Minnesota Ag Connection - Plum Creek Payoff in Stearns County

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Plum Creek Payoff in Stearns County
Minnesota Ag Connection - 11/21/2019

It's not often waters are removed from the state's impaired waters list, but the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) is recommending that Plum Creek, in southeast Stearns County near Clearwater, be delisted.

Seven years ago, Plum Creek, located between the Mississippi River and Warner Lake, was added to the state's impaired waters list for Escherichia coli (E. coli) bacteria contamination. While E. coli doesn't typically cause disease, it is used by the MPCA as an indicator for other types of harmful organisms that can be in the water from animal or human waste. Nearby residents, determined to improve the water quality, responded by forming the Plum Creek Neighborhood Network. The network worked closely with state and local partners to identify and then fix the problem. Partners included Stearns County, the MPCA, Stearns County Soil & Water Conservation District, Lynden Township, the University of Minnesota, St. John's University and land owners.

Much of the work was trying to figure out the source of the bacteria. Based on what the partners learned, several projects were implemented:

- Erosion control structure constructed to address sedimentation from a county road culvert

- Suspect septic systems upgraded or replaced

- Water quality structure installed to address field erosion entering the creek

- Buffer installed on interstate highway right-of-way land near the creek

- Area farmers adopted new tillage and planting practices to reduce erosion

Their hard work and perseverance paid off. Monitoring in 2019 showed average E. coli counts dropped low enough that the Plum Creek is now meeting water quality standards related to bacteria.

"This is a big deal," said Cole Loewen, Environmental Specialist in Stearns County's Environmental Services Department. "There are only 14 waters recommended for delisting in 2020, compared to hundreds recommended for adding to the list in 2020, and Plum Creek is one of them. To top it all off, it is because of a unique partnership of engaged citizens, state and local governments, universities and area land owners that this delisting recommendation has happened!"

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