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As of 1997,
the state of Minnesota closed off tribal dumping grounds to the people of Red
Lake and the surrounding communities therein. The state installed dumpsters at two-mile increments along
the roadside for people to dump trash. Along with
over flowing dumpsters comes the over population of the American black bear.
Treating the cans as feed lots the bears gather at road side and have grown
accustomed to human activity and dragging bags of such garbage into the woods
has caused more unnecessary pollution. Some people, afraid to dump trash in the dumpsters have taken to burning domestic garbage in their own backyards. These fires include refuse from diapers to old tires,
which is suspected to be the cause of some ground-water contamination due to
chemical seepage. Widespread grass fires are also a problem in the dry
autumn months. During
1998, about 79 percent of all Minnesotans obtained their domestic water
supplies from ground water and nearly 750 million gallons of ground water were
withdrawn everyday. During the past 20 years, ground water withdrawals from
glacial and bedrock aquifers in Minnesota have increased particularly for
irrigation in sandy soils. Because of
increased demands, state and local agencies are concerned about the effects of
drought on water supplies, long-term sustainable yield of wells, effects on
ground and surface water levels and interferences among nearby wells pumping
from the same aquifer. Expansion
of urban and industrialized areas and development of agricultural resources
during the past fifty (50) years have affected some water resources. State and
tribal water managers and the citizens of Minnesota are concerned about the
effects of human activity and the quality of Minnesota’s streams, lakes, and
ground water. The USGS is
the leading federal agency in Minnesota that collects and interprets water
resource data and information used by tribal resource managers, planners and
the general public. To define
the availability of water for public, irrigation and industrial supplies, the
USGS monitors stream flow, lake levels and ground water levels at many
locations and has studied aquifers in Minnesota. To determine the quality of water in Minnesota’s streams and
lakes, the USGS maintains four (4) surface water quality stations, two (2)
sediment stations, twelve lake stations and one (1) precipitation station. A study of
the Minnesota River Basin determined how suspended sediment; agricultural
chemicals and bacteria impair use of lake and river water. Assessments are
needed to identify the natural and human factors that affect the quality of the
nation’s surface and ground water resources. The USGS
National Water Quality Assessment (NAWQA) Program was established to address
these needs. NAWQA studies in the Red River and Upper Mississippi River basins
investigate non-point and point source water quality issues in Minnesota and
adjacent states. Only small
amounts of agriculturally applied pesticides and nutrients have reached streams
and shallow ground water. Streams draining areas with much cropland have the
highest concentration of nutrients. Although
differences in fish communities appear to be controlled by environmental
factors, chemicals associated with modern industrial sources were widely
detected in fish and stream sediment in the basin. The result
of sampling in the Upper Mississippi River Basin suggests that urban use and
pollution contribute to elevated concentrations of nutrients and several
pesticides and synthetic organic compounds in ground water and streams. The quality
of stream flows in most of Minnesota is controlled by ground water during
periods of low snowfall. Tribal agencies are concerned about effects of ground
water withdrawals on stream flow and water quality. There is
also concern that contamination within the aquifers or the streams could
adversely affect water supplies. Recent USGS
work in the Red River of the North basin used chemical dating methods to
determine the age of water in a shallow aquifer. The youngest water was near the surface of the aquifer,
which also had the highest concentration of nitrate. The results have strong
implications for nitrate transport in ground water, due to human pollution.
These results have been useful in planning for ground water protection
strategies. Penalties and Consequences The illegal
burning concerns have risen over dry autumn months. The consequences outweigh
the penalties by far. The burning
of tribal land or waste without proper permits results in a minimum fine of
twenty (20) dollars. The maximum for this misdemeanor is one hundred dollars on
private tribal property. The
consequences of letting a waste fire burn unattended include uncontrollable
grass fires leading to possible domestic fires and forestry ignition. Chemicals
from these fires have been traced to seepage and runoff into ground water and
aquifers. The Solutions/ Conclusion As a
sovereign we need to seek help from our tribal leaders on starting more
educational programs concerning the effects of grass and chemical fires. The
most realistic plans need to start on an elementary level and deal with ways to
prevent situations before the occasional grass/chemical fire goes out of
control. We should also see if we could get a safer dumping station for both
human and our animals. A possibility might be having a more regular
trash-collecting schedule. A recycling program would be effective but only if
the citizens were willing to learn how to recycle properly and were provided
with the bins at little or no charge. Law changes
might include stiffer penalties for out of season, chemical, grass, and tire
burning. Regular water analysis and
forestry clean up programs are also options that we can take to preserve our
reservation. |