Deadline Looms for Farmers, Landowners to Have Buffer Strips

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) _ Gov. Mark Dayton and state water officials are reminding farmers and landowners of Wednesday's deadline to install water quality buffers.

The grass buffers are designed to filter farm pollution before it reaches streams and rivers. They're a major piece of Dayton's hopes for improving water quality statewide.

Reports say the Minnesota Board of Water and Soil Resources has identified about 400,000 sites statewide that need grass buffers along public waters. Executive Director John Jaschke says buffers are now in place at about 95 percent of those sites.

It's not clear how many have been put in place since the buffer strip law was passed two years ago.

Landowners who can't meet Wednesday's deadline can get a waiver to push it to July 1.