Drought forces suspension of more water permits

More water users have been told they must stop pumping from Minnesota rivers because stream levels are too low.

The low river levels are creating problems for a variety of businesses across Minnesota. The ongoing drought has forced the Department of Natural Resources to suspend water pumping permits for some.

Not being able to irrigate his fields will cause problems for Gary Blocker, owner of a sod farm in northeast Minnesota and draws water from the St. Louis River watershed.

"The peat that we grow in is very, very light soil," Blocker said. "When it's dry and fluffy the soil you go to harvest it and it just basically falls off the roots it's so dry. So it really creates a problem for harvesting."

The water permit suspensions will remain in effect until there's enough rain to raise river levels.

"That's not good news for me today," Blocker said.

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