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Groundwater sustainability workshop evaluates Minnesota water supply The Water Resources Center and the Freshwater Society hosted a groundwater workshop at the St_ Paul Student Center November 12, 2008, with nearly 70 water scientists and water managers in atten- dance. Workshop organizers hoped to an- swer the question: what do we know, and what don't we know, about how to manage Minnesota's groundwater sustainability for the futw•e? The workshop steering group invited a range of technical experts from around the state as -ell as outside speak- ers, to work through the data gaps and modeling approaches needed to advance the understanding of groundwater resources in Minnesota. The workshop included presentations by Bruce Wilson, UM profes- sor in the Department of Bioproducts and Biosystems Engineering, who detailed the hydrological cycle and summarized water use by category in Minnesota. Barr Engi- veering hydrologist Ray Wuo1o, who de- veloped acomputer model that predicts the effect of increasing population on ground and surface water use, elaborated on water use in the metro area. Wuolo described measuring regional storage parameters to monitor water depletion, using models proactively rather than reactively, and "growing" models rather than continu- ally reinventing them. Howard Reeves, an hydrologist from the United States Geological Survey (USGS), spoke to Michigan's experience using a stake- holder group, the State Legislative Water Advisory Council, to pass new water laws. Kenneth Bradbury, research hydrologist for the Wisconsin Geo- logical and Natural History Survey, talked about the consequences of groundwater use and efforts in Wisconsin to measure the effects of a 2003 law that enhanced the state's authority to regulate groundwater quantity. Nebraska hydrologist Virginia McGuire (USGS) gave an assessment of the Ogallala Aquifer and discussed maintaining the flow in the Platte River through regulat- ing groundwater use for irrigation. 0 s Workshop participants developed ~' a list of research and data needs, as well as ideas for future workshops. The workshop was planned by a steering committee with represen- tatives fi•om the University of Minne- sota, the Freshwater Society, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, Met- ropolitan Council, Minnesota Depart- ment of Health, Minnesota Geological Survey, US Geological Survey, Minne- sota Ground Water Association, and the Environmental Quality Board.. To view the speaker presentations visit:www.freshwater.or~/ WRC Grants, eontinued~rom page 2 cycling of litter Hg, especially during the autumn litterfall period. Current field evi- dence on Hg cycling via decomposing litter in streams and rivers is limited. Nater and Finlay intend to examine how watershed land cover affects stream water chemistry and also how plant species composition influences litter decomposition and associ- ated 1Cg release and methylation in streams and rivers. The W RC receives funding from the United States Geological Survey (USGS) to award as seed money to university faculty working on water projects in the state. Faculty submit proposals which are evaluated by external reviewers. Funding decisions are made by a committee com- posed of WRC co-directors, USGS scien- tists, state agency scientists and faculty. ~~ ~ ~, Omnousbudgets and a hopeful future Governor Tim Pawlenty's proposed budget for fiscal year 2010-2011 demonstrates that the economic downturn will affect just about. everyone. Based on his proposed $151 million recurring cut to the University of Minnesota's biennial budget, the university could expect a reduction in state funding of anywhere between five and,eight percent. Also unknown is how the Minnesota State Legislature wilt implement the Clean Water, Land and Legacy Amendment passed in November-in particular, how it will distribute the incoming funds. The amendment will col- lect an additional three eights of one percent sales tax and distribute the revenue four ways: one third to a Clean Water Funtl, one third to an Outdoor Heritage Fund for habitat and wildlife preservation, and one third to be split between a Parks and Trails Fund and an Arts and Cultural Preservation Funtl. Rep. Mary Murphy (DFL-Hermantown) was named the chair of the House of Repre- sentative's Culture and Outdoor Resources Finance Committee established to oversee the amendment's investments. The Senate's Environment, Energy and Natural Resources Budget Division and its chair, Sen. Ellen Anderson (DFL-St. Paul), have established subcommittees specific to three of the amendment's four distinct areas-outdoor heritage, clean water, and parks and trails-to do the same: The Senate's Clean Water Subcommittee; chaired by Sen. Sandy Rummel (DFL-White Bear Lake), recently heard testimony from the Clean Water Council on its recommenda- tion to use $172 million of the water money to address impaired waters around the state. The Clean Water Council was created in 2006 to oversee the Clean Water Legacy Fund. Its role relative to the amendment-created Clean Water Fund and the Clean Water Subcommit- tee is yet to be sorted out. Estimates that the amendment would raise $300 million per year have been revised downwards due to the recession. Whatever the annual amount, the revenues will give water managers and advocates a substantial foothold in the fight to protect, preserve anal restore Minnesota's waters. --- _ ---- - March 2009