Land Management Practices for Improving Groundwater Quality
Roughly 90 percent of Dakota County residents rely on groundwater for their water supply. We need to maintain quality groundwater to support the health and well-being of those who drink it.
Groundwater contamination can come from many sources. The 2020–2030 Dakota County Groundwater Plan identified groundwater quality issues in both rural and urban areas from industries, households, farms and more.
The most common human-caused contaminants in the county are:
- Nitrate from agriculture and septic systems
- Lawn fertilizers from residential areas
- Chloride from de-icing salts and water softeners
- Fertilizer application on cropland
- Fertilizer application on a lawn
- Septic system under construction
- Snowplow applying road salt
Photo #1: Rural fertilizer application; Photos #2: Urban fertilizer application; Photos #3: Septic system; Photo #4: Road salt application.
The goal of the Agricultural Chemical Reduction Effort (ACRE) is to reduce groundwater contamination of agricultural chemicals as identified in the Groundwater Plan, so they no longer pose threats to human or environmental health.
The county’s sandy, gravelly soils make it a challenge for landowners and land managers to lessen the effects of these chemicals. These soils drain quickly and are more prone to nitrogen losses. Water conservation projects in well drained soils are important for protecting water quality.
Use the map below to explore soil drainage classifications around Dakota County, or search for your address to see how well soil drains on your property.
Soil drainage in Dakota County
Several farmers in Dakota County have adopted practices for improving groundwater quality. They have seen the benefits these practices provide to their land, water, and economic return.
This story map will highlight a few of the practices and share the experiences of those who have adopted them.
Click through the markers on this map to explore the conservation practices discussed in this Story Map.
Locations markers are approximate.
Cover crops
Cover crops are a type of land cover grown in addition to a primary crop, typically from fall to spring. Cover crops are an excellent conservation practice for protecting water quality. They are effective at reducing nutrient losses, especially nitrate, from farm fields into ground and surface waters when the primary crop is off the field. Cover crops also lessen soil erosion, improve soil health, crowd out weeds and increase profitability.
Dakota County growers Rodney Kimmes and Pat Maher each plant cover crops annually. Maher averages about 125 acres of winter cover rye per year. Kimmes plants about 350 acres of various cover crops, including oats, tillage radish and rye following harvest of his canning crops.
“There was a lot of encouragement from the Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD) and other organizations, which caught my attention. After talking with other growers, it seemed many of them liked using cover crops and figured I would give it a shot, too,” said Kimmes.
While important in improving water quality, both growers noticed improvements to soil health and field conditions. Maher has less erosion from his sandy soils in the spring prior to planting because of rye’s strong root structure holding soil in place and its ability to block wind. Kimmes also believes the strong root structure of oats and tillage radish help break up compacted soil, reducing the amount of work needed to prep the field in the spring. This allows him to plant his cash crop sooner.
Common cover crops in Dakota County include tillage radish, cereal rye, clover, oats, and winter wheat. Each provides a different set of benefits that can help growers meet specific water quality and soil health goals. Click the right arrow below to see images of common cover crops in Dakota County.
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Maher’s advice to growers is to not procrastinate – you’ll learn as you go.
“It’s important to encourage growers to get started. Get your feet wet planting a 40-acre patch of cover crops. Learn how to manage the crops you want to plant. It’s very beneficial for soil health,” said Maher.
While management is different, Kimmes believes once you have established a strategy, it’s easy and cheap to adapt.
Both suggest getting familiar with cost-share programs and the requirements to receive incentive payments. There are many organizations that will help cover the costs and reduce the risk of using cover crops.
The Dakota County SWCD provides funding for voluntarily establishing conservation projects – including cover crops. The SWCD staff work with applicants on project planning, design and submitting applications.
Learn more about getting started with cover crops with the University of Minnesota–Extension’s Minnesota Cover Crop Guide or by visiting the SWCD website at www.dakotaswcd.org and search Incentives or call (651) 480 - 7777.
Integrating perennial crops
Using perennial crops with cultivated cropping systems is another way to support water quality. Perennial crops have deep root systems which absorb more rainwater. They catch nitrate before it escapes into groundwater.
Some perennial crops can capture up to 97 percent more nitrate than an annual corn crop. Many perennial crops also require less nitrogen, reducing the amount of nitrogen fertilizer needed.
The types of perennial crops are incredibly diverse. Switchgrass, hay, alfalfa and intermediate wheatgrass (commonly known as Kernza) can all be combined with or fully converted from an annual cropping system. Click the right arrow below to see images of common perennial crops in Dakota County.
Kernza is one of the newest perennial crops in the United States. This emerging grain has a rich, nutty flavor that can be used in baking, beer, flour and cereal. This substitute for annual wheat has impressive ecosystem benefits. It increases nitrogen uptake, increases carbon sequestration, and reduces weed competition.
The Kimber family owns Kimber Contours in southern Dakota County near Northfield. The siblings, Kurt, Chris and Carol, planted Kernza on their farm in 2019, working with Clean River Partners and the University of Minnesota – Forever Green Initiative.
As of 2021, the Kimber farm now has 20 acres of Kernza planted on their operation. The Kimber’s are early adopters of new agricultural practices and have fully embraced Kernza as a part of their operation. They believe this practice helps build resilience against climate events, improve water quality and build soil organic matter on their farm.
The Forever Green Environmental and Economic Clusters of Opportunity (EECO) Implementation Program supports the commercial success of early-adoption growers. Kernza, winter camelina, winter barley and hybrid winter rye are among the more than 10 perennial crops which are intended for economic support.
The program includes financial and technical assistance to growers. Dakota County is an eligible location for the pilot program to help build momentum for perennial crops around the state.
Land restoration or conversion to prairie or other perennial vegetation
Converting unproductive or marginal cropland to wetlands or native prairie systems improves surface and groundwater quality and provides pollinator habitat.
Native vegetation, including flowers and grasses, is almost exclusively perennials. This allows them to develop root systems up to 15 feet in depth, capturing water and nitrate before it reaches groundwater.
Jerry and Audrey Wicklund have valued conservation since the family moved onto their land in 1945. They work hard to carry on their family’s legacy. Creating habitat for animals and protecting water quality are important motivators for them. They enjoy educating others about the benefits of restoration and creating native prairie habitats.
Creating this space has been a team effort. Dakota County has provided resources and support to protect the Wicklund’s land.
More than 120 of the 165 acres have been restored to wildlife habitat. Sixty-five acres are enrolled in the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) through the U.S. Department of Agriculture. This provides financial incentives for temporarily placing agricultural land into a conservation practice. According to Wicklund, CRP and other cost-share programs help fund about half of the restoration and maintenance costs.
The Wicklunds also enrolled 121 acres of that CRP land into a permanent natural conservation area easement in 2021, ensuring that land will remain natural forever.
Irrigation water management
Irrigation water management and scheduling provides growers an important tool to adapt water application to meet soil and crop needs. This practice also helps protect groundwater quality and quantity. It conserves water and reduces overapplication which causes nitrate leaching. University of Minnesota Extension estimates when farms use irrigation scheduling tools, nitrogen loss can be reduced by up to 60 percent.
Although he is retired from farming, Chuck Louis is still active in the farming community, providing agronomy advice on irrigation. Louis helps growers establish variable rate irrigation. This alters the amount of water applied to fields based on weather and soil composition.
Louis uses this type of precision agriculture to help growers determine when to water, when to fertilize, and how much of each should be used. This will save growers money and time. This level of precision can increase profitability of an operation by optimizing inputs and increasing yields while benefiting water quality.
“Irrigation water management can reduce demand on groundwater and manage water in the root zone to reduce nutrient losses,” said Louis.
Louis’ advice is driven by real-time data. He installs soil moisture probes in fields to monitor moisture content. This and weather forecasts provide insight to growers about when to irrigate and how to vary irrigation throughout fields.
Financial assistance through federal, state and local programs can help greatly reduce costs. The average return on investment from irrigation water management ranges between 20–50 percent for most systems that participate in cost-share programs.
The federally funded Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP) has brought more funding opportunities to growers in Dakota County. The program is coordinated by the local Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) office.
The SWCD is also available to offer technical assistance on irrigation management and provides an Irrigation Management Assistant (IMA) Tool. This provides recommendations for when to irrigate based on field water balances.
Nutrient management
As a grower, it is vital to keep nutrients on the field to maximize crops and prevent groundwater contamination. Proper nutrient management is important to achieve economic and environmental goals.
The University of Minnesota address four topics of nutrient management. These four topics are often referred to as the 4Rs of nutrient management. They stand for right source, right rate, right time and right place.
They serve as a guide to growers on practices that keep nutrients on the field. A detailed nutrient management plan will help growers make sure they are putting down the right nutrient source for their crops, in the right places, at the right time of year all at an appropriate application rate. Growers who follow the 4Rs, either individually or by working with an agronomist, can reduce their nitrogen losses by up to 15 percent, saving the grower money and preventing water pollution.
Christy Schmidt is an agronomist for the River Country Cooperative. She helps design nutrient management programs that fit grower needs. She runs several programs that use precise field data that aims to increase yields and profit for growers.
Zone mapping splits fields into different zones based on crop yield potential and soil composition. This informs her and the growers to make zone specific nutrient management planning to increase fertility and reduce nutrient losses.
“The more data you have, the more detailed you can be with planning,” said Schmidt. “The goal is to be the most cost effective and not do anything we don’t need to do.”
When Jean-Marc Versolato first started his position at Baileys Nursery in Dakota County, he wanted to find ways the company could change their nutrient management strategies to better optimize their nitrogen applications. He was interested in improving the way they applied nitrogen to be cheaper and less labor intensive and cared about the ongoing issues Dakota County faces with high nitrates in groundwater.
Versolato relied heavily on the 4Rs of nutrient management to improve the company’s nutrient management approach. He applied what he knew about the right source and right time to adopt a controlled release fertilizer (CRF) which would be applied once and slowly release nitrogen into the ground over a longer period and prevent nitrogen loss from single applications. The fertilizer was applied in the right place by banding their fertilizer instead of broadcasting onto the soil surface. This would put the fertilizer directly in the plant root zone and saved an estimated 50% of fertilizer they applied from washing off the fields.
“Following the 4Rs of nutrient management allows us to lessen our impact on the environment, reduce labor, reduce expenses all while maintaining plant health” said Versolato.
While Versolato said Baileys didn’t acquire any funding assistance to take on these projects, they did rely heavily on technical assistance from the University of Minnesota – Extension, and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). He encourages others to utilize agencies for knowledge and advice.
Growers interested in developing new nutrient management plans or evaluating a current plan have several cost-share grant opportunities. The Minnesota Nutrient Management Initiative (NMI) assists in evaluating nutrient management practices to improve fertilizer use and water quality.
New techniques are evaluated through on-farm trials. After which, participants are compensated for their time and given a summary of results.
Minnesota Agricultural Water Quality Certification Program (MAWQCP)
The Minnesota Agricultural Water Quality Certification Program (MAWQCP) is a statewide program through the Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA). This allows growers and landowners to voluntarily take part in water quality conservation practices.
With this certification, growers receive:
- Certainty that they comply with state water quality rules.
- Priority for technical and financial assistance on implementing practices.
- Recognition of certification to promote their business.
Those that participate in the MAWQCP have shown that it can be financially beneficial. MAWQCP farms average a net income more than $25,000 or 36% higher than non-certified farms according to Farm Business Management data.
Dave Legvold and his son, Mark, have been farming near Northfield, Minnesota since 1977. Their corn and soybean operation is among the first in Dakota County to become water quality certified. They have been a long-time advocate for conservation and water quality. This is evident with their use of the Minnesota Ag Water Quality Certification Program certification.
“I’ve had four landowners contact me, asking if I would like to help them farm their land because they see how my farming preserves soil systems and ensures that water leaves our farm is good shape,” Legvold said. “The process to become enrolled was easy and informed many of my farming decisions in becoming a better manager of my soil and water resources. Best of all, the process helped me to become more productive as well as reducing my expenses.”
Along with their certification, Legvold’s farm earned a “Climate Smart” endorsement. This enables growers to explore the climate benefits they are producing and potential opportunities for additional management practices. Learn more about how to certify your farm and the other 5 MAWQCP endorsements. See other farmers in the state who have enrolled in the program by clicking on the MAWQCP Story Map button below.
Want to learn more?
If you’re interested in learning more about water quality management practices, the SWCD maintains a Conservation Projects Map. This interactive mapping tool explores completed projects. The map provides details on each project.
Several financial incentive programs are available for growers in Dakota County who wish to adopt water quality practices. Many organizations — both public and nonprofit — have resources that can reduce financial concern of growers. The SWCD and NRCS can help landowners navigate programs and find solutions best suited for their needs. Technical assistance is also available, even if not seeking financial incentives.
To learn more about local incentives available through the SWCD, go to www.dakotaswcd.org and search Incentives or call 651-480–7777
To learn more about incentives available through the NRCS reach out to the Dakota County NRCS Service Center at 651-463–8665.
Funding for the Agricultural Chemical Reduction Effort (ACRE) Plan is provided through the Clean Water, Land, and Legacy Amendment, distributed by the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) to Dakota County.
