From farm fields to small towns, from big cities to cabin country, every Minnesotan should be alarmed at a report issued Wednesday that detailed the dismal conditions of the state’s waterways.

Half of the streams and lakes in southern Minnesota are not fishable or swimmable, according to a years long study of the state’s watersheds by the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency.

While the state has not examined all of the watersheds in southern Minnesota, it has completed a study of the Le Sueur River watershed that includes Mankato and land to the south where drainage feeds into the Le Sueur River. Of the streams in that watershed, the MPCA study showed only between 0 and 20 percent were swimmable or useable for recreation. Only 20 to 40 percent of the lakes were swimmable.

When it comes to streams supporting aquatic life and fishing, the Le Sueur River watershed ranks low again with only 0 to 20 percent of all streams fully supporting aquatic life.

The southern part of the state was also shown to have the highest levels of nitrogen, phosphorus and suspended solids. Again, researchers point out this is due to farm field runoff and run off from urban areas.

Researchers at the MPCA say some of the water quality problems stem from agriculture runoff and tiling farm fields that has increased in the last five years. They also point out the state must slow the flow of runoff from cities that also is detrimental to water quality.

Still, numerous parts of the report show matter-of-factly that waterways in areas of the state that are heavily farmed contain the highest levels of pollutants, including nitrogen, phosphorus and suspended solids.

The MPCA tracks these pollutants through a network of 200 monitoring sites.

The report states: “Watersheds that are heavily farmed tend to have high levels of nitrogen, phosphorus, and suspended solids in their waters, while watersheds that are heavily developed tend to have medium levels of these pollutants.”

The report is helpful for Minnesotans who want to take action. It provided solid scientific evidence on the problems and the sources of the water quality problems. The MPCA reporting has been recognized as a “top tier” ranking in the country by the Environmental Protection Agency, an honor only three other states have achieved.

The report also suggests common sense solutions. In areas where agricultural runoff and pollutants are the problem, it suggests stream buffers, nutrient and manure management, restoring wetlands and other forms of water storage to stabilize stream flows and channels.

Urban areas must install more runoff controls like holding ponds and better site planning, rain gardens that stop runoff and adding to wetlands.

The MPCA report also recommends a specific plan for the Le Sueur River watershed that involves targeted amounts of land to be put into each of the water quality improvement strategies.

The report has drawn criticism from farm groups who feel they’re being singled out. But if one looks deeply in the report, it makes recommendations for improving water quality in the metro areas of the state by changing urban runoff practices.

So we’re all in this together. But we must start taking it seriously. The MPCA report is a solid piece of scientific research and provides observed details on the nature of the problem.

Minnesotans have the tools and knowledge on how to improve our water, now we just have to have the will, political and moral, to do it.

 

— Mankato Free Press, April 30