Rural and Sensitive: Groundwater across the “Driftless Area” of Southeastern Minnesota and Adjacent States
Fall Conference 2021 – November 18, 2021
Online via Zoom
Agenda
Presentation Abstracts and Speaker Biographies
Description
The conference will focus on surface and groundwater quality concerns in southeastern Minnesota and adjacent states, with content that applies to anywhere groundwater is particularly sensitive to anthropogenic impacts. The program will have a large number of speakers, providing shorter than traditional presentations, allowing us to cover a large number of topics. We will hear about what’s going on in Wisconsin and Iowa as well as Minnesota. This will include presentations on the geology and hydrogeology of the “driftless” area, status of water quality issues, and research dedicated to improving our understanding of contaminant transport through the surface water-groundwater system. There will also be several presentations dedicated to regulatory, management, and planning efforts devoted to improved strategies for protecting groundwater quantity and quality.
Presentations
Jennifer McDonald
Minnesota Geological Survey
Quaternary Geology in Southeast Minnesota – The Not So Driftless Area
Julia Steenberg
Minnesota Geological Survey
Bedrock Geology and Groundwater Flow in Southeast Minnesota and Surrounding States
How Does Groundwater Move in Southeast Minnesota? Very Cool Videos for Outreach!
resources for the presentations on the geology of southeastern Minnesota (and other parts of the state) and MN Department of Agriculture videos:
cse.umn.edu/mgs
www.mda.state.mn.us/segwresources
Kim Kaiser
Minnesota Department of Agriculture
Nitrate Monitoring in Southeast MN: Private Wells and Drinking Water Supply Management Areas
resources:
www.mda.state.mn.us/nfmp
www.mda.state.mn.us/southeast-minnesota-volunteer-nitrate-monitoring-network
www.mda.state.mn.us/township-testing-program
www.mda.state.mn.us/nfr
Heather Johnson
Minnesota Department of Agriculture
A Chemical with Lasting Impact – Cyanazine in Groundwater in Southeastern Minnesota
resources:
https://www.mda.state.mn.us/cyanazine-monitoring
https://www.mda.state.mn.us/pesticide-fertilizer/water-monitoring-reports-resources (2019 and 2020 Water Quality Monitoring Report)
https://www.health.state.mn.us/communities/environment/water/docs/contaminants/cyanazine.pdf
https://wrl.mnpals.net/islandora/object/WRLrepository%3A3523/datastream/PDF/view (Fact sheet on reverse osmosis systems)
Maureen Muldoon
Wisconsin Geological & Natural History Survey
Hydrogeology and Well Construction in Southwestern Wisconsin: Why We May Have More Drinking Water Concerns than Southeastern Minnesota
resource: wgnhs.wisc.edu/southwest-wisconsin-groundwater-and-geology-study-swigg
Chris Jones
University of Iowa, IIHR-Hydroscience & Engineering
Real-time Continuous Nitrate Monitoring of Driftless Area Surface and Groundwater
resource: cjones.iihr.uiowa.edu
Matthew Mitro
Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, Office of Applied Science
Groundwater and the Resistance and Resilience of Wisconsin Trout Streams to Climate Change
resources:
fishersandfarmers.org
http://dx.doi.org/10.3133/sir20145186
https://doi.org/10.3133/sir20165124– FishVis
https://rdcu.be/bMmX1
John Barry
Minnesota Department of Natural Resources
Combining High Resolution Spring Monitoring, Dye Tracing, and Watershed Analysis to Provide a Better Understanding of Nitrate Transport and Aquifer Characteristics
resource: digitalcommons.usf.edu/sinkhole_2020/ProceedingswithProgram/Resource_monitoring_and_management/1/
John L. Nieber
University of Minnesota
When Will Improved Practices be Measurable in Our Aquifers? Introduction to the Nitrate Lag Time Project
Tony Runkel
Minnesota Geological Survey, Lead Geologist
When Will Improved Practices be Measurable in Our Aquifers? The Nitrate Lag Time Project
Kerry Holmberg
University of Minnesota – Bioproducts and Biosystems Engineering
When Will Improved Practices be Measurable in Our Aquifers? The Nitrate Lag Time Project – Analysis of Groundwater Nitrates
Jared Trost
United States Geological Survey
The Nitrate Lag Time Project – Groundwater age in Southeastern Minnesota
Philip Margarit
University of Minnesota, Twin Cities – Water Resources Science
Setting realistic nitrate BMP goals in southeast Minnesota – The Nitrate Lag Time Project – Trout Brook MODFLOW Modeling
Andy Holmberg
University of Minnesota
The Nitrate Lag Time Project – Estimating Travel Times Advective-Dispersive Convolution Model
Donna Rasmussen
Fillmore Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD) Administrator, retired
Groundwater in the Driftless: Lessons from the Past
Terry Lee
Olmsted County, retired
A Look Back on Local Groundwater Management in Olmsted County
Late-Afternoon Video Pt 1
Late-Afternoon Video Pt 2
Caitlin Brady
Olmsted Soil & Water Conservation District, Water Resources Coordinator
Local Efforts to Protect Drinking Water Quality and Encourage Nitrogen Reduction Practices
Todd Osweiler
Rochester Public Utilities (RPU)
Water Sustainability in Rochester
Jenny Seifert
University of Wisconsin-Madison Division of Extension and North Central Region Water Network, Watershed Outreach Specialist
FEWscapes: Research and Engagement to Expand Horizons for Food, Energy, Water, and Ecosystem Security
resource: fewscapes.wisc.edu
Jeffrey S. Broberg
Minnesota Well Owners Organization, Director
Well Owners Across Minnesota Like to Talk About Their Drinking Water at Nitrate Testing Clinics
resource: mnwoo.org
Kevin Kuehner
Minnesota Department of Agriculture, Hydrologist
Root River Field to Stream Partnership
resource: rootriverfieldtostream.org
Jeffrey Vetsch
University of MN Southern, Research and Outreach Center
Strategies to Reduce Nitrogen Loss: Nitrogen Smart Techniques
Martin Larsen
Olmsted County SWCD, farmer
Strategies to Reduce Nitrogen Loss: Expected Nitrate in Groundwater Beneath Row Crops. Reductions Using Cover and Alternative Crops
Lance Klessig
Soil Keepers / Heart & Soil Ridge
Strategies to Reduce Nitrogen Loss: Cover Crops, Soil Health, and Communicating with Farmers