Manure storage basins are a common way for farm operators to store manure prior to field application throughout much of the Midwest. With the declining number of farm operations in Minnesota, there becomes an increasing number of abandoned manure storage basins. Landowners face a large financial disincentive to close abandoned manure storage basins. Regulatory requirements for closure have a lower priority than providing working operations with regulatory and environmental protection assistance. However, the potential exists for these basins to affect groundwater quality over time. This study was conducted to develop a low-cost effective abandonment procedure to ensure landowner participation. In the Manure Storage Basin Abandonment Alternatives in the Upper Mississippi River Basin project, procedures include; 1) removal of manure from the manure storage basin while contaminated soil is left in place and 2) vegetating the soil with aggressive plant species such as reed canarygrass (Phalaris arundinacea). The Risk-Based Site Evaluation (RBSE) process will be used to determine potential risks the manure storage basins pose to human or environmental health. The resulting bioremediation within each basin should lower contaminant levels of nutrients and pathogens enough that the basins will no longer cause potential human or environmental threat. The converted basins offer additional benefits as a source of forage or wetland habitat. The goal is to develop effective manure storage basin abandonment alternative that will be lower cost to the producer and reduce contaminants to an acceptable level.