1. Stearns CountySoil and WaterConservation DistrictDennis Fuchs, Administrator

2. Agenda Background Prioritizing and targeting resource concerns Feedlots and nutrient management Education and outreach Water quality Partners 3. Stearns County Population of 150,642 people 33 cities, 34 townships Ranked number one in Minnesota for: Farm receipts Milk cows Cattle and calves 860,493 total ac 3368 farms 708,284 ac farm land 527 lakes and wetlands 668 miles of rivers and streams 4. Targeting Stearns County livestock feedlots 5. Problem Feedlot Targeting Minnesota Feedlot Annualized Runoff Model (MinnFARM) An Evaluation System to Estimate Annual Pollutant Loading and Prioritize Feedlot Pollution Potential Developed by USDA-ARS refined by UM Proximity to surface waters Coarse textured soils Impaired waters Source Water/Wellhead Protection Area USDA-SWCD Local Work Group/SWCD Board/Water MgmtPlan/CFO/Producer motivation further refines priorities 6. Positive Impacts Ken Konz Vegetated Treatment Area32 lbs/year of phosphorus reduced 7. Positive Impacts Triple S Farms Vegetated Treatment Area47 lbs/year phosphorus reduced 8. Positive ImpactsPeter Walz Vegetated Treatment Area65 lbs/year phosphorus reduced 9. Positive Impacts Richard Buermann Animal Waste Storage Facility62 lbs/year phosphorus reduced 10. Positive Impacts Klehr Family Farm Vegetated Treatment Area56 lbs/year phosphorus reduced 11. Financial Programs USDA-NRCS Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) Mississippi River Basin Initiative (MRBI) Board of Water and Soil Resources (BWSR) State Cost Share Feedlot Water Quality Clean Water Fund EPA/MPCA 319 12. Environmental Quality IncentivesProgram (EQIP)$3,000,000$2,500,000$2,000,000$1,500,000$1,000,000 $500,000 $0 13. EQIP (cont) 584 contracts $15,311,155 (1999-2011) 14. Nutrient Management Comprehensive Nutrient Management Plan (CNMP) EQIP provides financialincentive SWCD/NRCS and CertifiedCrop Advisors providetechnical assistance 15. Feedlots: Time and Money Staff time 240 hours/animal waste management system 40 hours/CNMP Cost Site dependent Easy fixes are done $50,000-$250,000+ Feedlots/CNMPs: 15-20 /yr 16. Unpermitted Manure StorageBasin Investigations 319 grant pays for basininvestigation Liner integrity Water table Targeted coarse texturedsoil and lakeshed areas 226 investigationscompleted/nearingcompletion Failed basins (>50%)targeted for repair orclosure (NRCS) 17. Education One-on-one Field days Value of Manure workshops (UM) CCA updates Discovery Farm On Farm Network 18. Manure Management & Equipment Field Day 19. Value of Manure Workshop 20. Certified Crop Advisor/Ag Professional Training 21. Discovery Farm Program Nick & Tara Meyer dairy farm Includes an edge-of-fieldmonitoring of surface runoff andtile drainage water Objective: gather water qualityinformation under real-worldconditions, providingpractical, credible, site-specificinformation to allow for betterfarm managementMark Lefebvre and Grant Pearson,decisions, supported by a better Stearns County SWCD, install the wing-understanding of the relationships wall for the flume which will be used tobetween land management andsample surface water runoffwater quality 22. On-Farm Network Guided Corn Stalk Nitrate Test Identify managementactivities that will result inimproved nitrogen useefficiency in cornproduction, therebyreducing the potential fornitrate loss to groundwaterand surface water. In 2010, 16 producersimplemented this practiceon 52 fields in StearnsCounty. In 2011 over 80 fieldsGrant Pearson and Mark Lefebvre, Stearns County SWCD, take guided corn stalk samples after maturity for an MRBI participant to determine whether sufficient nitrogenwas available to the crop. 23. Agricultural Environmental Quality Assurance A voluntary program forproducers to assistproducers in theassessment of theirmanagement practicesfor water, soil, odor &air, habitat andcommunity imageconcerns Provide assurance togovernmentalentities/public that farmsare managed to protectthe environment. 24. Anaerobic Digester Pilot research demonstrationon averaged sized dairy (50 to300 cows) Reduce environmentalconcerns and provideeconomic benefits to farmersand rural communities. Funding by (LCCMR) NRCS Environmental QualityLinda & Jerry JennissenIncentives ProgramJer-Lindy Farms North Fork Crow RiverWatershed District Stearns County SWCD. Field Day was held forparticipants with over 325people are estimated to haveattended. 25. Discovery Farm Field DayJuly, 2011 26. Media, Environmental Stressorsand Water Quality Trends 27. What are the headlines saying today? 28. Population160,000150,642140,000120,000100,000 95,400 197080,000 201060,00040,00020,000 0 29. Crop Production (bu)Corn (Grain)25Millions (bu)20151050 1950s2000s 30. Crop Production (ac)Corn (Grain) 180Thousands (ac) 160 140 120 10080604020 0 1950s2000s 31. Milk ProductionMilk1400Thousands (lbs)120010008006004002000 1950s2000s 32. Number of Cows70Thousands (no.)605040302010 0 1950s 2000s 33. Water Quality Trends The 2010 MPCAs Citizen Lake Monitoring Program 4 lakes show water quality declining 22 show no water quality trends 20 show water quality improvement(In 2003, only 5 lakes showed water quality trendimprovement) 34. The historical annual TP load from the Melrose SewageTreatment Plant (STP) discharge was estimated at 75mt/yr (MPCA, 1985). If it were evenly distributed acrossmonths, the May-September STP load would have been31 mt, as compared with the apparent 46 10 mtreduction in the SRCL inflow load. While the differencemay not be significant in the context of uncertainties in theflow and load data, it is possible that the additional loadreduction reflected implementation of nonpoint sourcecontrols in the watershed over this same period. Thedivergence of the load vs. flow regressions at highflows shown in Figure 9 supports that hypothesisbecause nonpoint sources would be expected todominate under those conditions.- Walker, William. Development of Phosphorus TMDL for The Sauk RiverChain of Lakes, Minnesota, 2009 35. Water Quality Trends P(Sauk River Chain of Lakes) 500 440 400Phosphorus (ppb) 300 200177 121 1000 1983 19952005 Goal 60 ppb? 36. Hoboken Creek WatershedStearns County SWCD received a grantin 2010 to identify which BestManagement Practices wouldadequately improve the quality ofrunoff from agriculture watershedswith impaired waters. The Hobokenstudy concluded that achieving the 65percent phosphorus reduction goal forthe Sauk Lake TMDL may beunattainable, even if the entirewatershed were to be planted tonative grasses. 37. PartnersUSDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) Staff 38. Partners: State Agencies Board of Water and Soil Resources Minnesota Department of Agriculture Minnesota Department of Natural Resources Minnesota Pollution Control Agency Minnesota Department of Health 39. PartnersPheasants Forever (PF)Farm Bill Biologist 40. West Central Technical Service Area Staff 41. Partners NGOs Environmental Initiative Minnesota Waters The Nature Conservancy Ducks Unlimited Great River Greening Resource Conservation and Development Councils Engineering firms And many others! 42. Stearns County Commissioners 43. Stearns County SWCD2011 BudgetTotal = $1,297,260$50,000 $187,260 County State $160,000 Fed $950,000Other 44. Stearns County SWCD Board 12 3 45 45. Stearns SWCD Staff 46. Stearns County SWCD110 2nd St. S., Suite 128, Waite Park, MN 56387320-251-7800 #3www.StearnsCountySWCD.net