Water Conference covers varied water topics

Faye Sleeper (WRC co-director), Lisa Goddard (SRF Consulting Group), Beverly Durgan (Dean, Extension, University of Minnesota), and Deb Swackhamer (WRC co-director) at the opening of the Minnesota Water Conference held in St. Paul, MN October 18-19. Photo credit: Elizabeth Wells

Water protection, restoration, education, and economics were up for discussion in plenary and concurrent sessions at the Water Resources Conference held in St. Paul, MN October 18 and 19. Speakers and presenters with diverse opinions and research shared them with the over 600 conference attendees. UM faculty and students, as well as private consultants and state agency staff presented numerous talks, chaired sessions, or displayed 47 posters throughout the conference. The conference is sponsored by the Water Resources Center and the College of Continuing Education, and co-sponsored by the UM Department of Civil Engineering, the Minnesota Section of the American Society of Civil Engineers, Minnesota Sea Grant, and the Natural Resources Research Institute at UM-Duluth.

Timothy Scherkenbach, former Deputy Commissioner of the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA), received the Dave Ford Water Resources Award. The award is given each year to a deserving individual for lifetime contributions to improving Miinnesota's water quality. WRC co-director Faye Sleeper presented the award, given in recognition of Scherkenbach’s 40-year career at the MPCA. Scherkenbach started at the agency in its early years as a staff engineer, working in industrial and other wastes. He developed the first compliance permits for paper mills discharging into Lake Superior, and by 1979, was also working on mining discharges. In enforcement, he developed the first stipulation agreements, an enforcement tool that is unique in the nation. “Much of Tim’s work laid the ground work for many of the policies and laws that protect Minnesota’s water resources,” said Sleeper.

UM Extension Dean Beverly Durgan was Tuesday’s first plenary speaker, presenting “The Role of Research-based Education in Protecting Minnesota’s Water Resources.” Recent news reports that the global population has reached 7 billion, and predictions are that by 2050, that figure will have increased to 9 billion. The scientific and educational communities will have a key role in managing a world with burgeoning populations, with less water and fewer resources available, while maintaining quality of life in developed countries and raising standards of living in developing countries. Adding climate change and its potential effect on weather and temperatures complicates things further. Dewpoints and temperatures are rising and moisture appears less predictable, affecting crop production across the globe, as well as Minnesota.

University of Minnesota’s Extension service has a 100-year history of research-based information that has helped guide Minnesota and its citizens as they make critical water decisions for the future. “Water is not a simple issue,” said Durgan, and Extension hopes to facilitate water dialogue by building bridges and partnerships between the players in academia, government, business and agriculture. One way they do this is through the Discovery Farm program, which is part working farm, part laboratory, where scientists and farmers work together to create operating systems that best use limited resources in a way that benefits both the farmer and the environment.

USEPA/ORD Mid-Continent Ecology Divison toxicologist Gary Ankley, pictured here with WRC co-director Deb Swackhamer was Tuesday's luncheon speaker. Photo credit: Elizabeth Wells

Environmental Protection Agency toxicologist Dr. Gary Ankley spoke at Tuesday’s luncheon, on “Assessing Risks of Endocrine-disrupting Chemicals: A Scientific Odyssey.” Endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) are potentially the cause of cancers, learning disorders, metabolic syndromes, and decreases in reproductive success. It is a challenge to evaluate and link EDC exposure to health events as symptoms from exposure can be delayed by 20 or 30 years. An added complication is the “story getting ahead of the story,” as the media will report on titillating findings before the research is verified, such as studies of deformed frogs, or reduced sperm count in men. Upon further study, the findings of both studies were not linked to EDCs, without much news coverage.

However, it is well-established that the feminization of male fish particularly near waste water treatment plants is a cause for concern and also very common in Minnesota, which has led to increased monitoring, with an eye to prevention. The 1996 Food Quality Protection Act created the Endocrine Disruptor Screening Program (EDSP), which directed the EPA to develop a screening program, using validated test systems and other scientifically relevant information, to determine whether certain substances may have hormonal effects in humans. Scientists hope to update the Toxic Substances Control Act Chemical Substance (TSCA) Inventory. “We need more data than we can collect,” said Ankley, “We only have data for a fraction of chemicals, as research is intensive and expensive.” Ankley has spearheaded efforts by EPA and others to use biological monitoring of effects rather than only chemical monitoring to gain understanding of the scale of the problem and to help set priorities.

Minnesota state representative Paul Torkelson, district 21B, opened Wednesday’s sessions with “Legislative Update: Agricultural and Water Issues.” Torkelson walked through a brief history of current water policy in Minnesota, citing the Clean Water Legacy Act of 2006, which created the Clean Water Council, laying out a structure for water testing and the Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) process. He noted that it has been popular to blame agriculture for water contamination, which polarized debate. Of late, farmers have been invited into the problem-solving process, giving these genuine stakeholders a voice in decisions that will directly affect them. Landowners need to be engaged, and agency policies need to be user-friendly.“Farmers get a little nervous when people come to them and tell them what to do.” Torkelson praised the Discovery Farms program, which features research conducted on a working farm versus testing in a lab. Torkelson proposed that future water legislation should allow for active management of the landscape, with suitable farmland allowed into production, rather than set aside, and that Minnesota focus on protecting, enhancing and restoring our surface and groundwaters.

Wednesday’s luncheon speaker was Minnesota NRCS Director and state conservationist Don Baloun. His topic was “What Can Farmers Do to Maintain Good Water Quality and Still Do Agricultural Water Management?” Baloun advocated that consistent policy from state agencies is what farmers need from Minnesota government. When encouraging farmers to adopt conservation strategies, agencies need to “sing from the same hymnal,” creating a consistent message, rather than mixed messages from a myriad of agencies. Building partnerships with farmers builds trust. Baloun advocates a working relationship between farmers and NRCS field offices. NRCS staff can approach a stakeholder with a program, and begin with “Here’s what we think; tell us if you think it will work.” A more collaborative effort between agencies and landowners to bridge the chasm between environmentalists and agriculture is critical, as the land needs protection, while people need to be fed. Baloun suggested a conservation approach for farmers that would have them implement at least one conservation practice each year on their property, such as planting cover crops rather than using anhydrous ammonia. When farmers meet criteria set by the NRCS, they would qualify for matching funds to help pay for environmental improvements. Baloun hopes to create certainty for the farmer. Government needs to set environmental standards and practices and stick with them. “Stop moving the goal posts, and farmers will be more willing to implement conservation practices.”



The Water Resources Conference planning committee members represent
University of Minnesota departments, state and federal agencies, and private
engineering and consulting firms.
Photo credit: Elizabeth Wells