perham city well information assembled by: luke stuewe mn department of agriculture
TRANSCRIPT
PERHAM CITY WELL
INFORMATION
Assembled by:Luke Stuewe
MN Department of Agriculture
Wells#3 & #4
Wells#5 & #6
Ground Surface
#3 #4 #5 #61954 1963 1976 1990
20’
40’
60’
80’
= Well Casing
= Well Screen
100’
80’
120’
100’
65’
75’
75’
95’ 100’
120’
City Purchased
in 2004
Alfalfa 2003-2007
SUCTION LYSIMETER DATA
Installed under this field
In place since 2000
Nitrogen Suction Lysimeter Data near Perham
0.0
20.0
40.0
60.0
80.0
100.0
120.0
05/1
1/00
06/2
6/00
08/1
1/00
10/1
8/00
06/2
0/01
09/2
6/01
06/1
9/02
09/2
0/02
06/0
4/03
07/1
6/03
09/2
3/03
06/0
9/04
09/2
5/04
05/1
9/05
07/1
5/05
04/2
4/06
10/1
7/06
06/0
7/07
08/2
4/07
06/1
7/08
08/0
5/08
09/1
9/08
Nit
rate
-Nit
rog
en (
pp
m) Burbank
Potato2000
Soybeans 2001
AlturaPotato 2002 Alfalfa
2003
Alfalfa 2004 Alfalfa
2005
Alfalfa 2006
Alfalfa 2007Winter Killed
Umatila Potato 2008 (ESN)
PERHAM CITY WELL DATA
• Data indicating declines and at the very least stabilization…– As expected, declines in groundwater nitrate will
not happen as quickly as soil moisture levels
PERHAM WELL 3
0.0
2.0
4.0
6.0
8.0
10.0
12.0
May
-98
May
-99
May
-00
May
-01
May
-02
May
-03
May
-04
May
-05
May
-06
May
-07
May
-08
NO3 (mg/L)
½ pivot purchased by city plantedinto prairie grass
full pivotplantedinto afalfa
Before After
PERHAM WELL 4
0.0
1.0
2.0
3.0
4.0
5.0
6.0
7.0
8.0
9.0
10.0
May
-98
May
-99
May
-00
May
-01
May
-02
May
-03
May
-04
May
-05
May
-06
May
-07
May
-08
NO3 (mg/L)
PERHAM WELL 5
0.0
1.0
2.0
3.0
4.0
5.0
6.0
7.0
8.0
9.0
10.0
May
-98
May
-99
May
-00
May
-01
May
-02
May
-03
May
-04
May
-05
May
-06
May
-07
May
-08
NO3 (mg/L)
½ pivot purchased by city plantedinto prairie grass
full pivotplantedinto afalfa
Before After
PERHAM WELL 6
0.0
2.0
4.0
6.0
8.0
10.0
12.0
14.0
May
-98
May
-99
May
-00
May
-01
May
-02
May
-03
May
-04
May
-05
May
-06
May
-07
May
-08
NO3 (mg/L)
½ pivot purchased by city plantedinto prairie grass
full pivotplantedinto afalfa
Before After
• The city negotiated a trade of other city owned land for ½ of the other pivot adjacent to the city limits.– Northern ½ will remain in
agricultural production for 10 yrs; after which time the owners agreed to take the land out of production
Within the past year…
Perham’s Story…...
• Nitrate levels stabilized/declined following two major changes – Alfalfa planting– Land Acquisition
• Area producers have been actively involved groundwater protection– Nitrogen fertilizer research– ESN on corn & potatoes since the early
2000s– Alternative varieties (Altura’s and Umatilas)– Nitrogen fertilizer BMPs
