Groups Working to Remove Phosphorus & Nitrogen from Red River

The report came from the Minnesota Pollution Control Authority

MOORHEAD, Minn. – Dangerous substances are threatening the water quality and wildlife in the Red River.

Over the last few years, the levels of the Red River have risen due to more precipitation and drainage.

The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency says this leads to more bacteria and nutrients floating in the water, leading to potential health risks.

“We’ve had people who got sick, we’ve had dogs especially that died in waters that have had that bacteria in it. It’s probably, certainly gotten worse but not so much that you could see it,” Jim Ziegler, the Regional Manager for the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency based in Detroit Lakes, said.

In a recent report detailing the River’s health, the agency says 40% of the fish living on the Canadian side of the river have been wiped out, partially due to the higher phosphorus levels.

In order to keep the fish population healthy here, some groups are taking action.

“We are working with the International Red River Board to try and develop some targets for phosphorus at the border. If we can limit phosphorus, we can limit the amount of algae that grows,” said Ziegler.

Some groups, like the Red River Basin Commission, are working on projects to clean up the river.

“Working on projects that are integrating tile and surface drainage to more effectively manage that run off, keep it under control and a little less flashy, and that will also improve the soil health and reduce the nutrients that get into the river,” said Ted Priester, the Executive Director of the Red River Basin Commission.

With other ideas including temporary water storage and working with producers to limit fertilizer runoff, some say it will take some time to clear the river of those nutrients.

“Little adjustments are going to take a lot longer to have a big effect, so we’re looking at 10 to 15 years before we begin to see major improvements,” said Priester.

The agency says that the drastic changes in the river’s flow levels could have a negative long–term impact on fish and insects that live in the water.