Water, Water Everywhere
Mississippi River
Image credit: Wikipedia
Our bodies are made of 60 percent water, a fact that hits home in Minnesota—a state with more freshwater than any other in the continental US. With more than 10,000 lakes (11, 842, if you want to get specific), over 63,000 miles of rivers and a vast network of aquifers beneath our feet, addressing water sustainability in Minnesota is no trifling job.
So in 2009 the state legislature commissioned a group of scientists, citizens and resource managers from an array of agencies to take a closer, coordinated look at Minnesota’s water resources and identify problems that must be met now to ensure a sustainable future. The result is the Minnesota Water Sustainability Framework, a report that provides a detailed look at the state of our waters, identifies 10 major areas to address, and provides recommendations for policy makers—as well as the rest of us.
A few of the top issues include chemical manufacturing byproducts, the impact of pharmaceuticals on aquatic ecosystems, nutrient pollution from farm run-off, population growth and the impact of land use on wildlife habitat, water consumption and public water infrastructure.
In other words, the actions of humans have a major impact on land, air and water, and this framework provides the first attempt to systematically understand what this means. Recommendations include water literacy programs for citizens, integrating water sustainability to land-use planning and permits, and figuring the value of ecosystems into the actual price of water.
“Right now we have some really great water policies in place in Minnesota, but there are some problems with their coordination,” says Jean Coleman, project coordinator for the Minnesota Water Sustainability Framework. “This framework is an effort to look at water in all its contexts.”
Coleman is careful to point out that while the report makes policy recommendations, it also digs deeper. “Legislation is important, but it won’t solve everything. Individual actions have a huge impact on the ecosystem, and this report provides information that citizens can use to make wiser water choices.”
Minnesota sits atop three large watersheds, so the choices we make have an impact on ecologies and people downstream, a fact to keep in mind when we consider how important water sustainability is to our future as a state and a nation. The first of its kind in the country, Minnesota’s Water Sustainability Framework could set a precedent for coordinated planning and citizen involvement—which seems entirely fitting for a place named for its waters.
Things You Need to Know About Water in Minnesota
Know Where Your Tap Water Comes From
In Minnesota, roughly 25 percent of tap water comes from surface sources, like the Mississippi River or Lake Superior, while 75 percent comes from underground aquifers. You can locate your tap water source by calling your city and asking for a copy of the latest Consumer Confidence Report—all cities publish them.
Know How You Use Water
Tap water is not the only way that we consume water. It takes water—sometimes much more than we realize—to produce goods and services we consume. One example: buying local potatoes. Though these spuds are delicious and help boost local economies, in Minnesota they can’t be grown without irrigation, which contributes to the depletion of freshwater resources. Ask the companies you support how they use water to produce products and consider the trade-offs.
Know Where Waste Water is Going and What You Are Sending with It
Things you wash down the drain can’t always be removed by water treatment. Some of the chemicals from cleaning supplies, pharmaceuticals and other waste end up in lakes and rivers. One way to avoid this is to stop flushing things that have been shown to have a harmful impact. This includes using fewer chemical cleaning products, applying less shampoo when you shower and never flushing leftover prescriptions.
Know Your Watershed Address
In Minnesota, water that falls on lawns and streets drains to the Red River, the Mississippi or to Lake Superior through eight different drainage basins and 81 smaller watersheds. You can find your watershed and learn about where your surface water is going from the Department of Natural Resources.
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