Groundwater Issues in Minnesota

How a summer drought and an appetite for perfect french fries contribute to water issues

This fall, the New York Times (NYT) has been publishing articles in a series called “Uncharted Waters”. The focus of this series of articles is on groundwater water issues, and while the articles focus on the USA, the issues should serve as a wake-up call for all of us on the fragility of our water resources. In a previous post on The Water Droplet, I summarized a NYT article called “Americal is Using Up Its Groundwater Like There’s No Tomorrow”. A follow up NYT article (published here¹) provides details on an example of overusing groundwater.

In the state of Minnesota, a drought in the summer of 2021 was one of the worst on record. Minnesota is known as The Land of 10,000 Lakes, and it’s a Great Lakes state, not unlike the province of Ontario. During the drought of 2021, rivers and ponds shrank and farmers had to turn their pumps up. Collectively, farmers pumped over 6 billion gallons MORE than allowed under state permits². Approximately 1/4 of the excessive pumping occurred on land owned or operated by R.D. Offutt Company, a big potato-growing company that provides potatoes to McDonalds. According to this article, Offut pumped 22 billion gallons of groundwater in 2021.

Annual pumping in the state of Minnesota between 1988 and 2021.

The excessive pumping in Minnesota in the summer of 2021 resulted in lower water levels in aquifers. When this happens, flow in streams can be altered. Trout streams, for example, rely on the cold water from groundwater to provide habitat for the fish. When groundwater levels decline, these trout streams can warm up, thereby harming fish species. In addition to this, ponds and wetlands that are fed by groundwater can shrink or even dry up. Another effect of lower groundwater levels is the drying up of private wells. Some homeowners reported that their wells dried up.

When groundwater is overpumped, the water temperature in a stream can warm and fish habitats can disappear. In some instances, the streams might even dry up completely.

The issue of irrigation is not simple. Lawmakers can fine farmers for pumping too much water, but in dry years (like 2021), governments can be hesitant to fine water users who are already struggling due to the drought.

The irrigation issues in Minnesota include crops of potatoes as well as corn. In the case of potatoes, consumers (and restaurants like McDonalds) will pay more for aesthetically pleasing potatoes. These “pretty” potatoes use a lot more water than potatoes that are misshapen or have black spots.

A VP at R.D. Offutt Farms has stated that “The story of 2021 was either going to be about water overages or food shortages”, and “we had to make difficult decisions around water use in order to save our crops and keep the food supply secure and affordable.” (see footnote 1).

In conclusion, food security and water security are bound to each other. We can’t have food security without water security, but we need to pay close attention to how we are using our water resources that provide irrigation water to our crops, otherwise, we’ll run out of water for irrigation.

And maybe consider our eating habits…

Thanks for reading The Water Droplet and keep watching for more stories about water!

1. The NYT article, entitled, “Big Farms and Flawless Fries are Gulping Water in the Land of 10,000 Lakes”, might not be viewable unless you have a subscription. I access the articles through my public library.

2. Permits are issued in an attempt to protect water resources. However, many jurisdictions that issue permits do not follow up to ensure that restrictions are followed. Despite the permitting process, reporting actual water takings is not mandatory. (This is from my own personal experience in the province of Ontario).