Water Resources Research Act Program

Details for Project ID MN_2023_Nieber

Assessing the impact of industrial agriculture on water quantity and water quality in the Park Rapids region

Institute: Minnesota
Year Established: 2023 Start Date: 2022-01-01 End Date: 2023-12-31
Total Federal Funds: $10,928 Total Non-Federal Funds: $18,158

Principal Investigators: John Nieber

Project Summary: Concerns exist among indigenous peoples in the northcentral portion of Minnesota that land conversion from more natural ecosystems into intensively managed row-crop agriculture is leading to the degradation of surface water and groundwater resources. Concerns relate to rising amounts of agricultural chemicals in surface waters and groundwaters, and negative impacts of high-capacity pumping wells on natural water conditions. This project is focused on investigating the hydrology and quality of surface waters and groundwater of the Pineland Sands region. The project is utilizing existing data collected by state and federal agencies, and has a monitoring plan to augment the existing data. The project involves the development of regional-scale and local-scale groundwater models (MODFLOW), and associated SWAT models for surface water. The aim is that the project will lead to a better understanding of the hydrologic system and possible guidance on how to conduct agricultural operations that reduce negative impacts.