Slide 1: Minnesota's Nutrient Reduction Strategy: Tracking Progress
Minnesota’s Nutrient Reduction Strategy Tracking Progress in the Mississippi Headwaters State Katrina Kessler|MPCA Assistant Commissioner Strategy implementation to reduce nutrients in water Large‐scale Changes in Changes in Local Program Rural & Urban Water Watershed Advances Approach Lands
Slide 2: Nutrient Reduction Strategy 5-year Progress Report: Presentation Outline
Nutrient Reduction Strategy 5‐year Progress Report Photo credit: Karla Lundstrom https://www.pca.state.mn.us/water/nutrient‐reduction‐strategy Presentation Outline Progress Part 1 Progress Part 2 Progress Part 3 Progress Part 4 Large‐scale Changes in Changes in Local Program Rural & Urban Water Wate
Slide 3: More than 30 program advances since 2014
Minnesota Clean Water Fund – boosted state BMP $ More than 30 program advances since 2014 Education, Outreach Watershed Voluntary Programs Regulatory Programs and Research Partnerships and Tools Nitrogen Smart Minnesota Agricultural Municipal and Watershed All 30+ programs described in: tra
Slide 4: Minnesota Agricultural Water Quality Certification
Minnesota Agricultural Water Quality Certification Voluntary Partnership: • Producers • Government agencies • Private sector WQ certified farmers get: • 10 yrs of regulatory certainty • Priority $ for new practices • Community recognition Growth since 2015: • 900+ farms • 600,000+ acres • 1800+ new
Slide 5: MN Groundwater Protection Rule and Wastewater Phosphorus Permitting
MN Groundwater Protection Rule Nitrogen fertilizer restrictions adopted in 2019 Fall N fertilizer restrictions in vulnerable areas BMPs can phase from voluntary to regulatory in drinking water supply management areas, depending on nitrate levels/trends & BMP adoption rates 2.6 million acres <100,000
Slide 6: Wastewater Permitting Program – Nitrogen
Wastewater Permitting Program – Nitrogen (N) N Wastewater N strategy ‐ steps: 1. Monitor influent & effluent nitrogen 2. Evaluate N reduction optimization 3. Develop N management plan templates 4. Encourage voluntary N removal when upgrading facility 5. Establish N effluent limits – after nitrate wa
Slide 7: Minnesota's watershed approach aims to meet local and downstream needs
Minnesota’s watershed approach aims to meet local & downstream needs Watershed load reduction targets – to collectively achieve downstream load reduction goals Milestone/Interim goals Final goals
Slide 8: Minnesota's watershed approach works at multiple scales
Minnesota’s watershed approach works at multiple scales Watershed science informing Smaller‐scale focus Farm and field‐scale local planning across the watersheds implementation & entire state monitoring New private‐public collaborative watershed partnerships developing Cannon River Agricultural Coll
Slide 9: Progress with BMP adoption: new online BMP tracking system
Presentation Outline: progress with BMP adoption Progress Part 1 Progress Part 2 Progress Part 3 Progress Part 4 Large‐scale Changes in Changes in Local Program Rural & Urban Water Watershed Advances Approach Lands New on‐line BMP tracking System at multiple scales subwatersheds to statewide BMPs ad
Slide 10: Statewide tracking example: new acres of living cover added each year
Statewide tracking example: New acres of living cover added each year through gov’t programs Government Program BMP adoption 2014‐18 compared to scale of adoption goals for 2025 6.8 million acres 4,500,000 4.9 million acres 4,000,000 3,500,000 3,000,000 Note: This does not Acres Affected 2,500,000 i
Slide 11: Trends in the water: are practices adopted at needed scales?
How can we tell if practices are being adopted at needed scales? A. Adoption through government support In combination programs (previous 3 slides) indicates MN is falling B. Indicators of broader overall adoption short of Nutrient Strategy BMP scenarios 1. Census of Agriculture and surveys 2. Satel
Slide 12: 10-year and 20-year nutrient concentration trends
10‐year nutrient concentration trends Nitrate – increasing or Phosphorus – decreasing no significant trend or no significant trend P FWMC From Met Council 2018 From MPCA 2018 20‐year nutrient concentration trends Phosphorus (~1999‐2018) Nitrate (~1999‐2018) 21 – decreasing (15‐56%) 3 – decreasing 6
Slide 13: More precipitation leading to higher nutrient loads
More precipitation leading to higher nutrient loads Source: DNR State Climatology Office and the DNR Watershed Health Assessment Framework Nitrate and phosphorus loads Mississippi River at Red Wing Nitrate loads increasing Phosphorus loads with no detected since late 1990’s trend since late 1990’s 7
Slide 14: In Conclusion / Thank You!
In Conclusion • 5‐year progress report recently completed ‐ found at: 2020 State Water Plan: https://www.pca.state.mn.us/water/nutrient‐reduction‐strategy Water and Climate • Advanced 30+ large‐scale programs affecting nutrients • Agricultural BMP adoption not keeping pace with scenarios outlined in