Minnesota Governor Mark Dayton recently announced he would give his support to a law requiring streams, rivers and farm drainage systems to have a vegetative buffer. File photo of Dayton on his way to state legislature. Photo: Facebook/Mark Dayton
by Ed Lallo/Gulf Seafood News Editor
Minnesota Governor Mark Dayton recently announced he would give his support to a law requiring streams, rivers and farm drainage systems to have a vegetative buffer. The proposal, revealed during a Minnesota Natural Resources roundtable, would create 125,000 acres of grassland that would create pheasant habitat and promote cleaner water.
The announcement resurrected a debate between farmers and conservation groups ranging from the headwaters of the Mississippi to the Gulf of Mexico.
File photo of Minnesota Governor Mark Dayton with Northern Pike he caught. Photo: Facebook/Mark Dayton
Farm and urban runoff from the Mississippi River and its tributaries have been linked to aquatic and marine dead zones in the Gulf. These areas, often stretching for hundreds of miles, are caused by an increase in chemical nutrients, particularly nitrogen and phosphorus used in agricultural fertilizer and detergents. Areas where no fish or marine life can live are known as eutrophication zones, the ecosystem response to the addition of these artificial or natural substances to an aquatic system. The negative environmental effects include hypoxia, the depletion of oxygen in the water causing death to aquatic animals.
Answering journalist questions, Dayton said he wanted the water protection systems to be consistent statewide. “A majority of our urban areas have tackled the task in a responsible manner, however the approach in rural areas have been more haphazard,” he said. “Enforcement has to consistent, so that it does not vary county by county.”
Scott Sparlin of the New Ulm-based Coalition for a Clean Minnesota River, who was at the roundtable when the announcement was made, told the Mankato (MN) Free Freepress, “There were like 400 of us in the room and everyone’s jaw dropped. It’s a pretty bold and aggressive statement to make. Is it something that would be good for water quality? I guess I can’t think of a better first step,” he said.
Dead Zones
“Dead zone is a common term used for hypoxic or low oxygen zones,” said Gulf Seafood Institute board member Jim Gossen, chairman of Sysco Louisiana Seafood, “They occur throughout the world, but the second largest occurrence is the Gulf of Mexico.”
According to Gossen, dead zones in some cases can occur naturally, but the Gulf of Mexico zone has been linked to the over concentration of phosphates from runoff of farming operations up stream on the Mississippi River.
“The fertilizers used in farming operations along the Mississippi River, like in Minnesota, flow downstream entering the Gulf of Mexico through the Southern Louisiana mouth of the river,” he said.
“I am glad to see the Minnesota governor take the lead on such an important issue for those of us who depend upon the Gulf of Mexico for our livelihood.” said Gulf Seafood Institute’s Jim Gossen. Photo: Ed Lallo/Newsroom Ink
The hypoxic situation occurs through nutrients which cause an over production of algae which decomposes, sinks and depletes oxygen in the water leaving marine life unsustainable. This occurs south of the Mississippi River in areas as large as 4,500 to 6,000 square miles in the northern Gulf of Mexico.
“Fish that swim can leave, but fixed marine life dye causing what is termed ‘dead zone’”, said the Louisiana native. “Gulf of Mexico dead zones usually occur after the spring planting season and become mostly prevalent during the summer months of June, July and August.”
Farm groups have reacted with skepticism and concern for the proposal but so far have refrained from outright opposition to the announcement. Dayton’s announcement lacked details, but mentioned tactics such as a 50-foot buffer. Current Minnesota law calls for 50-foot buffers along Department of Natural Resources protected rivers and streams and for a 16.5 foot strip along farm drainage ditches.
According to research recently published in the Journal of the American Water Resources Association, if farmers take additional steps—like putting in wetlands, restoring the land around ditches and streams, and reconnecting rivers to floodplains—the researchers said they could reduce the amount of nitrogen washing into the Gulf of Mexico and contract the dead zone to a fraction of its current state.
Evaluating buffers for streams and rivers has received increased attention in recent years, and according to Gossen that is a good thing.
“I am glad to see the Minnesota governor take the lead on such an important issue for those of us who depend upon the Gulf of Mexico for our livelihood.” he said. “Research has shown that run-off retention ponds and buffers are effective tools in reducing the amount of toxic chemicals reaching streams, the Mississippi River and eventually the Gulf of Mexico.”
Great story Ed keep up the good work