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those sites, changes identified through follow-up summer intern projects resulted in savings of 44 <br />million gallons annually and savings of $360,000 per year (Metropolitan Council, 2013a). <br />Agricultural <br />Agricultural water use is one of the largest water uses in Minnesota, including Dakota County in the <br />metro area. Irrigation is a significant consumptive use of water that can adversely impact stream <br />flows, groundwater availability, and natural ecosystems and the level at which irrigation is sustainable <br />is still unknown <br />Irrigation management is a recommended best management practice in the Agricultural Best <br />Management Practices Handbook for Minnesota. Along with optimizing available water supplies, <br />irrigation management can support additional objectives such as decreasing non -point source <br />pollution of surface and groundwater resources, and reducing energy use. <br />Conservation toolbox <br />The Council has developed a free on-line conservation tool (Water Conservation Toolbox) that <br />residents, utilities, and communities can use to select an optimal mix of conservation measures that <br />will maximize conservation in a way that makes economic sense for them. <br />The Conservation Toolbox includes a variety of information, including best management practices that <br />target residential irrigation, information about sustainable conservation rate structures, and example <br />ordinances that support water conservation. <br />WATER SUPPLY MASTER <br />PLAN- Draft June 2015 <br />27 <br />