Watershed Achievements Report

Watershed Minnesota River Achievements Basin Report 2008
Watershed Achievements Report Statewide 2015
Lower Minnesota River Watershed
Rush River Watershed TMDL
Implementation Project for Fecal
Coliform
The Rush River Watershed TMDL Project for Fecal
Coliform was not a complete success. During the course
of the project there were four different coordinators and
the project technician serving as interim coordinator
during coordinator vacancies. This led to a lot of time
being spent getting each new coordinator updated and
other project concerns not getting looked at or finished.
Two of the biggest problems facing the project
concerning BMPs were the downturn of small and
medium animal producers staying in animal agriculture
and the tight parameters of the best management
practices that were offered in the project plan. Larger
animal producers were already following BMPs that
were offered so they could retain their feedlot permits.
Smaller and older producers were getting out of animal
agriculture instead of upgrading. The Rush River
Watershed TMDL Project for Fecal Coliform restricted
most of the BMPs that were close and around feedlots
and facilities. When the program was amended to include
manure management in fields additional interest was
shown in the practices. But with our cold, wet spring in
2013 and 2014, not many practices were installed.
Upgrading septic systems was the most successful BMP
offered. Fifty MDA BMP loans were approved while
the project was ongoing. Alternative tile intakes were
another BMP that saw success. Thirty-one rock inlets were
installed and five tile intakes were removed.
The Rush River Watershed TMDL Project for Fecal
Coliform sent $105,700.00 back to Minnesota Pollution
Control Agency early, as it was evident that all the funds
would not be spent. Because of the lack of BMPs put on
the ground, $95,700.00 from Objective 1 was returned.
Having four different coordinators during the project,
Objective 5 would have unused funds from the grant so
$10,000.00 was returned.
Rush River watershed
The Rush River Watershed (RRW) is a rural watershed that
drains 257,770 acres (403 square miles) in Sibley, Nicollet
and McLeod counties. The RRW comprises 22% of the
total land area of the Lower Minnesota Watershed, a
major watershed of the Minnesota River Basin. There are
three branches to the Rush River: the north, middle and
south branches. All three of these branches drain into the
main stem of the river south of Henderson, Minnesota.
The watershed contains a population of just over
9,000 people (47% rural) and has four towns including
Gaylord, Gibbon, Lafayette and Winthrop. The Rush River
Watershed’s primary land use is agriculture, with 90% of
the watershed acreage utilized for producing crops such
as corn, soybeans, small grain and forage.
The 2004 Rush River Assessment Project determined the
water quality concerns of the Rush River Watershed to
be fecal coliform (FC) bacteria, TSS, TP and NO2+NO3-N.
The study also listed excessive stream flows and flooding
as further water quality concerns for the watershed.
Concurrently with this implementation project, a FC
TMDL study was completed in partnership with the Water
Resources Center at Minnesota State University, Mankato.
The elevated levels of FC bacteria have resulted in the
main stem and south branch of the Rush River being
listed on the 303(d) Impaired Waters list.
Goals
• Make significant progress on achieving the Rush River
TMDL for fecal coliform bacteria with a 30% reduction
in the monthly fecal coliform geometric means from
the FC TMDL Assessment Study.
• Increase the adoption of BMPs that reduce FC bacteria
levels in the Rush River.
• Continue to foster watershed stewardship and
community pride in clean water that achieves a legacy
beyond this implementation grant.
Minnesota Pollution Control Agency www.pca.state.mn.us 75