Lincoln Pipestone Rural Water Verdi DWSMA

DWSMA Details

Due to elevated levels of nitrate-nitrogen, the Lincoln Pipestone Rural Water – Verdi  Drinking Water Supply Management Area (DWSMA) has been listed at a Mitigation Level 2 under the Groundwater Protection Rule. To learn more about the determination process visit Mitigation Level Determination. 

• Designated Mitigation Level 2 using the following criteria:
  • One or more public wells have exceeded 8 mg/L nitrate within the past 10 years
  • No point source of nitrate found to be the cause of the elevated nitrate level
    (i.e., ag chemical incidents, animal feedlots, improperly sealed wells, etc.) 
• Nitrate levels in 2 of 5 public wells in Minnesota have tested above 8 mg/L in the past ten years
• The DWSMA is approximately 7,980 acres (medium or high vulnerability area)
• There are about 19 cropland owners and operators within the DWSMA
• Located in Lincoln County

Local Advisory Team

The MDA established a Local Advisory Team (LAT), consisting of local farmers, agronomists, local government staff, and the public water supplier.

The primary functions of the LAT are to:

1. Advise the MDA on the appropriate nitrogen fertilizer best management practices (BMPs) for the project area.
2. Explore opportunities to use Alternative Management Tools (AMTs) in targeted high-risk areas.
3. Provide the MDA with guidance on the most effective methods to communicate with the agricultural community in the local project area.
4. Support the implementation of BMPs and AMTs at the local level.

From 2020 through 2025, MDA staff met with the Lincoln Pipestone Rural Water – Verdi LAT reviewing agronomic information and the MDA’s analysis of nitrogen loss below cropland within the DWSMA. Below is a list of milestones that were met during this process. The LAT will continue to meet once annually to review new public well nitrate data and discuss ongoing implementation of practices that protect groundwater within the DWSMA. 

Status of the 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 the DWSMA
• Mapped the boundaries of cropland within this DWSMA
• Completed computer modeling of nitrate loss below the crop rooting zone within this DWSMA
• In consultation with the LAT, a list of BMPs and AMTs that are practicable and appropriate for protecting groundwater within this DWSMA was developed and approved by the MDA. 
• A formal evaluation of BMP adoption in this area could occur as soon as the 2029 growing season.

The MDA will continue to work with the LAT, local farmers, crop advisers, and local conservation district partners on communication of the importance of these practices, providing technical assistance, and any grants or cost share funding available to support adoption.