Gov. Dayton Holds First-Ever Minnesota Water Summit

ST. PAUL, Minn. (WCCO) -- Minnesotans are taking on the issue of water quality to make sure a crisis like Flint, Michigan does not happen in this state.

About 1,000 people attended Gov. Mark Dayton's first-ever Water Summit at the InterContinental Saint Paul Riverfront Hotel.

"Clean, safe water is nothing we can take for granted," Dayton said. "It's something we must insist upon and then take the actions necessary to attain it."

Visitors discussed water-quality challenges and brainstormed potential improvements throughout the day.

Steve Fruechte, a farmer from Caledonia in southeastern Minnesota, knows agricultural runoff has an impact on water quality.

"There's so many misconceptions about what's going on in the farms that I thought a person should really come to this," Fruechte said.

He says he already takes steps on his farm to protect the water quality, but he is always open to making more improvements.

"I want to make sure things proposed are workable, feasible and affordable," Fruechte said.

He is relying on soil, water and climate researchers, like David Mulla of the University of Minnesota, to guide the process.

"I think that for, you know, agriculture, nitrogen is the most challenging problem to solve right now," Mulla said.

He also says simple changes to farming practices can have a big impact.

"I think one of the things we can do is better precision management of fields, so we apply the right amount at the right place at right time," Mulla said. "And we can do the same with irrigation water management."

Water-quality challenges may not be solved with one summit, yet many feel this meeting starts the discussion to improve a fluid situation.

"The clean water practices are every Minnesotans' responsibility," Dayton said.

The governor says some of the ideas discussed Saturday could show up in the upcoming legislative session.

Dayton's opening remarks at the summit were interrupted by a small group protesting his stance in favor of the Sandpiper Oil Pipeline.

"Mark Dayton wants to approve the Sandpiper Pipeline," said one protester, using a bullhorn. "The pipeline runs across two of the largest freshwater sources in the world. We are here with a coalition of groups asking Gov. Mark Dayton to take action to ensure a high-quality environmental impact statement."

The others climbed onto the riser in front of the gathering and stood behind the governor before being led off with little incident.

"That's confusing to me, why you're hosting this summit while you're in support of this," the protester said.

The governor stood firm and was calm while listening to the demonstrators, and told the group he would talk to them about their concerns during the summit.

"I'll sit down with all of you after I finish my remarks," Dayton said. "We can find a room where we can sit down and talk."

The protesters also criticized Dayton for not inviting Native American leaders to the water summit.

"You need to give the tribes a seat at the table. There's no tribal representation. Why is that, Gov. Dayton?" a protester said.

The Sandpiper Oil Pipeline would carry crude oil from North Dakota across northern Minnesota.