Browsing by Subject "water conservation"
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Item Greening Lawn Irrigation: A Resilient Communities Project–GreenStep Cities Guide(Resilient Communities Project (RCP), University of Minnesota., 2016) Butler, Megan (editor)Water conservation is becoming an increasingly urgent concern for communities throughout Minnesota. Natural replenishment of aquifers may not keep up with the rate of use seen in Minnesota. The loss of groundwater reserves can result in increased pumping costs, and impact local lakes, streams and wetlands. Local municipalities can help to address this problem by engaging local homeowners in conversations to educate them about water conservation and motivate them to make simple changes in their homes to conserve this precious resource. This resource provides a toolkit for cities seeking to engage homeowners in water conservation through improved lawn care practices. This document has been prepared by the University of Minnesota’s Resilient Communities Project (RCP) for the Minnesota GreenStep Cities Program. This resource was adapted from student work completed in partnership with RCP and the City of Rosemount during the 2014–2015 academic year. Although the original report was developed for a specific community, students’ findings and recommendations have been synthesized and generalized, and additional research has been conducted where necessary, to produce a resource that is relevant to communities throughout Minnesota. The original student reports can be found at https://conservancy.umn.edu/handle/11299/180444 and https://conservancy.umn.edu/handle/11299/180446.Item Sixteenth Annual Report Water Resources Research Center(Water Resources Research Center, University of Minnesota, 1980-10) Blake, George R.; Espointour, ElizabethDuring fiscal year 1980 the Water Resources Research Center sponsored ten projects funded through programs of the U.S. Department of Interior, Office of Water Research and Technology and two funded through grants from the Upper Mississippi River Basin Commission. These research projects dealt with the following topics: 1) Water conservation through reuse of agricultural drainage waters and through prediction of irrigation scheduling by use of climatic data; 2) Wetlands as related to county drainage ditches and to agricultural runoff;3) Water quality for towns in rural areas, methods for measuring aquatic organics, removal of heavy metals by zeolites, and propagation of hydrocarbon spills to shallow aquifers;4) Groundwater recharge rates as related to rainfall, predicting recharge rates in surficial aquifers; 5) Economics of water use for irrigation; 6) Flood prevention through hydrologic simulation of critical watersheds; and 7) Septage disposal on land by defining loading rates. Research sponsored by the Upper Mississippi River Basin Commission consisted of a Summary Resource Description of the Upper Mississippi River System and an Evaluation of the Impacts of Navigation and Associated Operation and Maintenance Procedures on Recreation, Cultural Resources and Potential Wilderness Areas of the River System. Two project-related bulletins were published by the Water Resources Research Center in 1979-1980. Bulletins are sent to a mailing list of about 300 people initially. The Center answers around 500 requests each year for copies of bulletins published both this year and past years. The Center also publishes and distributes four Newsletters each year. Through Water Research Centers projects, two professors, three research associates and about 28 students, mostly graduate students, were given part-time employment. A seminar series was sponsored on the University’s Twin City Campus. The Center’s budget was $395,736 derived from the University of Minnesota, the University Graduate School, the Office of Water Research and Technology of the U.S. Department of Interior and grants from the Upper Mississippi River Basin Commission.Item State of Sustainable Tourism in Minnesota 2013 Initital Assessment of Water & Energy Practices(University of Minnesota Tourism Center, 2013) Barker, Renee; Schneider, Ingrid E.This study identifies the status of sustainable tourism practices among MN tourism industry organizations & if/what changes have occurred since 2007.Item Summary of Results: Survey of Winona County Farm Operators.(1987) Anding, Thomas L.; Gilkeson, John R.; Kajer, Kevin L.Item Water Conservation Education Program for the City of Victoria(Resilient Communities Project (RCP), University of Minnesota, 2016) Alexander, Ashley; Bergstrom, Renne; Rinas, PaulThis project was completed as part of the 2015-2016 Resilient Communities Project (rcp.umn.edu) partnership with Carver County. The City of Victoria recently discovered that residents were using more than the Minnesota DNR daily recommended amount of water (75 gallons per person). The goal of this project was to develop a program to educate Victoria residents about water conservation practices. In partnership with project lead Cara Geheren, students in OLPD 5204: Designing the Adult Education Program, developed an educational program focused on water conservation, with an emphasis on irrigation best practices. The students' final report and presentation are available.Item Water Conservation in the City of Brooklyn Park, Minnesota(Resilient Communities Project (RCP), University of Minnesota, 2016) Johnson, Anna; Dalton, Max; Wyatt, Jessi; Harapan, JackieThis project was completed as part of the 2016-2017 Resilient Communities Project (rcp.umn.edu) partnership with the City of Brooklyn Park. With a growing population, Brooklyn Park is considering the future and searching for ways to reduce the use of potable water in the city. The goal of this project was to assess current water usage, determine barriers to water conservation by businesses and residents, and evaluate how city development practices may be impacting future water supply. Brooklyn Park project lead Jon Watson worked with a team of students in PA 5721: Energy and Environmental Policy, to develop recommendations related to water billing structure, irrigation practices, and education and outreach. The students' final report and presentation are available.Item Water Quality Business Owner Survey(Resilient Communities Project (RCP), University of Minnesota, 2012) Students enrolled in COMM 5110This project was completed as part of the 2012-2013 Resilient Communities Project (rcp.umn.edu) partnership with the City of Minnetonka. Many businesses and industries in Minnetonka use large amounts of water and energy as part of their operations. The purpose of this project was to develop education and outreach strategies to help businesses in the community conserve water and energy and protect surface water through their operations and site management. Minnetonka projects lead and natural resources manager Jo Colleran collaborated with students in COMM 5110 to employ ethnographic and survey methods to understand barriers and opportunities Minnetonka businesses face with respect to water and energy conservation. The students' final report is available.