2002-07-25_AgendaPacket - Laserfiche WebLink

Home

~'3T~ord The ~i~atershed A newsletter from the Edited By: Vol. 2 No. 1 Blue ~ 'ver Basin itiative ItBE ~ Kristin Mato ~. ,., ~_ ,~ _~ ~~ . - ...,_ Water Quality ®f The nesota °ver ften we do not consider where our water is going. The Watonwan and LeSueur Rivers drain into the Blue Earth River which then drains into the Minnesota River. Because we are all connected. by the water it is important for us to consider the effects of our actions on the citizens living down stream from us. Major Pollutants There are several pollutants in the waters of our rivers and streams. The major ones are sediments, bacteria, and nutrients- mainly nitrogen and phosphorous. TSS [Total Suspended Solids] is basically suspended soil particles and organic matter in the water. This is what makes the water look dirty. Fine soil particles, like clays, become suspended and do not settle out until the water stops flowing. Sediment reduces the amount of light reaching aquatic plants, impacts fish spawning sites and limits aquatic bio-diversity in the stream. Sediment also carries phosphorous into the water. TSS includes algae and other organic material floating in the water. Bacteria and pathogens can carry disease that affects humans. Fecal coliform is an indicator bacteria that other, more harmful types of bacteria or pathogens may be present in the water. For drinking water, the water quality standard is zero. Surface waters have a "swimmable" standard of less than 200 colonies per Inside This Issue: Understanding Sustainability See Page 2 Basin Buddies See Page 3 Earthworms See Page 5 milliliters. Phosphorous can cause excess algae growth. The,algae growth blocks light to aquatic plants resulting in reduced vegetation to produce oxygen and provide habitat. Once the algae dies and decomposes it uses the oxygen in the water which may not support fish and other organisms living in the water. Nitrogen is more ofa concern for drinking water rather than surface water in Minnesota. The 10 mg nitrate- nitrogen per liter applies to drinking water to protect infants from methemoglobinemia. Un-ionized ammonia can be toxic to fish and other aquatic life. Hypoxia in the Gulf of Mexico is a nitrogen issue. Our Contributions To The Minnesota River The Greater Blue Earth River Watershed contributes about 50% of the pollutant load to the Minnesota River, yet geographically, we only make up 20% of the Minnesota River Basin. Phosphorous in Minnesota River ~~ -~ 4 -~ ~y , Greater Blue Earth River Waten;hed Lower Minnesota Watershed ^ Other Watersheds Nitrogen in Minnesota River ,-- f <. ~.,~- Greater Blue Earth River Watershed Lower Minnesota Watershed Other Watersheds TSS in Minnesota River Greater Blue Earth River Watershed Lower Mirrnesota Watershed ^ Other 1atersheds -Page 1-