In many ways, the ongoing restoration of the Minnesota River Basin is a story of success. The water is less polluted, animals and aquatic organisms are seeing an encouraging rebound and appreciation for the value of the river continues to grow.
A new “state of the river” report from the Water Resources Center at Minnesota State University- Mankato and the MPCA gives a look at some of the most important trends in the basin. With some significant exceptions, the trends are something to cheer.
A big rebound in the fish population has been one of the more obvious success stories. Anglers will attest that there are more fish and more species of fish. Mussel numbers, too, have improved although not to the extent of the resurgence of the fish.
The return of one animal in particular — the otter — is certain to bring enjoyment and encouragement to those in the river valley. Wiped out by pollution and trapping early in the last century, the re-introduced otter population is steadily making the river and its tributaries home.
For most people, seeing the playful otters is a site matched perhaps only by the now common sight of bald eagles.
Stricter state regulations have led to phosphorus levels dropping significantly. Cities across the basin have built new treatment plants that discharge a fraction of the phosphorus of the old plants. A ban on phosphorus in lawn fertilizer has further helped. It attests to the value of targeted and sensible regulation accompanied by the financial assistance needed to meet goals.
Not everything has shown improvement. Nitrate levels are still a concern and the pressure of development and farming has a growing impact on the rivers.
Being in the midst of some of the richest farmland in the country brings special challenges. Increased farmland drainage the past decade or so appears to have brought one of the biggest new challenges to the basin. Water from millions of acres of land is rushing too fast to the rivers, bringing increased erosion, pollution and flooding threats.
Those new problems, like the past ones, can be improved with dedication, reasonable regulation, technological advances and public support.
That public support is easier to get these days. That, perhaps, is one of the biggest successes in our valley: a renewed appreciation for the value and beauty of the Minnesota River.
-The Free Press, Mankato
