Staff photo by Fritz Busch Former National Izaak Walton League President Dave Zentner gives opening remarks at the 15th Minnesota River Congress at the Kato Ballroom Thursday. Other state agency heads also spoke at the public event.

MANKATO — The Minnesota River Congress, a citizen-led group focusing on the natural resource and economic health of the Minnesota River basin, met for the 15th time at the Kato Ballroom Thursday.

“We meet once a year, possibly twice, as an entity that moves on behalf of the Minnesota River,” said Coalition for a Clean Minnesota River (CCMR) Executive Director Scott Sparlin of New Ulm.

For the past few years, the River Congress has focused on water storage in the river basin.

Former Izaak Walton League National President Dave Zentner of Duluth said he’s active with an Izaak Walton League project, the Upper Mississippi River Initiative, which includes the Minnesota River Collaborative.

“We have joined with Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) staff and Minnesota Board of Soil & Water Resources (BWSR) folks,” Zentner said. “We’re trying really hard as everyone in this room has done, to move our namesake river, the Minnesota, from the impaired listing to a reduction of the impairments.”

Zentner said in 2008, 56% of Minnesota voters approved the Clean Water Legacy Amendment with a 3/8ths of a percent sales tax increase.

“We all hope to make a lot more progress with this. Thank you very much for all that you’re doing,” he added.

John Jaschke, BWSR executive director, said we all have the opportunity to restore water basins and wetlands and store water with a number of state and federal funding programs including the Inflation Reduction Act.

“There are also major investments in soil health practices that affect our water, conservation easements to restore wetlands and grasslands that affect our basin,” Jaschke said. “There are also funds in the clean water component of the Legacy Amendment and MPCA grants for infrastructure enhancements and improvements to hold water and for the work that we’re doing. This includes the objective to use state funds to get as much federal money as we can from the Inflation Reduction Act.”

Lyon Soil Water Conservation District and Planning Zoning Administrator John Biren talked about a Lyon County water storage project including three dams on an un-named Cottonwood River tributary near Balaton.

The project, with a 25% local match and 75% state (BWSR) funding, is estimated to cost $360,000. A dam near Rock Lane requires raising country road 63 about 18 inches for about 800 feet.

Biren said project bids will go out within 30 days. Project completion is planned for calendar year 2023.

“I’m excited about it. It will help the Cottonwood River downstream, storing water instead of it immediately running over land and into the river,” said Biren. “It’s complicated working with so many agencies, boards, local government units and landowners on this. It’s the balancing act of water storage and farm production. We need both.”

Biren distributed copies of a five-page Powerpoint presentation on the project that included photos of flooded Riverside Park, a gravel road and children’s playground in Springfield and washed-out road near Springfield.

Data shows Minnesota River flow has increased at an alarming rate the past 60 years. Watershed river widening averages 80 acres of land a year. That equals about six inches per year on 13,000 parcels on the Minnesota River and its tributaries.

Land is devalued, crops and productivity are lost and infrastructure costs rise for local governments.

Water resources engineer Len Kremer said several Minnesota cities have done riverbank armor projects and moved wells due to high nitrate concentration.

“There’s going to be some big things coming on the Minnesota River,” said Scott Sparlin. “With all the money out there, we’re talking about billions of dollars, it’s time for our Minnesota politicians to bring home a little bit of candy for the Minnesota and Mississippi River Basins.”

Sparlin said it’s like BWSR Chief Engineer Rita Weaver said at the River Congress – “We have to think about storing more water and reusing it during dry times. We should treat water like its a big bank. This is our gold. The rest of the world would give anything to have the water we have.”

For more information, visit www.mnrivercongress.org.