Understanding Understanding Sustainability at the Sustainability at the

State LevelState Level

John R. WellsJohn R. WellsMinnesota Environmental Quality BoardMinnesota Environmental Quality Board

Allocating Water: Economics and the Allocating Water: Economics and the EnvironmentEnvironmentJuly 22, 2004July 22, 2004

Sustainable development is …Sustainable development is …

Thinking & acting as if the long-term future Thinking & acting as if the long-term future matteredmattered

Recognizing how things connectRecognizing how things connect Living within our meansLiving within our means Taking creative approaches to issuesTaking creative approaches to issues

The Governor’s VisionThe Governor’s Vision

Keep Minnesota’s waters cleanKeep Minnesota’s waters clean Ensure communities have safe waterEnsure communities have safe water Keep an accurate pictureKeep an accurate picture Restore the casualties of society’s Restore the casualties of society’s

great progress great progress Develop effective leadership on

water

The Governor’s Clean Water Initiative The Governor’s Clean Water Initiative Clean Water

Cabinet Vision

Guiding Principles

Action Areas GoalsProjects

July 1, 2004

Metro Mississippi River

Southeast Minnesota

Executive Policies and Processes

Reduce phosphorus loadings from Lambert Creek and phosphorus concentrations in Vadnais Lake

Provide effective tools and incentives to protect WQ and

sensitive natural resources

Reduce levels of harmful bacteria

Demonstrate the value of regional water supply planning and coordination;

providing an inter-connected system

Create institutional framework for regional coordination of drinking water supplies

Identify and promote water supply choices for Metro area --- ensuring

sustainable drinking water

Reduce sediment loading to rivers and streams

Reduce harmful bacteria and other pathogens entering rivers and streams to acceptable levels

Coordinate/target deliver of farm programs to cost effectively remediate pollution sources

Align budget related processes and priorities

with Governor’s Clean Water Vision

South Branch,

Root River

Lambert Lake Wetland

Restoration

Twin Cities Sub-Regional Water

Supply Plan

Focus and alignment

on priorities

Use a watershed approach

Apply individualized

solutions

Cooperation is

essential

Keep working lands

working

Protect watersfrom

future threats

Restore watersthat are impaired

Monitor watersheds to

provide clear/timely picture of status

Ensure adequate and sustainable

supplies of clean water

Effective Executive Branch

water resource leadership

Red River ValleyReduce flood damage to cropland

Reduce sediment loading to the South Branch of Buffalo River

Enhance recharge of groundwater serving Moorhead’s water supply needs

Reduce flood damage to cropland and structuresGrand Marais

Flood Reduction

Manston Slough Flood Control

Reduce sediment loading to Red River of the North

Enhance fish and wildlife habitat

Central MinnesotaLakes Area

Five county lakes area coordination

Coordinate lake management Revise shoreland rule

Water & sustainabilityWater & sustainability

Growth & waterGrowth & water JobsJobs Budget prioritiesBudget priorities

Projected population growthProjected population growth

By 2010By 2010

Rates (%)Rates (%) White … -8 to 0White … -8 to 0 Gray … 0 to 5Gray … 0 to 5 Black … 5 to 13Black … 5 to 13 Blue … 13-37Blue … 13-37

Aquifers Limitedin Minnesota’s Growth Corridor

                                                                                                                                       

A framework for decisionsA framework for decisions

Convene corridor stakeholdersConvene corridor stakeholders Identify trends, plans and goals and Identify trends, plans and goals and

develop growth scenariosdevelop growth scenarios Understand long-term regional Understand long-term regional

implications of water and land useimplications of water and land use Bring people together to change local Bring people together to change local

and state policyand state policy

Job Opportunity Building ZonesJob Opportunity Building Zones

To stimulate economic development activity in rural Minnesota by providing local and state tax

exemptions

Karst

Rochester Water Rochester Water Supply AreaSupply Area

Decorah Edge

Rochester Water Supply

Recharge Area

Northern HeightsCountry Club Manor.

Assissi Heights

Pill Hill

Follwell Heights

Willow HeightsGolden Hill

Rose Harbor.

Developments on the Decorah Edge

Groundwater Groundwater Flow DirectionFlow Direction

Northern Hills CourtNorthern Hills Court

Decorah ShaleDecorah Shale

Water Being Pumped To The Storm Sewer From The Water Being Pumped To The Storm Sewer From The Basement Of A Home Located On The Decorah EdgeBasement Of A Home Located On The Decorah Edge

Goals of a Decorah EdgeGoals of a Decorah EdgeRecharge Area OrdinanceRecharge Area Ordinance

Preserve the intact recharge areas

Improve recharge quality and quantity

10 Year Water Gaps10 Year Water GapsBy ResourceBy Resource

($ Millions)($ Millions)

1061

90

132

32

356

53

Surface waterquality

Ground waterquality

Surface waterquantity

Ground waterquantity

AquaticEcosystems

Recreation

Funding-related principlesFunding-related principles

No new General Fund expenditures No new General Fund expenditures without savingswithout savings

Each agency must find savings, but the Each agency must find savings, but the cabinet will act collectivelycabinet will act collectively

New fee revenues may be proposed when New fee revenues may be proposed when the fee would:the fee would:• Ask polluters and resource users to pay for the Ask polluters and resource users to pay for the

benefits they receive benefits they receive • Not place an undue burden on those who Not place an undue burden on those who

would pay the feewould pay the fee No new taxes No new taxes

Sustainable development is …Sustainable development is …

Thinking & acting as if the long-term future Thinking & acting as if the long-term future matteredmattered

Recognizing how things connectRecognizing how things connect Living within our meansLiving within our means Taking creative approaches to issuesTaking creative approaches to issues

National Sustainable Water National Sustainable Water Resources RoundtableResources Roundtable

Understanding if we’re on the Understanding if we’re on the right trackright track

The General Systems PerspectiveThe General Systems Perspective

“Natural Systems”

Social System

Biosphere

EconomicSystem

Community Water Supply Example of the Systems Perspective

Hydrologicand

ClimatologicSystems

Social System

BiosphereEconomicSystem

Social Systems For Managing Water Supply

Economic Systems

For Water Supply

SWRR Process for Identifying SWRR Process for Identifying Criteria and IndicatorsCriteria and Indicators

Indicators

Measurements

CriteriaIdentify Valued Forms of Capital

Identify Components of CapitalAnd Processes Affecting Them

Identify Measurable Phenomena

Systems Concepts Information Concepts

Possible Types of Indicators

Stressors &Investments

UnderlyingProcesses

Outputs

Effects

Capital

Indicators

Goal: Sustainability of Water Resources

Criterion Criterion Criterion Criterion Criterion

Targets for Indicators Ex 1

Pollutants &Facility

Construction

Precipitation,Evaporation &

Runoff

DeliveredWater

Human Health,Income

Capacity for Water Supply

Indicators

Goal: Sustainability of Water Resources

Criterion Criterion Criterion Adequate Water Supply

A Criteria & Indicators ModelSustainability of Water Resources

EcologicalSystem

SocialSystem

EconomicSystem

Goal

Category

IndicatorCategory Human HealthQuality & Quantity Hazards

System Condition or Capacity

IndicatorProcesses Outputs

Human Effects Ecosystem Effects

Criteria

Ecological SystemEcological System

Capacity to make water of Capacity to make water of appropriate quality and quantity appropriate quality and quantity available to support ecosystemsavailable to support ecosystems

Integrity of ecosystemsIntegrity of ecosystems

Social SystemSocial System

Social well being resulting from the use Social well being resulting from the use of water resources of water resources

Social well being resulting from the use Social well being resulting from the use of water-related ecological resources of water-related ecological resources

Legal, institutional, community and Legal, institutional, community and technical capacities for the management technical capacities for the management of water and related land resources for of water and related land resources for sustainabilitysustainability

Economic SystemEconomic System

Capacity to make water of appropriate Capacity to make water of appropriate quality and quantity available for human quality and quantity available for human usesuses

Economic well being resulting from use of Economic well being resulting from use of water and related land resourceswater and related land resources

Economic well being resulting from the use Economic well being resulting from the use of water-related ecological resources of water-related ecological resources

DraftDraft Factors Factors

For identifying, organizing, evaluating For identifying, organizing, evaluating and choosing “and choosing “Appropriate IndicatorsAppropriate Indicators””

Defining the state of thingsDefining the state of things RelevanceRelevance Appropriate time horizon and scaleAppropriate time horizon and scale Indicator integrityIndicator integrity UnderstandabilityUnderstandability

SWRR goals SWRR goals on sustainability of on sustainability of the nation’s watersthe nation’s waters

Develop criteria and indicators to track Develop criteria and indicators to track national water sustainabilitynational water sustainability

Identify research collaboration Identify research collaboration opportunitiesopportunities

Collaborate in development of a 2005 Collaborate in development of a 2005 report on water sustainabilityreport on water sustainability

Lessons LearnedLessons Learned

Think long termThink long term

Provide a process for developing a Provide a process for developing a common language and understandingcommon language and understanding

Align economic and policy signals with Align economic and policy signals with sustainable behaviorsustainable behavior

Measure progress & make mid-course Measure progress & make mid-course correctionscorrections

Web SitesWeb Sites

www.eqb.state.mn.us/SDI/www.eqb.state.mn.us/SDI/

www.eqb.state.mn.us/water/www.eqb.state.mn.us/water/

www.nextstep.state.mn.uswww.nextstep.state.mn.us

http://water.usgs.gov/wicp/acwi/swrr/http://water.usgs.gov/wicp/acwi/swrr/

““Never doubt that a small group of Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, that’s the change the world. Indeed, that’s the only thing that ever has.”only thing that ever has.”

Margaret MeadeMargaret Meade