Under the Nitrogen Fertilizer Management Plan (NFMP), the MDA determines a mitigation level for townships that have elevated levels of nitrate-nitrogen in private wells. The goal of the NFMP is to involve the agricultural community in problem solving to address localized concerns about unsafe levels of nitrate in groundwater.
Due to elevated nitrate-nitrogen in private wells, Agram, Belle Prairie, and Ripley townships in Morrison County have been listed at a Mitigation Level 2 under the Nitrogen Fertilizer Management Plan. To learn more about the private well testing process that led to this designation visit the Township Testing Program webpage.
- Designated a Mitigation Level 2 in February 2018 using the following criteria
- More than 10% of tested private wells included in the final results exceeded 10 mg/L nitrate-nitrogen.
- Within these three townships there are approximately 38,000 cropland acres and 450 cropland owners
- Located in Morrison County in Central Minnesota
Local Advisory Team
The MDA established a Local Advisory Team (LAT), consisting of local farmers, agronomists, and local government staff.
The primary functions of the LAT are to:
- Advise the MDA on the appropriate nitrogen fertilizer best management practices (BMPs) for the project area.
- Explore opportunities to use Alternative Management Tools (AMTs) in targeted high-risk areas.
- Provide the MDA with guidance on the most effective methods to communicate with the agricultural community in the local project area.
- Support the implementation of the BMPs and AMTs at the local level.
From 2018 through 2023, MDA staff met with the Agram-Belle Prairie-Ripley township LAT reviewing agronomic information and the MDA’s analysis of nitrogen loss below cropland within townships. Below is a list of milestones that were met during this process. The LAT will continue to meet annually to review the published list and discuss ongoing efforts to implement BMPs and AMTs within these townships.
In consultation with the LAT, a list of BMPs and AMTs that are practicable and appropriate for protecting groundwater within these townships was developed and approved by the MDA. Working together with partners, the MDA will promote and help support adoption of these practices.
The BMP list will be posted on this webpage before the end of 2024.
The MDA will evaluate adoption of these BMPs within the three township area. The evaluation could occur as early as the fall of 2027.
Status of the Agram-Belle Prairie-Ripley Township LAT
- Formed a local advisory team
- The team is actively meeting
- Interviewed local ag retailers and farmers to gather information on the current nitrogen fertilizer management practices within these townships
- Mapped the boundaries of cropland within these townships
- Reviewed computer modeling of nitrate loss below a crop landscape similar to these townships
- In consultation with the LAT, a list of BMPs and AMTs that are practicable and appropriate for protecting groundwater within this DWSMA was developed by the MDA.
