MRC
Natural Resource Conservation, Restoration, and Adaptive Management Team
Utilize a basin wide structure to support local conservation efforts at the major watershed and smaller scale by recognizing that local relationships are critically important to implementation and resolving watershed challenges.
Actions/Activities
Progress
Linda Meschke - Natural Resource Conservation Team Member - Ted Suss reported that Linda Meschke is spearheading the initiative of Minnesota River Congress Theory of Change to increase soil organic matter in the Minnesota River Basin.
The basis of the initiative is to work directly with crop consultants to accomplish the learning and methodology involved in building increases in soil organic matter.
Resolutions
Projects/Supporting
1
Increase Soil Organic Matter Adopted
Be it resolved that the Minnesota River Congress support the development of an initiative to increase soil organic matter in the top six to eight inches of soil by 1% over the next ten years in 50 percent of the annual cropped fields across the basin.
Be it further resolved that as a first step toward this initiative, $150,000 be awarded annually from the Clean Water Fund, for the next ten years, to the MN Extension for the purpose of acquiring a staff person, and their supporting needs, who can develop and deliver education, research and training to agronomists, farmers and others on methods focused on increasing soil organic matter to reduce water quality impacts from row crop agriculture and increase crop productivity.
2
Streams Flow Control Adopted
Be it resolved, that the Minnesota River Congress: Recommends all Federal, State, Tribal, local and non-Government entities who work with any aspect of natural resources which affect the Minnesota River system to increase and support current efforts to implement practices which currently exist such as managed drainage and other conservation drainage techniques, which will decrease wildly fluctuating rate flows in 1st, 2nd, and 3rd order streams that feed the Minnesota River System. And furthermore to aggressively seek adequate human and financial resources required to do so by appointing one state agency as the lead agency responsible for coordinating a unified initiative to accomplish these actions collectively.
3
Waters Connectivity Adopted
Be it be resolved, that the Minnesota River Congress urges all Federal, State, Tribal, local and non-Government entities who are involved in natural resource management and oversight to research and identify existing plans which address connectivity issues and laws with regard to 1st, 2nd and 3rd order streams and adopt or incorporate and implement such an existing plan which does so and further recommend that the entities dedicate the adequate human and financial resources to accomplish those actions. Furthermore, if it is found no such plan exists within the aforementioned entities which incorporates a plan to restore connectivity of all potential fish spawning habitats in the Minnesota River System, then direct the MNDNR to bring the entities together to create one and implement it in addition to dedicating the adequate human and financial resources to accomplish that set of actions.
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