Lower Mississippi River Basin and Basin Alliance for the Lower Mississippi in Minnesota (BALMM)
Canoeing on the Root River in the Lower Mississippi basin
The Lower Mississippi River Basin abounds with beautiful bluffs, springs, caves and dozens of streams capable of supporting trout, small mouth bass and other popular game fish species. It is a strong recreational magnet for tourists and residents alike as a growing population seeks high-quality outdoor experiences. However, decades of monitoring show that both ground water and surface water are being polluted as a result of human activities in both rural and urban areas. Water quality standards for nitrate nitrogen and fecal coliform bacteria are widely violated, while sediment from soil erosion damages fish and wildlife habitat from small trout brooks to the mighty Mississippi.
The Lower Mississippi River Basin, which includes the Cedar River Basin, is located in southeastern Minnesota. It includes all or part of 17 counties and has 12 major watersheds covering about 7,266 square miles.
Land use in the basin is diverse. Forested hill slopes dominate the eastern landscapes and account for approximately 13 percent of the land area. Lands on the western side are primarily cultivated. About two-thirds of the land is under cultivation. Major crops include corn, soybeans and hay. Roughly 17 percent of the land is used for pasture. Animal production in the basin includes dairy and beef cattle, hogs and sheep.
Major population centers include Austin, Albert Lea, Faribault, Owatonna, Rochester, Red Wing and Winona in addition to the southern Twin Cities Metropolitan area of Dakota County. These and other urban areas are experiencing rapid population growth and commercial development.
Lower Mississippi River Basin map
BALMM
Addressing water quality issues was the purpose in 1999 when a group of local, state and federal agencies formed the Basin Alliance for the Lower Mississippi in Minnesota (BALMM). The alliance continues today with the purposes of:
- Making water quality restoration and protection in southeast Minnesota a top priority for decision-makers at all levels; and
- Coordinating efforts to protect and restore water quality in southeast Minnesota.
To fulfill those purposes, BALMM emphasizes land use practices to improve or protect water quality, particularly in the areas of Watershed Management, Aquifer Protection and Floodplain Management. The alliance has adopted the following strategies.
- Perennial Vegetation: Increase acreage of well-managed hay and pastureland, vegetative buffer strips, woodlands, etc. This will increase infiltration and reduce surface runoff following rain and snow melt events.
- Wetland Protection and Restoration: Work with willing landowners to restore wetland functions in critical parts of the landscape.
- Soil Conservation on Row-Crop Land: Promote conservation tillage, contour farming and install needed structures to keep erosion at or below the replacement rate of soil erosion.
- Urban and Rural-Residential Land Management: Reduce impacts from urban stormwater and wastewater, while managing urban development.
- Nutrient and Pesticide Management: Promote optimal use of fertilizer and chemicals to minimize runoff and leaching from farm fields and urban land.
- Animal Feedlot Management: Support implementation of state feedlot rules to reduce feedlot runoff and improve manure management.
- Aggregate Mining Activities Management: Coordinate permitting and environmental review to minimize potential impacts on groundwater and surface water while maintaining local supplies at reasonable cost.
BALMM meetings
BALMM meets every other month to discuss current issues and plan projects. The MPCA publishes a newsletter, BALMM Currents, to announce the meeting agenda and keep members informed of current events related to water quality. To subscribe to the newsletter, click the "Get Mail Updates" link on the top right of this page.
Dates for 2013 meetings (usually held at the Rochester MPCA office, 18 Wood Lake Drive S.E.):
- June 19, 2013
- Aug. 21, 2013
- Oct. 16, 2013
- Dec. 18, 2013
BALMM members:
- Area 7 Minnesota Soil and Water Conservation Districts Association
- Bluffland Environmental Watch
- Cannon River Watershed Partnership
- Dakota County/SWCD
- Minnesota Board of Water and Soil Resources
- Minnesota Department of Agriculture
- Minnesota Department of Health
- Minnesota Department of Natural Resources
- Minnesota Pollution Control Agency
- Mississippi River Citizen Commission
- Natural Resources Conservation Service
- Prairie Island Indian Community
- Southeast Minnesota Water Resources Board
- St. Mary’s University Resource Studies Center
- University of Minnesota Extension
- U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service
- Whitewater River Watershed Project
- Zumbro River Watershed Partnership
BALMM meeting on silica sand February 15, 2012
Silica sand mining, also known as frac sand mining, was the theme for the February 2012 BALMM meeting. Representatives from the Minnesota Geological Survey; Winona County SWCD; Trempeleau County, Wis.; and Goodhue County gave presentations, followed by a panel discussion. Below are PDFs of the Powerpoint presentations given (please note that you may need to adjust your printer settings to minimize ink use when printing these files).
Geological overview and why southeast Minnesota is a hot spot for silica sand: Tony Runkel, Minnesota Geological Survey (wq-b12-01)- Ecological significance of dry prairies: Daryl Buck, Winona County SWCD (wq-b12-02)
- Goodhue County Mining Committee: Lisa Hanni, Goodhue County Land Use Management (wq-b12-03)
Publications
- Lower Mississippi River Basin Plan Scoping Document (with update coming in 2012)
- December 2011 BALMM Currents
Watersheds within the basin
- Cannon River
- Cedar River
- Root River
- Shell Rock River
- Mississippi River-Winona or Whitewater River
- Zumbro River
Related links
Contact us
For additional information about the Lower Mississippi River Basin, contact Project Manager and BALMM Coordinator Shaina Keseley at 507-206-2622.
