Ducks Unlimited (DU)
www.ducks.org

About the organization
Ducks Unlimited conserves wetlands and adjacent uplands for waterfowl and other wetland-dependent wildlife species. It is the largest member-supported conservation organization in Minnesota, currently spending some $3 million per year on wetland acquisition, restoration, and enhancement.

Respondent: Tom Landwehr, state conservation director

How important to you is the river or stream nearest your home, and why?
Closest to me is Rice Creek, a tributary to the Mississippi River. It is a significant resource in this area, though most people don't realize it exists.

How can citizens find out about the condition of the river nearest their homes or communities?
I don't think there is a good way. Watershed districts may be able to provide some info (e.g., Rice Creek WD), and DNR can cover larger rivers (e.g., Mississippi and Minnesota rivers), but most rivers don't have a good info source.

What can homeowners do to make their land and property more river friendly? What can farmers do? Business owners?
I'd reference the Lakescaping for Wildlife and Water Quality book; it is equally relevant for rivers as lakes. Farmers should eliminate surface tile intakes, restore wetlands, and buffer all waterbodies.

What are the most important actions citizens can take to help clean up Minnesota's rivers?
Join DU! Truly, the most impact citizens can have is by being active with a conservation group or through the legislative process. Conservation takes will and money. In the scale needed to make a difference, it has to come from government and the large non-profits.

What are policymakers doing to enhance the current and future health of Minnesota's rivers? What should they be doing?
Lots of good programs going on in Minnesota, including: Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program, RIM, Wetlands Restoration Program, CRP, wetlands laws, and others. Much more needs to be done, however and in my opinion, to actually put conservation practices on the ground. In this case, I'd advocate we need to restore a million acres of wetland and establish grasslands on all erodible soils (at least those eroding at twice the sustainable rate).

River policymakers must address diverse and often competing elements such as the environment, commerce, flood control, recreation, and land use—but from your point of view, what overarching values should guide how we use, treat, and manage rivers?
I look at natural resources as the foundation of our economy. Like a good car, good teeth, or a good retirement, we need to continually sustain the resource if we want it to sustain our economy into the future. It is almost never urgent, but it is extremely important. Given the rate of development, we have a very narrow window to do good conservation to maintain our quality of life. We should develop and implement policies that will sustain our water quality and land conservation practices for several generations into the future.

How can we manage the conflict of private land use and the best management practices for our rivers?
I would argue that any practice that flows downstream introduces the right of others to have a say. No private landowner has an inherent right, in my opinion, to degrade a shared resource like a river. The toolbox must include equal measures of education, regulation, and incentive.

How important is the development of a land-use plan in the watersheds that feed our rivers? Do you have a land-use plan?
It is not worth much if there is not adequate implementation—a situation I think frequently happens. In my city of Shoreview, we do have both land use and water management plans.

What programs are available—and are more needed—to educate and inform citizens, river users, river property owners, and policymakers about river issues?
I think education is largely being addressed — I don't think there are too many landowners that don't understand their impact on water (I could be wrong). Ongoing education is needed, of course, but I think the most needed form of education now is directed or focused education on specific landowners. We are currently working to identify focus areas for wetland conservation and identifying and contacting specific landowners to encourage conservation. To me, this seems the most efficient delivery system.

How does Mississippi River quality change as it flows from the headwaters to the Twin Cities and beyond? What is Minnesota's accountability to the states that have to treat, filter, and use the water after it leaves Minnesota?
Starts out clean and leaves dirty. Yes, we should be ashamed and in litigation for the way we leave it.

How does air pollution affect our rivers?
Mostly through pollutant deposits (e.g., mercury), I suspect.

What joint efforts (other than testing) have begun statewide to improve the quality of our rivers for drinking and fishing?
Lots of conservation programs (see above). I do think these can be successful, but only if we ramp them up an order of magnitude.

Further questions to consider?
How much land conservation is needed, and in what types, to achieve sustainable water quality?

How much would people pay to achieve that in the Minnesota or Mississippi rivers?