A MANUAL FOR WATER RESOURCE PROTECTION Inspiring Action for Nonpoint Source Pollution Control Paul Nelson Scott County, Minnesota Mae A. Davenport Center for Changing Landscapes, University of Minnesota Troy Kuphal Scott Soil and Water Conservation District, Minnesota Inspiring Action for Nonpoint Source Pollution Control: A Manual for Water Resource Protection by Paul Nelson Scott County, Minnesota Mae A. Davenport Center for Changing Landscapes, University of Minnesota Troy Kuphal Scott Soil and Water Conservation District, Minnesota Published by Freshwater Society Saint Paul, Minnesota Acknowledgments Paul Nelson and Troy Kuphal We wish to acknowledge the support of our respective boards — the Scott County Board of Commissioners and the Scott Soil and Water Conservation District Board of Supervisors — and thank them for their will- ingness to let us think and experiment a bit outside the box. We also wish to thank the Scott Watershed Management Organization Watershed Planning Commission members for their support and ongoing advice. In addition, we want to recognize the incredibly talented staff from our two organizations. Their dedication to conservation, building relationships, and delivering excellent service are critical to achieving the accom- plishments detailed in this manual. Their willingness to take, improve, and act on our ideas is inspiring and instrumental to learning and continuous improvement. We also thank our friends at the Board of Soil and Water Resources, the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, the Metropolitan Council, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, and the Natural Resource Conservation Service for their support in terms of grants, programs, and technical support. Lastly, and most important, we wish to acknowledge the tremendous conservation ethic exhibited by resi- dents in Scott County. Mae Davenport I extend much gratitude to students and staff in the Center for Changing Landscapes, especially Amit Pradhananga and Vanessa Perry for the philosophical and intellectual discussions that helped form many of the ideas captured in this manual. I am indebted to Erin Seekamp for her continued support and constructive feedback throughout my career. Erin and I developed the Multi-Level Community Capacity Model together and continue to apply it in our research and outreach. Finally, I would like to thank Bree Duever for her information-gathering contributions to this manual. Paul, Mae, and Troy also wish to acknowledge the invaluable assistance of editor Kitty Higinbotham, who frequently challenged us to more fully explore our ideas, and who made this manual more organized and readable. We also thank Angie Nelson for providing visually pleasing graphics. Both Kitty and Angie are incredibly skilled and talented, and without their help we could not have pulled this off. This manual was supported by a grant from the McKnight Foundation and published online at www.freshwater.org/inspiring-action/. Copyright © 2017 Paul Nelson, Mae A. Davenport, Troy Kuphal Cover photo: Mark Herreid via www.123rf.com Correspondence concerning this manual should be addressed to Freshwater Society at 2323 Territorial Road, Suite B, Saint Paul, MN 55114. www.freshwater.org Summary Inspiring Action for Nonpoint Source Pollution Control: A Manual for Water Resource Protection Most water resource professionals agree that while point source pollution control has been reason- ably successful, nonpoint source (NPS) pollution control lags significantly behind. In fact, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency estimates that at the historic funding rates, it will take longer than 1,000 years to restore all the water bodies currently impaired by NPS pollution. The authors of Inspiring Action for Nonpoint Source Pollution Control: A Manual for Water Resource Protection argue that much of the shortcoming stems from trying to use a similar approach to manage NPS and point source pollution. NPS pollution control is considerably more complex, involving social systems in addition to biophysical and hydrological systems. With NPS pollution control, being locally relevant, engaging local community members, building strong relationships and enduring partnerships, and learning and adapting quickly are just as important as technical rigor, financial assistance, and other more conventional tools. The authors contend that NPS control will be much more successful if resource professionals employ “systems” thinking instead of “reductive” thinking and concentrate on building individual and community capacity for sustainable water management, rather than re- lying on scientific and technological “fixes.” In this manual, the authors make the case for a different approach and present a framework for building community norms, capacity, and conservation mo- mentum. They also present practical examples and tips from their experience developing a robust NPS pollution control program in Scott County, Minnesota. Contents Acknowledgments ii Summary iii Introduction Reframing the Nonpoint Source Pollution Problem 1 Nonpoint Source (NPS) Pollution Control Today The Authors’ Goal Delving Into the Issue The Authors’ Backgrounds and Perspectives Chapter 1 Why a Different Approach to NPS Pollution Control Is Needed 6 From Fixing Problems to Building Capacity Point source versus NPS: Complicated and complex systems Going Beyond Traditional Approaches to NPS Pollution Control Tool 1: Provide technical and financial assistance Tool 2: Encourage and inform Tool 3: Building capital projects Tool 4: Regulation Tool 5: Take Advantage of Market Forces What an Intentional Systems-Thinking Approach Means Chapter 2 How to Think Like a Watershed: A Primer on Systems Thinking 15 Integrating Systems Thinking Into Watershed Management The origin of systems thinking across disciplines Social-hydrologic systems thinking for NPS pollution Acknowledging That NPS Pollution Is a Social Problem Creating a Systems Learning and Adapting Environment Chapter 3 How to Be Locally Relevant: Know Your Community 21 Getting to Know the Community A definition of community Understanding community capacity to act Community capacity assessment Cultural understanding Chapter 4 How to Engage Meaningfully With Community Members 31 Individual and Collective Action Is Needed Supporting Individual (Member) Capacity and Behavior Change Understanding What Drives and Constrains Conservation Action Environmental and Cultural Values Activators: Beliefs that support conservation action Constraints: Factors that limit conservation action Building Momentum iv Chapter 5 How to Build Strong Relationships and Enduring Partnerships 42 Strengthening Relationships Relational capacity Informal social networks Sense of community Common awareness and concern Collective sense of responsibility Trust Developing Enduring Partnerships Organizational capacity Strong leadership Fair and meaningful member engagement Formal networks used to exchange information Collective memory Collaborative decision-making Conflict management Legitimacy Humanizing the Conservation Organization Front-line staff Partner networks Chapter 6 How to Stay Focused, Learn, and Adapt 61 Change Takes Time Programmatic capacity Transboundary coordination Collective action: Resource pooling and innovation Integrated systems monitoring and program evaluation Learning and adapting under uncertainty Equitable outcomes Examples of Capacity-Building Initiatives FarmWise: Challenges in Building Citizen Capacity Capacity Building in Action: The Cedar Lake Improvement District Chapter 7 A Broader Perspective: Stakeholder Insights and Feedback 76 Input From Stakeholders General Support Staff Training and Skills Interpersonal Relationships and Trust Stimulating Action: Social Norms, Positive Encouragement, and Feedback Local Relevance Measurement/Developing Metrics Visibility/Need to Get Out Accurate Information Adaptability, Flexibility, and Scale Economics/Markets Regulation Systems Thinking Chapter 8 Getting Started and Maintaining Momentum 85 Embracing Change Getting Started Conservation Momentum: The Flywheel Effect Additional Parting Thoughts v References 92 Appendix A Community Capacity Assessment Worksheet 94 Appendix B Scott County SCENE Stories 95 Appendix C Conservation Delivery Revamp Initiative Farmer Meeting Results Summary and Conclusions 99 Appendix D The Difference Between Point Source and Nonpoint Source Pollution 103 Funding for Point Source and NPS Pollution Control Management of Point Source and NPS Pollution Variability of Point and NPS Pollution Geographic Setting of Point and NPS Pollution Appendix E Credit River Success Story 106 About the Authors 108 Scott County Local Partners 109 vi ONTROL C ON I OLLUT P OURCE S Pollution Problem Source Nonpoint the Reframing Introduction NT I ONPO N FOR ON I CT A NG I R I NSP I I NTRODUCT I ON | R EFRAM I NG THE N ONPO I NT S OURCE P OLLUT I ON P ROBLEM Water systems traditionally have been viewed as being separate from social systems. As a result, water decisions have involved engineers and technical water experts while largely ignoring the worldviews of land users. The best engineering and technology, the best biophysical and geochemical sciences alone cannot achieve clean water goals. Clean water depends on peo- In Minnesota about 40% of water bodies have been ple, communities, and society putting science, technology, and engineering into listed as impaired, and practice. The missing piece of the nonpoint source pollution (NPS) puzzle is not NPS pollution is the chief identifying what to do