Farm Progress

Urban and rural citizens give input at governor's water summit

Governor calls on all Minnesota citizens to develop an ethic to protect water quality.

March 1, 2016

4 Min Read

More than 800 residents from around the state converged in St. Paul Saturday to attend the Governor’s Water Summit.

The event, convened by Gov. Mark Dayton, provided an opportunity for all to weigh in on water quality concerns. The governor called the summit in response to state agency reports about impaired water quality in some parts of the state, mostly where farms are located.

Dayton opened the summit with saying that the event was not called to assign blame but rather to assign solutions to water quality issues and to pay tribute to those who have worked to protect the state’s waters.

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He cited water quality program in Dakota and Lincoln counties and in Willmar as examples of efforts that should be emulated.

And on the other end of the spectrum, he castigated the lack of media coverage by a small southwestern newspaper editor who was quoted in a metro area newspaper as saying that “we live in an agricultural area and that’s just the way it is.”

“Farmers know what to do and we just need for all of them to do it,” Dayton said. “That’s the paradox of water quality.”

The governor concluded his opening remarks by saying the state does not need more laws, as they should be saved as a last resort measure. After receiving water quality reports from the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency about impaired waters over the last several years, environmentalists across the state have become more vocal about mandated water quality rules. MPCA’s April 2015 report, “Swimmable, fishable, fixable? What we’ve learned so far about Minnesota waters,” added fuel to the fire. The report noted that the agency had thus far looked at water quality in half of the state’s 81 major watersheds and found that waters in those heavily farmed watersheds had high levels of nitrogen, phosphorus and suspended solids.

“We need an ethic of clean water practices,” Dayton said. “In 2018 when the buffer law is in place, that ethic will be in place. Everyone will see every day that it is in place. Is that hopelessly naïve? Maybe so, but that is not the Minnesota I want to live in [without that ethic].”

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After Dayton concluded his remarks, summit attendees broke into groups to discuss various topics. With the time allotted for discussion, there was time to participate in two sessions. Those topics were covered investing in clean water with the Legacy Amendment funds; how to state waters; impact of extreme weather on water quality;  expanding cover crops and perennials; sustaining water supplies though efficiency and conservation; drinking water and wastewater infrastructure needs; water in the urban environment and managing stormwater runoff; stopping the spread of aquatic invasive species; water in the rural environment and balancing business profitability with water quality.

One farm organization estimated that about 10% of the attendees were farmers. And about 30 legislators attended, too.

Meeting with the press
In press conferences before and after the summit, Dayton said he planned to visit the state’s 87 counties in 86 days to continue the push for water quality.

“I’m going to say everywhere I go that water quality has got to the top priority,” he said. Solutions must come from the source of water quality problem and they need to start at the local level.

“Everyone can see what their neighbors are doing or not doing,” he said. “You need to say ‘do it.’

Dayton added: “What people do on their own land, it’s their business. What they do to water, it becomes everyone’s business.”

The governor also decided to hold a Water Action Week in the state in April. He said he learned a lot in the last week about regional and local programs, funding sources and various resources available for residents who are seeking support for water quality efforts. He said all these resources needed to be gathered in one online site for easy access by all. He would promote these resources while traveling around the state.

“We need to get citizens engaged,” he said. “We need to find a way to keep the momentum going.”

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