stormwater runoff.
A rainwater garden is a relatively small area of plantings near the drain spout of a building or a paved area. Rainwater runs into the garden and is filtered naturally by the plants and soils of the garden. Rain gardens reduce stormwater runoff by providing excess surface water with an enhanced opportunity to be filtered and absorbed into the soil where it can recharge groundwater supplies and maintain natural hydrologic processes. Minnesota is blessed with an abundance of lakes, rivers and streams that provide us with ready sources of drinking water. However, polluted run off containing lawn and garden fertilizers, pesticides, and herbicides, yard wastes, sediment, and animal wastes drain daily into our storm sewers and endangers these water resources. As polluted runoff finds its way into waterways and groundwater, it produces a wide range of problems that degrade water quality. Despite progress in cleaning up pollution and controlling flooding, excess nutrients and sediment continue to overwhelm our lakes and streams and present a long-term threat to groundwater. Ultimately, it is our health and economic well being that is affected. Rainwater gardens are a beautiful and effective way to minimize the effects of polluted runoff from urban and suburban surfaces. To learn more, follow the links below.

ENN Special Report: Sustainable Gardening By the Editors -ENN- 4/1/05
Maplewood Rainwater Gardens
Low Impact Stormwater Tour
City of Burnsville Rainwater Garden Project
Rain gardens seen as key to cutting pollution By Stephanie Hemphill, Minnesota Public Radio 6/23/04
Rain Garden Workshops
Toxins hidden in green veil: Eco-friendly lawn care fights pollution By Joan Lowy -Scripps Howard News Service- 9/26/04
The Illinois Rain Garden Initiative
Rain garden is a simple answer to polluted runoff By Pablo Bello -Reuters- 8/19/02


Redwood River's water quality a concern MPCA officials put an issue that has been facing the Minnesota River Basin for some time into perspective with the words, "The Redwood River is laden with phosphorous." The Redwood River is a tributary to the Minnesota River, which drains a large expanse of Minnesota agricultural land in addition to the seven county metro area. MPCA officials say that the total maximum daily load (TMDL) of phosphorous in that area of the Lower Minnesota River during low flow is far too high. An advisory committee has created a plan that would cut the amount of phosphorous flowing into the river by 51 percent over 10 years. That reduction would be accomplished through a variety of actions such as implementing best management practices in agricultural areas and reducing the amount of phosphorous dumping allowed by cities and businesses along the entire river basin.

View the Article: River's water quality a concern By Troy Krause The Redwood Falls Gazette
University of Minnesota Report: Water Quality Hinges on Tillage Tradeoffs
Download the MPCA TMDL Report.
Visit the MPCA Impaired Waters/TMDL Website
Visit Minnesota-Mississippi Rivers: Minnesota River Basin Data Center


MPCA Report: The Future Is Written in Water: How does Minnesota restore waters impaired by pollution? Clean and abundant water symbolizes the good life in Minnesota; the first peoples called our state the Land of Sky Blue Waters and that remains our identity. Yet, like a loved old photograph, our ideals about water could be fading away. Despite successes in regulating point source pollution, our waters now face widespread stresses from land use and daily life that now outweigh the impact of the big point sources of water pollution. Impaired waters are literally everyone’s problem, because every household and business is a nonpoint source of water pollution. If our individual choices protect Minnesota’s water resources, we will all have a direct hand in writing the future and preserving Minnesota’s legacy of clean and bountiful water.

Click here to View Complete Article By Ralph Pribble of the MPCA.
More About the Clean Water Partnership Program

Sediment Retention in the Mississippi River Leads to Coastal Wetland Loss. The same forces that are causing backwaters in the Upper Mississippi Basin to fill with sediment are also contributing to the loss of land through subsidence on the Gulf Coast. The Louisiana coast is a product of sediment deposition by the Mississippi River following the latest rise in sea level about 5,000 years ago. Sediment loads carried to the Mississippi Delta have decreased from 1,576,000 tons per day in the 1950’s to about 219,000 tons per day in more recent years. The stabilization of the Mississippi River's channel has also cut off seasonal sediment-laden overbank flows that once nourished adjacent wetland areas. Much of the Louisiana coast now suffers from a lack of fresh water and sediment inputs from the Mississippi River. Since the river is no longer free to alter its course and inundate coastal areas, the effects of human and natural forces promoting wetland deterioration are compounded. The sediment that does reach the coast is being deposited in deeper ocean waters. Consequently, coastal wetlands are being lost at a rate between 1,000 and 3,000 acres per year. For for more information visit:
LACoast
UNO Coastal Research Laboratories
Union of Concerned Scientists
EPA Overview of Mississippi River Challenges

[Ed. Note: Can't find something you thought was here? Articles and links from this column move from here to "Archived Feature Articles" in the UMBSN "News Archive" menu. You should find what you are looking for there.]