Des Moines River Basin Restoration and Protection Strategies Report

This report summarizes the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency's (MPCA) Watershed Approach work findings, addressing the fishable, swimmable status of surface waters in the Des Moines River Basin. This work relied on a scientific approach by MPCA staff, but also developed and vetted results using a team of local watershed partners (Soil and Water Conservation Districts (SWCDs), counties, a Watershed District, and other state agencies). Another important aspect of this work was the civic engagement process, which identified challenges, opportunities, and recommendations to achieve higher adoption of conservation practices within the watersheds. The majority of monitored stream reaches and lakes in the Des Moines River Basin are not meeting water quality standards for aquatic life (fishing) and aquatic recreation (swimming). Strategies were developed to address the identified goals and 10-year targets. Strategies Table A (Table 21, Page 80) provides a high-level narrative estimate of the total changes necessary for all waters to be restored and protected, and Strategies Table B (Table 22, Page 81) presents a suite of strategies and numeric adoption rates to meet the 10-year targets. Cultivated crops represent 82% of the land use in Minnesota's portion of the Des Moines River Basin. Therefore, cultivated crops are the largest land management opportunity for water quality improvement in the watershed. However, nearly all land uses and sources require improvements to meet goals, including cultivated crops, feedlots, manure application, pastures, streams (including ditches and riparian areas), lakes (including wetlands and shoreland), cities and residential, septic systems, and point sources.