News

Buffer alternatives released

The Minnesota Board of Water and Soil Resources (BWSR) has released a list of alternative practices available to landowners needing to come into compliance with the Buffer Law.

BWSR executive director John Jaschke says the guidance provides flexible water quality solutions deemed equal to or possibly more effective than buffers because of land configuration and management.

“There’s a six-pack here, and that just happens to be the number that we felt were the ones most likely to be used and that were ready to go.”

BWSR staff met with 15 stakeholder groups across Minnesota to develop these practices.

The buffer alternatives include certification in the Minnesota Department of Ag Water Quality program, USDA standard filter strips, grassed waterways on public waters, negative slopes on public ditches and public waters, and buffers plus conservation tillage.

“In every one of these cases, they have a stable bank.  Otherwise you’re not going to be able to achieve water quality.”

As long as landowners follow one of these common alternative practices, Jaschke says they’ll be compliant ahead of Buffer Law deadlines of this November for public waters and the following November for public ditches.

“And the way they can be assured of that is to have the Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD) provide what’s called a Validation of Compliance.  That’s something in the Law.”

Jaschke says the alternative practice guidance is a technical document that is not associated with Minnesota House and Senate ag policy legislation intended to delay implementation of the Buffer Law.