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<br /> <br />WATER QUALITY AND <br /> <br />INTRODUCTION <br />How well the lakes, streams, and aquifers of <br />the Vennillion River watershed can provide <br />safe drinking water, pleasing recreationaJ areas, <br />wildlife habitat, agricultural productivity. and <br />other benefits without rising costs to the peo- <br />ple depends on how carefully the land and <br />water in the wafershed are used. The Basin's <br />water quality problems include high levels of <br />suspended solids in rivers. siltation, and nutri. <br />ent enrichment of lakes. Within one aquifer. <br />nitrate concentrations are elevated and pesti- <br />cides have been detected. Soil erosion is IOW4 <br />ering agricultural productivity. threatening <br />the integrity of river banks. accelerating silta- <br />tion of ]ake.~ and streams, and degrading sur- <br />face waler quality. Both water quality and ero- <br />sinn problems are greatly exacerbated by flood- <br />ing. Successful solulions to waler quality <br />problem~ must be integraled with flow controls. <br /> <br />ISSUE I <br /> <br />H1GII RATES OF AGRICUL- <br />TURAL RUNOFF, WHICH <br />RESULT IN INCREASED <br />STREAM BANK EROSION AND <br />()IMINISIIEIJ RIPARIAN <br />fUN CT I () N S <br /> <br />f!.. <br /> <br />TEAM 5 <br /> <br />High water causes sedimenl from fields <br />and pastureland to be deposited in <br />lakes and streams. Plowing and planting right <br />up to the edge ofthe stream, grazing alongside <br />of streams and lakes, and inappropriate bridge <br />designs aU contribute to eroded banks and <br />degraded riparian vegetation. Sediment <br />deposits coupled with loss of wetland and <br />riparian vegetation have resuhed in the loss of <br />topsoil, increased flooding, increased water <br />lurbidity, exposed stream banks, and further <br />degradation of riparian vegetalion. <br /> <br />POTENTIAl. SOLUTION h\ <br />Identify areas with ballk erosioll problems arid <br /> <br />"Fordcmdl.'$ WI.' citize'l$ hort' bt'm si/mt <br />partllt'rs;/1 rlleaeatioll ofollrwalaqIUl!' <br />it)' proMt'ms mul allr crosioll problems. <br />Tllt'se tire till.' Ims;... ofrmr tlCt;t'itics. Ollr <br />CCO/lOm;( slln'il'/Jb;/it>~ Ollr recreatiollal <br />lISI'5...VIICt')tJII'\'I.'!osttl1cwl1tarcsOllrcc, <br />)'011 f1ol'C 10:;( )'Ollr {,(ol/omie opportll- <br />"ities. 1711.' water that lI'e drillk mill bathe <br />ill ;s tlte {",If wllter t"elt WC'l't' el't'r had Oil <br />this ClIrt/lllt/d l\'l.'/Icl.'d to take aln' of it." <br /> <br />.. <br /> <br />EROSION <br /> <br />take appropriate remediill actioll. {This action <br />would alw address Loss of Agricultural <br />Prod!lctiyity from Floodillg; see Solutioll I-G, <br />page 22.] <br />This effort should be led by the V.s. Soil <br />Conservation Service. the S.D. Department of <br />Environment and Natural Resources, the <br />local conservation districts, a future basin. <br />wide water management authority, and the <br />S.D. Department of Agricultures Conserva. <br />tion Commission. <br />Funding may be available from V.s. <br />Environmental Protection Agency Section 319 <br />grants administered through the S.D. Depart- <br />ment of Environment and Natural Resources. <br /> <br />POTENTIAL SOLUTION 1-1\ <br />Encourage the preservation and restoration of <br />wetlands and riparian zones. {This action <br />would also address Flooding in the Vermillion <br />River valley; see Solutio1l2-C,page 16.ft would <br />address Hoodi/lg around Lake Thompsor/; see <br />Solution 3-A, page lB. It would address Loss of <br />Habitm for Wiltilife; see Solutioll 2.A, page 2B.1 <br /> <br />\'OTE~TIAL SOI.UTION l-C <br />Promote both natural alld structural flaw (0/1- <br />trol systems. BuiLl chuk dams ill smaller erod- <br />ing gullies. {Tllis actio" would also aMres5 <br />