Farmer Spotlight: The Story of a Grassed Waterway
Over twenty years ago, the Peine family installed a grassed waterway on their farm in Hampton Township in the Trout Brook watershed. Grassed waterways are a type of conservation practice typically installed in agricultural areas. They're installed where there is concentrated water flow over the land and help reduce soil erosion. Over time, perhaps twenty to thirty years, sediment that accumulates makes them less effective. "The water was no longer doing what we wanted it to," Dave Peine said. They got in touch with the SWCD.
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The landowners were seeing erosion and soil loss in their field.
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The Dakota County SWCD worked with the Peines to design and reconstruct a 1,300-foot long grassed waterway, providing cost-share funding through the Incentive Payment Practices Program for rural landowners.
"We get quite a bit of water that goes through there and the grassed waterway helps keep the soil from washing away," said Dave Peine. "The SWCD staff were really easy to work with - (they) just worked well and knew what they were doing."
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First the area was re-graded in early summer, and accumulated sediment was removed.
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The waterway was smoothed, then seeded with a perennial grass and oats seed mix.
Straw mulch was spread to reduce erosion until the vegetation established itself, and bio-logs were installed temporarily, to slow and disperse runoff.
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After just one week, the vegetation started to emerge.
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After a few weeks, the seeded grassed waterway had established and the bio-logs were removed.
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Grassed waterways are just one of the many management practices available in our conservation toolkit that we can help landowners plan and install. They slow erosion over the landscape, keeping soil in place and reducing the amount of soil (and thus, phosphorus) that makes its way into local waterways. That runoff can cause sedimentation, algae blooms, drops in dissolved oxygen, or lessened water clarity in local waterbodies - but grassed waterways help reduce it!
"Conservation is preserving what we have," Peine said. "We can't just let everything erode away - we've got to try to save what we have."
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A Story of Two Raingardens
Anthony grew up in Chicago. Ten years ago, he and his wife Melissa moved to Burnsville. Anthony likes gardening (especially when it can be environmentally friendly) and learning new skills. In fact, three years ago, he and Melissa planted a large native garden in their front yard, but now they were interested in the idea of a raingarden.
Julie grew up a self-described "Air Force brat," living in North Dakota, California, and England before settling in Minnesota. She's lived in South Saint Paul since 1994, where she works as a 911 operator. Her hobby, she says, is running - she's completed seventeen marathons! In early 2018, she saw a post about garden workshops and decided to check it out.
In April of 2018, Julie and Anthony - along with hundreds of others - took the plunge and signed up for workshops through the Dakota SWCD's Landscaping for Clean Water program.
The program offers a series of steps for interested folks: first, an introductory workshop, to learn the basics of raingardens and native plants. Next, a design course, to actually dig into a specific design on your own property. Finally, the opportunity to apply for a grant, which includes both site visits (and technical assistance) and a $250 grant award for those who complete their project (with funding supplied by local watershed organizations!)
In May, Julie and Anthony both got the official notification - they'd each been selected to receive a Landscaping for Clean Water grant!
As summer bloomed, and May turned to June, Anthony and Julie got to work.
Anthony and Melissa used their experience from past gardening to dig into the raingarden construction. "Installation and planting took one VERY long weekend of preparing the area, with finishing touches put on the weekend after," Anthony said. "It was physically demanding—but it was well worth the effort. The whole process was very rewarding."
Julie's project took more than one weekend - but she still got it done before the grant deadline a few weeks later. "It was definitely a learning experience!" she said. "I am so thankful that the SWCD staff were there to walk me through it. The fact that I did each step myself made me appreciate my garden all the more!" With a smile, she added, "My new hobby is gardening."
Anthony and Julie completed their gardens and received their grant awards in mid-summer, but their raingarden journeys were just beginning.
With big rains over the summer, they got to see their gardens fill with the runoff they'd directed there from their roofs. Then they'd watch the water slowly drain into the soil, aided by the plants they'd chosen - providing, as Julie said, "a benefit to the environment: pollution control, flooding protection, habitat creation and water conservation!"
"I love the look of it," Anthony said, reflecting in the fall. "It replaced just a patch of useless grass. I’m excited to see it continue to flourish. In one summer the plants got huge! It’ll be a source of pride in the future as we see the garden mature and serve its functional purpose."
When we asked Julie how she feels about her raingarden now, she said, "Proud! The experience was educational, fun - and hard at times - but such a cool thing! My garden is beautiful, in my humble opinion, and will only get more so as my plants grow year to year. I highly recommend the program to everyone!"
Anthony and Julie were just two of our grant recipients in 2018; across the county, 66 other homes joined them in designing and installing beautiful new gardens (and hundreds of others attended workshops, designed planting plans, and used that knowledge to plant gardens on their own!) You could join Anthony, Julie, and your other neighbors next year. Read on for dates of our upcoming workshops and be part of the 2019 Landscaping for Clean Water crew!
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Landscaping for Clean Water 2019:
Workshop Schedule
The list of upcoming introductory workshops is below.
All workshops are an hour long and start at 6 pm.
Anyone is welcome at any LCW workshop, no matter where you live! All ages welcome.
Farmington - Monday, March 11
Extension & Conservation Center, 4100 220th St W
Burnsville - Tuesday, March 12
Burnsville City Hall, 100 Civic Center Parkway
Apple Valley - Wednesday, March 13
Apple Valley Municipal Center, 7100 West 147th Street
South Saint Paul - Wednesday, March 20
City Council Chambers, 125 3rd Avenue N
Lakeville - Monday, April 8
Lakeville City Hall, 20195 Holyoke Avenue
Burnsville - Tuesday, April 9
Burnsville City Hall, 100 Civic Center Parkway
Apple Valley - Tuesday, April 16
Apple Valley Municipal Center, 7100 West 147th Street
Eagan - Monday, April 29
Eagan Civic Arena, 3870 Pilot Knob Road
Minnesota Zoo (Apple Valley) - Tuesday, June 4
Minnesota Zoo, 13000 Zoo Blvd, Main (South) Entrance
Rosemount - Thursday, June 27
Steeple Center, 14375 S Robert Trail
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SWCD Board Supervisors Re-Elected
All Soil & Water Conservation Districts (SWCDs) in Minnesota are governed by a board of elected Supervisors. Two of our Supervisors at Dakota County SWCD were up for re-election in November (the Supervisors serve staggered terms, so all five are never up for re-election at the same time.)
Those two supervisors are Jayne Hager Dee, of Northfield (representing District 5, see below), and Bruce Johnson, of Burnsville (representing District 4, see below.) Both were re-elected and were sworn into their new terms of office on January 3, 2019.
Congratulations to Jayne and Bruce! We look forward to continuing to work with you on local conservation!
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Looking Back at Our First Year of Cover Crop Incentives
Cover crops emerging on Duane Kimmes' land.
Farmers who are interested in adding cover crops on their land can get assistance from the Dakota County SWCD with seeding and conservation planning. They can also apply for financial incentives. Farmers who apply under the program could be eligible to receive $25 per acre per year under a 1-year contract, or $35 per acre per year under a 3-year contract, for up to 100 acres.
The following Dakota County landowners were this year's inaugural cover crop incentive recipients!
- Bryce Kimmes, Marshan Township
- Duane Kimmes, Marshan Township
- Steve Wagner, Nininger Township
- Nick Weiland, Hampton Township
Thanks to these landowners who are taking steps for their land, our water, and a sustainable watershed! These four landowners join other farmers across the county who are already using cover crops on their land. The practice of using cover crops to build soil health has been around for a long time!
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Looking Back at Fall 2018
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Lower Mississippi River Watershed Management Organization Boat Tour
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On October 10th, Dakota County SWCD Board and Staff joined city and county officials, watershed organization staff and board members, engineers, artists, and other professionals interested in water issues for an educational tour on the Mississippi River. The tour, hosted by the Lower Mississippi River Watershed Management Organization (LMRWMO), included talks on topics like native tribes' history on the river, and recent stormwater projects in the watershed.
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Imagine a Day Without Water
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October 10th was also Imagine a Day Without Water! This event was started to bring people together and spark conversation about the value of water in people's everyday lives. In 2018, more than 1,100 organizations participated around the world. Here in Dakota County, the SWCD teamed up with the Minnesota Zoo in Apple Valley. Dozens of Zoo visitors met native freshwater mussels and Minnesota turtles; played games about turtle conservation and raingardens; answered trivia questions; and signed the SWCD clean water pledge map! They learned about how clean water affects wildlife, plants, and humans alike.
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Minnesota Association of Soil & Water Conservation Districts: Annual Convention
December 10th and 11th marked the 82nd annual meeting of the Minnesota Association of Soil & Water Conservation Districts (MASWCD)! Staff and Board Supervisors from the district attended business meetings, educational presentations, and award ceremonies during the event in Bloomington, MN. District Manager Brian Watson and Board Supervisor Jayne Hager-Dee co-led a session called "What Does it Mean to be a Policy Setting Entity?," and our Outstanding Conservationist of 2018, Dean Davis, was officially recognized on a statewide platform for his accomplishments!
To kick off the convention, the MASWCD played their new short film, talking about the amazing work and impact of SWCDs around the state. Dakota County SWCD is proud to be a featured district. Watch the video below!
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What exactly do SWCDs do for conservation? What kinds of projects happen around the state? Who works for SWCDs, and who works with SWCDs? Learn it all in this beautiful short film!
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What's Going On with the Cannon 1W1P?
1W1P: One Watershed, One Plan.
Planning partners in the Cannon River Watershed have been working hard on a Comprehensive Watershed Management Plan (the "One Plan") that will direct activities and funding in the watershed over the next 10 years.
Where is the Cannon River Watershed?
This is the first time all of these partners (including staff from six counties and SWCDs, plus many other representatives from cities, invested organizations and state agencies) have officially come together for planning. Coming together as a larger group has allowed for ideas and knowledge to transfer across county lines, and new partnerships and trusting relationships have developed among staff as well as elected officials. This alone results in a stronger group that is ready to take on the challenges of implementing the Plan! While the group is eager to get to the implementation stage, the planning process has laid a vital foundation.
The planning partners anticipate that a draft plan will go out for 60-day public review in early 2019 and that they will have a Board of Water and Soil Resources (BWSR) approved plan by summer 2019.
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Ask a Resource Conservationist!
>>>
Dear Dakota SWCD,
I'm interested in the Groundwater Protection Act (the nitrogen pollution rule.) What do Dakota County wells show? Is there nitrogen pollution here in Dakota County?
- Wondering about Water
>>>
Dear Wondering About Water,
Thanks for your question!
For those who haven't heard of it before, a quick refresher - the Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) released a proposed Groundwater Protection Rule this year. In the MDA's own words, "The purpose of the rule is to minimize potential fertilizer sources of nitrate pollution to the state’s groundwater and protect our drinking water...The MDA made changes to the June 2017 draft of the rule as a result of public feedback." As of October 2018, the primary provisions of the Rule have been approved.
Fertilizer contains nitrogen, a nutrient required for plant growth. Nitrogen is very soluble in water and if it is not utilized by crops, this can result in infiltration through the soil to underground groundwater supplies as nitrate, a form of nitrogen.
91% of Dakota County residents' drinking water comes from groundwater, whether it's a private well or from a city water source. Nitrate in drinking water can be harmful to health and put people at higher risk of developing anemia, cardiovascular disease, lung disease, sepsis, and some metabolic problems. Infants six months of age or younger that consume water (or formula mixed with water) that is high in nitrate - above the drinking water standard of 10 mg per liter - can develop “blue baby syndrome” (methemoglobinemia). The nitrate the baby consumes is converted into nitrite, which disrupts how the blood is able to carry oxygen (and makes the skin appear blue.)
Rural parts of Dakota County, especially southern and eastern Dakota County, are considered areas vulnerable to nitrate pollution of groundwater, and have historically seen elevated nitrate levels in well water. In November, the Dakota County SWCD and MDA hosted a free water testing clinic for people on private wells. We tested 119 samples that afternoon, and 21% were over the safe limit of 10 mg/L. This coincides with overall rates found across the county. In an ongoing county-wide study, 29% of private wells sampled exceeded recommended the maximum nitrate levels of 10 mg/L.
Dakota County Groundwater staffs were at the clinic and provided resources and recommendations to these homeowners on how to mitigate exposure to nitrates, as well as other potential contaminants, such as pesticides. Research finds that the higher the nitrate levels, the more likely the presence of pesticides in drinking water.
If your drinking water comes from a private well, you can get a test kit at our office! Call 651-480-7786 for more information. Learn more about nitrate and other drinking water contaminants here.
- Your friendly local resource conservationist
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Upcoming Events
February 5: 5th Annual Nitrogen Conference | A conference for agricultural producers and professionals on nitrogen inputs, crop production, and environmental stewardship! Conference is in Mankato, MN. Learn more: https://extension.umn.edu/event/2019-nitrogen-conference
February 19: 11th Annual Nutrient Management Conference | Another conference for agricultural producers and professionals, on managing phosphorus and sulfur, applying nitrogen under irrigation, and other nutrient topics. Conference is in St. Cloud, MN. Learn more: https://extension.umn.edu/event/2019-nutrient-management-conference
February 6 and 22: Volunteer Trainings for Landscaping for Clean Water | Are you interested in become a volunteer for our Landscaping for Clean Water workshops? Are you looking for volunteer opportunities in the evenings, to help local water quality and pollinator habitat? Learn how to assist people in designing raingardens and native gardens! Interested and eligible volunteers must attend one of the two trainings. Contact us directly if you're interested.
Monday, March 4, at 6 pm: Free Garden Maintenance Workshop | Join us in Mendota Heights for a free workshop on maintaining your raingarden, native garden, or shoreline planting. Learn what to do in each season and how to handle common challenges. Learn more.
Wednesday, March 6: Crops Day! This free, half-day event offers presentations on current topics in agriculture that will be relevant to farmers in Dakota County. Lunch is provided. Email nico0071@umn.edu for more information and pre-registration instructions.
Monday, March 11, at 6 pm: Free Landscaping for Clean Water Workshop | It's the first of ten educational, introductory workshops on native plants, raingardens, and restoring shorelines! The workshop is free, and you'll gain access to hands-on design classes and grants! Learn more.
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Quiz Yourself: Salt & Ice!
Minnesota winters bring ice, and ice brings salt.
What do you know about how this impacts the county?
- 1 - What does the United States use the most salt for each year? Rank these uses from greatest amount of salt used each year, to least.
- A) Food processing
- B) De-icing/ice control on roads, parking lots, etc.
- C) Selling through distributors, like grocery stores and warehouses
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- 2 - Salt lowers the freezing temperature of water, reducing ice - although it can also damage masonry, and get washed into waterways, where it:
- A) Can make the water uninhabitable to native plants and fish
- B) Can make drinking water unsafe for people on low-sodium diets
- C) Can cause biological dead zones due to changes in water density
- D) All of the above
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- 3 - Once lakes or river are contaminated by salt, how long does it take to remove it?
- A) One season of treatment
- B) Over ten years of treatment
- C) None of the above - once it's in the water, it's a permanent pollutant
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- 4 - How much sodium chloride do you need to melt ice on about 10 feet of sidewalk?
- A) One small handful
- B) Two small handfuls
- C) Ten small handfuls
Answers are at the end of the newsletter!
How did you do?
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Reader Survey
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Whether you're a regular reader or this is your first newsletter; whether you read the whole thing or just skim through; help us out by taking a short survey using the button below. It'll take you just 3-5 minutes, and will help us tailor future newsletter content to be even more relevant and interesting for our readers.
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You can now follow us on social media!
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Have a safe and relaxing winter - and stay tuned for the next newsletter in April!
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Trivia Answers:
- The highest use is (b), by far! Almost half of all salt usage in the United States is for de-icing highways alone. (A) is the lowest usage on this list.
- The answer is (d), all of the above. Freshwater can very quickly and easily be contaminated to the point that it's unsafe for people, plants, and animals. Adding salt to water also changes its density, making it less likely that water layers will shift and mix, which means you can get layers without enough dissolved oxygen for fish to survive.
- The answer is (c) - none of the above. We currently have no economically or technologically feasible way to remove sodium from our waterways.
- The answer is (a) - you need just one small handful of rock salt for ten feet of sidewalk. There should be about three inches between each salt crystal. And if it's colder than 15 degrees F, salt doesn't work! Skip it.
How did you do?
Do you have an idea for a great trivia question for a future newsletter? Share it with us!
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