1. Upper Mississippi River Initiative Community Engagement for Clean Water

2. UMRI Mission: To empower local communities, cultivate conversations, and bring forth actions that will restore the soil, land and water of the Upper Mississippi River Watershed for generations here and yet to come.

3. Concerns UMRI Aims to Address
Millions spent on policy while water quality declines
Sedimentation
E-coli contamination
Catastrophic flood events
Eutrophication
Le Sueur River Assessment: River is changing
Top soil depletion
Degraded soil, unhealthy communities, poor water quality, and little habitat
Infrastructure failures – washouts, culvert sedimentation
Erosion

4. UMRI Strategies and Techniques
Learn from years of political ineffectiveness and listening to what works
Expand the reach of regenerative agriculture by re-initiating community conversations
Develop opportunities to engage rural and urban citizens on what affects water quality and how they can help improve it
Absentee landowner workshops and water monitoring, rain gardens, stormwater runoff education, etc
Build partnerships with organizations already working on the ground like LWV

5. Regenerative Agriculture “An approach to food and farming systems that aims to regenerate topsoil, increase biodiversity, mitigate changes in water cycle, enhance ecosystem services, and strengthen the health of farming communities." (Our Sustainable Future, www. csuchico.edu 2017)

6. Seth Watkins Video: Healthy Farms – Cleaner Water

7. Building a model of neighbors working with neighbors
Learn from those who have been successful at protecting our waters and share their stories
Seek common ground and Respect the realities of others
Everyone is trying to make a living but we can still work together to improve water quality, soil and community health
Seek cost effective strategies
Boots on the ground - Izaak Walton League members working in their communities

8. Minnesota River Actions
Assessing upstream drainage
Assessing River’s hydrologic changes and causes: flooding, erosion, sediment, and drainage
Engaging communities in discussions on the impacts of sedimentation and drainage

9. Cedar River and Tributaries Monitoring: Learning and Action
Issue:
High levels of fecal contamination observed at 83 sites over many stream conditions.
Solutions:
“Monitoring with a purpose” using teams of high school and college students, and Ikes Chapters
DNA sampling – human, cow, or pig
Productive discussions with counties and corporations
Public release of results regarding sources and solutions.
Press coverage
Moving the model to Lake Pepin and Beyond

10. Cedar River Watershed Monitoring

11. Winona County, MN: Water quality monitoring outreach
Community engagement – Sustain Winona and college outreach
Learning from other non-profits – Finding our “niche” in the Driftless

12. Together We Can Make a Difference For the river, for wildlife, for your children and grandchildren
Visit our Website:

13. THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER DRAINAGE BASIN
NUTRIENT POLLUTION
&
THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER DRAINAGE BASIN

14. The League of Women Voters has a long history of water work!
LWV is nearly years old.
We have studies and advocated on water issues since the 1920’s.

15. And the work goes on today!
LWV Upper Mississippi River Region
Our territory is the river basin, from the Headwaters in northern Minnesota to southern Illinois, and all tributaries
We focus on water quality
Water quantity was added 2017
Mission: LWV UMRR will engage regional residents to foster an informed, active stewardship ethic and pathway to sustain this nationally critical conservation area through efforts to reduce nutrients in the Upper Mississippi River region. 

17. We all contribute to nutrients flowing into the Gulf of Mexico.
•Nutrients flowing from these corn and bean fields into the Gulf have created a ‘dead zone’ where anoxic conditions affect fisheries, shellfish and shrimp; poor water quality also affects wildlife along the river’s route.
In 2014 there were 5,052 square miles of dead zone in the Gulf of Mexico ’s dead zone is the size of New Jersey. Our four states are major contributors of nutrients that cause the dead zone.

18. Causes Of Excess Nitrogen In Water
70% comes from farm fields.
Mostly through drain tiles
Runoff from crops planted closely to waterways
20-30% comes from
Urban residential
Industrial runoff
Water treatment plants.

19. Health Effects of Nitrate on Humans
More than 10 milligrams of nitrates per liter causes blue babies
10 grams and less is being aggressively studied for its effect on ovarian, bladder and thyroid cancer among 23,000 women in Iowa who drank the same water for 20 years and found:
3-fold increase of bladder cancer
2-fold increase of ovarian cancer, 2-6 fold thyroid problems risk
2-fold increase in birth defects in babies such as spinal bifida.
From the Center for Health Effects of Environmental Contaminants by Dr. Peter Weyer, University of Iowa

20. What have we accomplished so far?
Collaborations
Member of the 75-member Minnesota Environmental Partnership and help determine their legislative priorities.
Partnership with Rotary Clubs in Upper Midwest for water quality education
Co-hosted two Land Stewardship Project workshops for absentee land owners
New partnership with Izaak Walton UMRI and Land Stewardship Project for 2018
Advocacy
Testified in Minnesota Legislature, signs on to letters of support for clean water legislation, including groundwater protection and Forever Green funding
Moderated monthly legislative “cracker barrel” sessions in Dubuque
Outreach
Sponsored 25 x 25 Gov. Dayton’s policy workshop with 100 people attending in collaboration with local watersheds and the Anoka Conservation District.
Gave Power Point presentations to 20 Leagues of Women Voters and 25 community groups from churches to schools to Rotaries, Fishers and Farmers, city councils and watershed districts.
Partnered with LWV Lake Michigan Region to hold a Water Caucus at the LWV US convention in June 2018.

21. Benefits of Living Plant Cover
Diversify farming operations-increase economic opportunities
Reduced erosion
Reduce runoff and nutrient leaching
Builds organic matter- sequesters carbon
Increases water storage on the landscape
Increase habitat for bees, beneficial insects and wildlife
Script Guide:
Briefly read benefits of living cover (diversify a farming operation, reduced erosion, extensive root systems, reduce runoff and nutrient leaching, builds organic matter, increases water storage on the landscape, etc.)

22. Developing New Perennial and Winter Annual Crops to Enhance Minnesota’s Soil and Water Resources
Pg. 26
EQB Report

23. Women Landowners:
Soil Health and Rented Farm Land