Press Release: MN Groups Petition for State Action on Agricultural Drainage

Conservation groups petition for state action on water pollution caused by agricultural drainage

DATE: 08/28/25 CONTACT: Aaron Klemz, MCEA, aklemz@mncenter.org, 763-788-0282 

St. Paul, Minnesota – Nine organizations led by the Minnesota Center for Environmental Advocacy (MCEA) filed a petition with the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) Thursday asking the state agency to begin regulating certain agricultural drainage systems. Despite clearly and repeatedly recognizing drainage systems as a leading cause of water pollution in Minnesota, MPCA has never required water pollution permits for these projects. The petition argues that this step would help Minnesota reach its goals to protect aquatic life and safe drinking water, as well as its downstream goals to dramatically reduce nutrient levels across the Mississippi River Basin.

Specifically, the petition asks MPCA to initiate a rulemaking process that would ultimately result in the creation of a long-overdue permit program for public agricultural drainage systems. The agency has 60 days to respond to the petition. The rulemaking process, if MPCA grants the request, would invite participation from stakeholders across the state to shape the regulatory program. 

“We have the opportunity to bring everyone to the table to shape a solution that works better for all: landowners, taxpayers, lake-lovers, cities, and homeowners,” said Leigh Currie, chief legal officer for MCEA. “MPCA is the state agency in charge of protecting us from pollution, and yet it currently is not playing a role in protecting us from one of the leading causes of nutrient and sediment pollution in our state. This petition seeks to change that.” 

“We have experienced first hand the results of rain water reaching the river immediately following a rain event. The results are extreme and devastating,” stated Becky and Don Waskosky, whose home on the Le Sueur River is threatened by erosion. “We believe we can come together to find solutions that are equitable for all Minnesotans who care about our environment and our rivers. We can and must do this.”

While drainage systems improve crop yields for Minnesota’s agricultural community, they often come with significant unintended consequences. When large quantities of water are rapidly moved from below agricultural fields, the polluted runoff is delivered to streams, lakes, and rivers without going through a natural filtration process. Intensively drained watersheds also significantly increase the total amount of water in our river systems and how quickly their water levels rise and fall after heavy precipitation events. The result is impaired waters in agricultural communities across Minnesota, increased erosion along riverbanks, damage to downstream infrastructure, and degraded aquatic habitat. A water pollution permit program would allow the state to balance crop yield benefits with critical practices like water storage to minimize downstream impacts. 

The petitioners’ goals align with the stated goals of the recently updated Minnesota Nutrient Reduction Strategy, which seeks to reduce total nitrogen and phosphorus loads to the Mississippi River 45% by 2040. The strategy recognizes that cropland drainage continues to rapidly increase in Minnesota, and that currently less than 1% of all drained cropland has adopted best practices like tile water management treatment. In order to reach our goals, it states that “landscape-level change is needed” and millions of additional cropland acres need to adopt the most effective nutrient reduction practices. 

The problem is the most pronounced in the Minnesota River Valley, home to cities like Blue Earth, Mankato and Fairmont. In a report released earlier this summer, MCEA presented research that clearly indicates the role that extensive agricultural drainage has had on the dramatic increases in river flows in the region, flash flooding, and erosion. The financial toll is significant. For example, over the past 15 years the Minnesota Department of Transportation has spent over $35 million to repair bridges and roadways in the Mankato-area to address riverbank stabilization and flood resiliency.

Agricultural drainage is also a key driver of high nutrient levels in our lakes and streams. The MPCA’s own data demonstrate how drainage leads to excess nutrient levels, which in turn lead to algae blooms, fill kills, and ultimately the dead zone in the Gulf. For example, a report by the state agency found that 76 percent of the nitrogen found in lakes, rivers and streams in the Blue Earth Watershed could be attributed to “crop tile,” a term used for agricultural drainage. 

“By MPCA’s own admission, drainage is a barrier to making all of Minnesota’s waters swimmable and fishable again,” Currie said. “Our laws require permits before you can pollute our water, and MPCA already has a workable system in place to manage very similar sources of pollution, like urban stormwater runoff. It’s time to follow the law when it comes to agricultural pollution as well.”

The nine petitioner organizations are Coalition for a Clean Minnesota River, CURE, Friends of the Minnesota Valley, Green Crew, Minnesota Center for Environmental Advocacy, Minnesota Division of the Izaak Walton League of America, Minnesota River Collaborative, Minnesota Valley Chapter of the Izaak Walton League of America, and Minnesota Well Owners Organization.

Inquiries and interview requests can be directed to Aaron Klemz, whose contact information is above. The petition and MCEA’s drainage report are available upon request. Video and still images of sediment pollution and erosion in the Minnesota River valley are also available for free use with attribution.

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