Each of us has a direct impact on others, especially those who live downstream from us. Living in the Minnesota River Basin means we are upstream of the Mississippi River, Lake Pepin and the Gulf of Mexico. As a result, we contribute to Lake Pepin filling up with sediment at an accelerated rate and the hypoxia zone down in the Gulf of Mexico.

Today’s column focuses on downstream impacts of the Minnesota River when it comes to excessive nutrients and its effect on aquatic life in the Gulf of Mexico. Learn about some facts on High Island Creek Watershed, how Lake Pepin is changing due to sediment runoff and how all of us can reduce excessive sediment and nutrients. Check out the importance of the tall-grass prairie, attend the 2009 Lakes & Rivers Conference in Rochester, find out more about the High Island Creek Clean Water Partnership and try paddling High Island Creek.

Water: Downstream impacts
Everyone lives downstream of someone else which means what we do impacts people, communities and the natural environment as the water flows further down the river.

What comes out of High Island Creek goes into the Minnesota River and from there to the Mississippi River and finally it all ends up in the Gulf of Mexico. One of the impacts has to do with excessive levels of nitrogen that contribute to low-oxygen problems impacting aquatic life. As a result, a hypoxia or dead zone has formed destroying marine life in a large area stretching from the outlet of the Mississippi River to as far as Texas.

Each summer excess nutrients trigger massive algal blooms which result in decreased dissolved oxygen levels. When oxygen in the water is depleted, most aquatic life like fish and shrimp can’t survive. Local economies in the Gulf of Mexico are dependent upon these resources and suffer from a devastated fishery. Researchers estimate the Upper Mississippi River Watershed contributes more than 30 percent of the annual nitrogen load to the Mississippi River.

Did you know: High Island Creek
• High Island Creek — or the Dakota name, WI-TA WAN-KAN-TU — got its name from an island found in High Island Lake covered with red cedar.
• The lake was so named because the slightly elevated island dominates the adjacent low-lying mainland. Being a navigable stream, it is possible to portage from the lake to Crow River. — Joseph N. Nicollet
• 153,222 acres or 237 square miles across three counties: Sibley (66 percent area), McLeod (23 percent) and Renville (11 percent).
• Approximately 85 percent of the land mass is currently used for agriculture. The mostly level or slightly rolling landscape has a high rate of crop productivity.
• Third-largest sub watershed in the Lower Minnesota River Watershed, comprising 13 percent of the total land mass.
• Approximately 37 miles long and has fairly narrow width, especially in the middle section.

Water science: Lake Pepin
Lake Pepin is a 25,000-acre lake on the Mississippi River below the Twin Cities and formed by a delta of the Chippewa River that flows out of Wisconsin.

This natural lake has been a popular recreational spot for over a century and known for its scenic and forested high bluffs. Unfortunately, Lake Pepin suffers from excessive sediment and nutrients overloading.

According to the St. Croix Watershed Research Station, Lake Pepin is filling in with sediment at 10 times its natural rate, and will be completely filled within 340 years. For the upper end of the lake it could be as little as 100 years. Much of this excessive sediment is coming from the Minnesota River Watershed — an estimated 80 to 90 percent.

Excessive nutrients can cause severe nuisance algal blooms along with obnoxious odors, low oxygen levels and localized fish kills.

What you can do: Reducing excessive sediment and nutrients
All of us can help reduce excessive levels of sediment and nutrients from getting into our waterways and lessening the impact on our downstream neighbors including Lake Pepin and the Gulf of Mexico.
• Control stormwater runoff by capturing any water coming off your roof, driveway and lawn before it reaches a waterway. This can be accomplished by rain gardens or native vegetation buffer strips.
• Maintain properly functioning septic systems. This is important for eliminating excessive nutrients.
• Leave aquatic vegetation in place like bulrushes, cattails and other aquatic plants. This includes protecting and restoring wetlands.
• Practice good lawn maintenance by limiting the amount of fertilizer and use phosphorus-free fertilizer.
• Maintain or establish a shoreland buffer zone of natural vegetation. This will prevent erosion and infiltration of nutrients into the lake.

The natural resource: Tall-grass prairie
At one time a large swath of tall-grass prairie dominated the landscape with a diversity of flowers and grasses. This extensive North America tall-grass prairie stretched from the Appalachians in the East to the Rocky Mountains in the West, from Texas northward into southern Manitoba.

A tall-grass prairie can survive extreme drought conditions because of the amazing root systems the plants grow. Look underneath the surface and you will find a square yard of prairie plants have roots measuring 20 miles in length. By creating this complex system of sod, plants grow roots several yards deep to get at stored water of previous rainfalls.

In Minnesota, the prairie once covered 18 million acres compared to only 15,000 acres today. Less than 5 percent of the native tall-grass prairie remains in High Island Creek Watershed.

Community event: 2009 Lakes and Rivers Conference
Learn how you can improve your own lake or river by attending Minnesota Waters’ 2009 Lakes and Rivers Conference on May 7-8 in Rochester.

This statewide nonprofit organization is dedicated to empowering citizens to help protect and improve Minnesota’s lakes and rivers. The conference will feature 50 workshops addressing:
• Gathering and Using Water Quality Data
• Addressing Aquatic Invasive Species
• Global Climate Change: Effects on Minnesota Surface Waters
• State Funding for Clean Water
• Shoreland Management and Land Use
• Building Healthy, Effective Citizen Organizations
• Lake and River Issues in Southeast Minnesota

This conference is the only statewide event dedicated to helping citizens save our lakes and rivers. Our primary audience is members of lake associations and other citizen volunteers working to save our lakes and rivers, as well as agency professionals who work on surface water issues. This workshop will also benefit students interested in environmental studies, environmental education, community organizing/outreach or community planning. Details and registration can also be found at www.rahrahrochester.com/events/__2009_Lakes_and_Waters_Conference/index.aspx.

For other events in the Minnesota River Watershed, log on to http://mrbdc.mnsu.edu/calendar/index.html.

Organization profile: High Island Creek Clean Water Partnership
In the summer of 2000, Sibley Soil and Water Conservation District along with a diverse selection of partners formed the High Island Creek Clean Water Partnership to improve water quality in this watershed across three counties.

First a diagnostic study was completed after securing a grant through the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency. This watershed assessment identified a number of water quality issues as the project moved into the implementation phase three years later.

Today, the High Island Creek Clean Water Partnership offers cost-share and technical assistance for a number of conservation practices including wetland restorations, alternative open intakes and rain gardens.

For more information, log on to http://mrbdc.mnsu.edu/major/lowminn/subshed/hi.

Recreational opportunity: Paddling High Island Creek
A 12-mile stretch of High Island Creek makes for interesting paddling as it flows through steep canyons and forested sections. High Island Creek is considered a flashy system that reacts quickly to strong storm systems.

According to Lynee and Robert Diebel’s book “Paddling Southern Minnesota — 85 Great Trips by Canoe and Kayak,” the creek is great fun to run for expert paddlers when it’s running high and a favorite of the Mankato Paddling and Outing Club. The Diebels wrote about long chains of standing waves and a narrow, twisting channel making for a challenging and exciting paddling. Find the book at your local library, bookstore or online retailer.