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Water BilllBoard <br />the Southern Red River Basin Regional <br />Hydrogeologic Assessment. In addition, the <br />Steams and Mower County Geologic Atlases <br />and the Southwest Regional Hydrogeologic <br />Assessment are underway and will be completed <br />by the end of this biennium or early in the next <br />biennium. New county geologic atlas projects <br />will be started soon in Goodhue County and <br />another county yet to be determined. An <br />additional regional hydrogeologic assessment <br />will also be started in the coming year in the <br />Upper Minnesota River Basin. <br />For further information about this program, <br />please contact either Sarah Tufford, DNR <br />Division of Waters, at 612-297-2431; or David <br />Southwick, MGS, at 612-627-4780. <br />ri rillin <br />Also funded during the recent legislative session <br />was a program to drill test holes to characterize <br />potential water supply sources in southwestern <br />Minnesota. The Minnesota Water Well <br />Contractors Association initiated the proposal for <br />this funding to address the possible sources of <br />underground water in a region of the state that <br />has been chronically short of water and the <br />home of many conflicts over water supplies. <br />An amount of $50,000 was appropriated from <br />the General Fund to be matched by an equal <br />amount of money from non-state sources for a <br />total program budget of $100,000 for the <br />biennium. These funds will support drilling of <br />about 20 test holes on a systematic basis. <br />Samples will be taken to determine the geologic <br />characteristics at depth and to locate possible <br />aquifers. Priority locations for drilling will be <br />selected based on the likelihood of finding an <br />aquifer and on the need for information by the <br />local contributor of funds. <br />For further information about this effort, please <br />contact Brian Rongitsch, DNR Division of <br />Waters, at 612-296-0434. <br />r ittin require nt for <br />all feedlots <br />New legislation passed in the spring of 1995 <br />changes permitting requirements for some small <br />feedlots. In the past, owners of feedlots with 10 <br />or more animal units* were required to apply for <br />a state feedlot permit. Now, if a feedlot owner <br />has a facility that is outside of a shoreland area <br />and has less than 50 animal units, no feedlot <br />permit application will be required. These new <br />rules apply to permits issued by counties and to <br />permits issued by the Minnesota Pollution <br />Control Agency directly. Please contact Dave <br />Nelson of the MPCA for more information at 612- <br />296-9274. <br />*a unit of measure used to compare differences <br />in the production of animal manures by livestock <br />or poultry <br />oifictio o individual <br />onsite system requirements <br />The Legislature recently provided local units of <br />government with additional time to bring local <br />ordinances in line with state individual sewage <br />treatment system rules. Local units of <br />government now have until January 1, 1998, to <br />bring local ordinances governing septic systems <br />in line with new state rules. <br />An additional change in the law provides an <br />exemption to farmers regarding licensing <br />requirements for pumping and disposing of <br />sewage. The new legislation states that a farmer <br />7 <br />