Minnesota’s environment is one of the state’s strongest assets. Our state is home to many unique animal and plant species, including wild rice, which is our state grain. Wild rice is also vitally important to Native Americans. Natural Allies acknowledges the unique relationship that Minnesota Tribal Nations have with wild rice and values the role it plays in tribal communities. Our goal is to share research with stakeholders to aid in understanding how natural and human factors impact the overall health of wild rice.
Enhancing wild rice in Minnesota will continue to be an important challenge, and navigating a strategic path forward depends on understanding and balancing the interests of all involved. The following resources are readily available to review and have been utilized as research validating the diverse natural factors impacting wild rice habitat.
Wild Rice Task Force
Wild Rice Task Force
The Governor’s Wild Rice Task Force Report provided a narrative on some of the complexities surrounding wild rice in Minnesota. The task force recommended creating and funding a Wild Rice Stewardship Council charged with making recommendations on the management, monitoring, outreach, research and regulation of wild rice.
Read MoreScientific Studies
Toxicity of Sulfate and Chloride to Early Life Stages of Wild Rice (Zizania Palustris) 2014
In this comprehensive study, Fort et al. discovered sulfate concentrations below 5000 mg/L did not adversely affect early life stage wild rice during a 21 day period, and effects at 5000 mg/L sulfate were attributable to conductivity-related stress rather than sulfate toxicity.
Read MoreToxicity of Sulfide to Early Life Stages of Wild Rice (Zizania Palustris) 2017
Fort et al. concluded that exposure of developing wild rice to sulfide at 3.1 mg sulfide/L in the presence of 0.8 mg/L Fe reduced mesocotyl emergence and demonstrated the importance of iron in mitigating sulfide toxicity to wild rice.
Read MoreHydroponics-Based Sulfide Toxicity Testing of Wild Rice (Zizania Palustris) – Controlled Oxygen Headspace
Fort et. al examined the role of iron in altering sulfide toxicity and determined the addition of 2.8 mg/L Fe reduced the toxicity (emergence) of sulfide, indicating that the depth of hydroponic exposure during mesocotyl emergence and early growth was not a significant factor in the sensitivity of wild rice to sulfide.
Read MoreExpert Commentary
Michael J. Hansel, Principal Emeritus at Barr Engineering, Co.
The MPCA’s proposed new water quality standard is unneeded and unreasonable because a flawed conceptual model, insufficient evidence to support the MPCA’s hypothesis and the unreasonable exclusion of peer-reviewed science led to results based on unsound science.
Read MoreDouglas Hawkins, Professor Emeritus and Former Chair of Applied Statistics, University of Minnesota
While sulfide in high enough concentrations is harmful to wild rice and sulfide can plausibly come from the reduction of sulfate in surface water, setting a sulfate level that will protect wild rice is not supported by field data.
Read MoreDouglas Hawkins, Professor Emeritus and Former Chair of Applied Statistics, University of Minnesota
The data presented give little reason to believe that changes in the sulfate standard will have any effect on the occurrence or health of wild rice, or indeed that a sulfate standard itself is required.
Read MoreMichael J. Bock, Professional Environmental Scientist and Senior Managing Consultant at Ramboll Environ
Two aspects of the proposed sulfate rule are lacking in reasonableness and scientific basis, which suggests the MPCA’s equation to predict a waterbody-specific sulfate threshold based on TOC, iron and the sulfide threshold is not reasonable.
Read MoreRobin L. Richards, Water Management and Planning Department Manager at Ramboll Environ
While the MPCA followed some elements of the standard water quality criteria development process, several elements were not followed, resulting in minimal confidence in the certainty of the MPCA’s proposed criterion in achieving protection of wild rice.
Read MoreO’Neill Tedrow, Ph. D Candidate at Lakehead University
Based on historical and current data and observations during laboratory and field experiments, as well as direct field-scale application via wild rice restoration activities, maintaining an appropriate water depth for wild rice and managing competing vegetation should be the first two objectives for maintaining waters for increased wild rice growth, health and abundance.
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Findings of Expert Witnesses
Seven expert witnesses provided thorough review and commentary on the MPCA’s methodology to determine a proposed protective level of sulfide for wild rice. In this commentary, experts examine both field and laboratory data to assess sulfate levels.
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