Water, water everywhere, nor any drop... #WorldWaterDay

Today is World Water Day. It’s also National Ag Day. Minnesota is noted for both its water and its agriculture. Unfortunately, the combination is not a healthy one.

Minnesota has approximately 67,400 farms. About 1,150 [1.7%] of them are water quality certified.

Minnesota has approximately 25,400,000 agricultural acres. About 800,000 [0.3%] of them are water quality certified.

This year’s World Water Day’s theme is groundwater. Unlike surface water, where about half of the state’s water bodies fail standards, it appears that Minnesota doesn’t have a good handle on its groundwater quantity or quality.

 Impaired Waters: draft 2022

The Clean Water Act at 50

Much of the current water quality failures in the state are attributable to agriculture, which is largely unregulated under the Clean Water Act. There’s a recently published report on the country’s failure to curb water pollution. Minnesota is among the leading failures.

One reason Minnesota may be facing such continuing failures to attain water quality standards may have something to do with what’s know as regulatory capture, compounded by limited to missing enforcement of existing water protection requirements. For example:

Enbridge crews punctured three aquifers during Line 3 oil pipeline construction, DNR says

The damage to groundwater resources was more extensive than previously disclosed. 

Few things would please us more than to be able to replace this year's gloomy and glum report with a much happier one next year on World Water Day. After 50 years of incomplete and inadequate responses, compounded by a worldwide general failure to appropriately respond to our climate crises, I’m not going to hold my breath that our environmental protection won’t still be under water.

Water

By Ralph Waldo Emerson

The water understands 

Civilization well; 

It wets my foot, but prettily, 

It chills my life, but wittily, 

It is not disconcerted, 

It is not broken-hearted: 

Well used, it decketh joy, 

Adorneth, doubleth joy: 

Ill used, it will destroy, 

In perfect time and measure 

With a face of golden pleasure 

Elegantly destroy.

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