Long-term Drought Planning

Friday, June 26, 2009 - So where do we turn if the Red River dries up? Right now, MPS gets about 85% of our water from the Red. But in the 1930s, there was a severe drought, a drought that actually caused the Red River to stop flowing! An option that MPS is exploring uses an aquifer for water. What is an aquifer? Simply stated, it is a giant underground lake where water can be taken using a well.

MPS has begun work toward the goal of having an aquifer management plan. The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, Clay County, Minnesota Geological Survey, and other groups will be partners in this project.

The overall goal of the plan is to insure ground water resources in Clay county are available to everyone that needs it should a 1930s-style drought occur. The Buffalo Aquifer and newly discovered Border Aquifer will be of primary interest in the creation of the plan.

One of the objectives in developing the plan is to have an open process and provide the opportunity for public input. To view current status, meeting dates, and other information about the project, the website, http://www.buffaloaquifer.com/ , has been developed and is open to the public.

As one of steps toward plan development, a detailed study of the ground water in Clay County, called a county atlas, will be completed. Work on the atlas should commence in July, 2009. It is anticipated that several years will be required to complete the overall aquifer management plan. No other plan of this type exists in Minnesota at this time.

Posted by: MPS' Water Plant Supervisor, Troy Hall