Amendment News:
Darby Nelson, president of Conservation Minnesota's board and a member of the Lessard/Sams Outdoor Heritage Council, reflects on how a recent paddling trip on the Minnesota River ties in with the Council's work.
Having just come off five days of paddling on the Minnesota River, Tom Meersman’s story (StarTribune, July 30) about pollution problems on the Zumbro River struck a responsive chord. Meersman writes of a Rochester man’s complaint about violations of the 50 foot buffer strips along public waterways. Those violations aggravate pollution of the Zumbro.
I saw those same kinds of violations during our travels on the Minnesota River this past week. In one case the corn rows were about as close to the edge of the eight foot high bank as farm machinery could get without tumbling into the river. We also watched unfenced cattle amble down to the river and defecate into the water.
How do Meersman’s story and my observations relate to the Outdoor Heritage Fund or Clean Water Fund to clean up our state’s waters? You’ll see.
Planting crops to the very edge of a riverbank significantly increases soil erosion and transport of nutrients and pesticides into water bodies. Cattle urine and cattle manure add further significant shots of nutrients into our rivers. The purpose of a 50 foot buffer is to provide a protective zone between the river bank and crop rows where tree and other plant roots will hold the soils in place reducing erosion. Buffers also retard the flow of agricultural chemicals off the land into water bodies protecting habitat for fish and wildlife.
I am struck by the paradox. Minnesotans voted to tax themselves and to dedicate two-thirds of the money to protect, enhance and restore habitats and to clean up our state’s waters. Yet, several hundred thousands of acres, possibly more, are in open violation of the buffer strip law. Enforcement is minimal at best. We must not forget that rivers and streams and lakes belong to the public.
I found bright spots in my few days on the river as well. I saw many places where flood plain lands were not under cultivation, but had been put into either CRP or RIM programs. Lots of farmers have signed up for these important conservation programs. Board of Water and Soil Resources staff have told me it made notable improvement in water quality of the Minnesota. Many of these easements run out in time, so these programs don’t all protect rivers in perpetuity.
Unfortunately, conservation easements and heritage money expenditures are countered by the thousands of acres in violation of the buffer strip requirement.
I recommend reading Meersman’s article.
Darby Nelson
