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Cleaning Minnesota's Water
Minnesotans have been waging water quality battles for decades, but population growth, agriculture, development and new kinds of pollutants continue to pose difficult challenges. Sewage systems, industrial regulations and better technology have solved problems, but rivers and lakes continue to suffer.
On one level, the issues seem ripe for state and federal policy debate. At the same time, Minnesotans are tackling things at the community level, working to form new collaborations, testing new farming techniques, placing new restrictions on property owners and turning to technology to help matters.
With this report, Ground Level explores some of these efforts to take action and places them in the context of how Minnesota is — or is not — protecting its water heritage.
FARMS AND WATER
Measuring farm pollution: By the river or by the farm?
How to measure the impact of farm practices and how fast to change them have moved to the center of the water quality debate in Minnesota.
One farmer's runoff — ‘If you won't swim in it, you can do better’
Bruce and Ann Tiffany practice as many water-conserving efforts as they can on their corn and beans farm near Redwood Falls.
Video: Trying to step lightly on the land
See how Tony Thompson practices what he preaches and spreads the word every year at a conference on his Windom area farm.
Group aims at farm-environment gap: ‘We organize around passion’
Montevideo-based Clean Up the River Environment aims to close the gap between environmentalists and farmers.
LAKE ASSOCIATIONS
Lake stewards band together for impact
Long a force in cleaning local lakes, lake associations are banding together to become a statewide force.
SHORELINE DEVELOPMENT
Crow Wing County finds new approach to managing waterfront
The epicenter of Minnesota's cabin country, Crow Wing County has come to agreement on more aggressive shoreline zoning enforcement.
URBAN RUNOFF
On a hill, Duluth collaborates to slow water’s flow
Controlling runoff on the hills of Duluth is a tough undertaking, but an unusual coalition is making headway.
FROM THE GROUND LEVEL BLOG
Cities not so sure about farm-runoff pilot
The League of Minnesota Cities says it has concerns about a pilot project that would help Minnesota farmers curb runoff but also exempt them from new environmental regulations.
Jan. 25, 2012
WEIGH IN ON WATER: Why take action?
We asked our seven Ground Level water panel members to tell us why they got involved in local clean-water issues. Read what they said and "weigh in" with your own answer.
Oct. 10, 2011
WEIGH IN ON WATER: Does local matter?
MPR News' Ground Level asked seven Minnesotans to tell us why local issues matter when it comes to the complex topic of water pollution.
Oct. 3, 2011
A conversation: Farming and pollution
What is the role of farming practices in protecting the quality of Minnesota's water? What is the best way to approach agriculture and farmers to make things better? Join a conversation on where to go next.
Sept. 30, 2011
Farming and pollution: join a conversation Friday noon
MPR's Ground Level continues the conversation on farming and water pollution. Add your voice.
Sept. 28, 2011
WEIGH IN
Cleaning Minnesota's water — what do you think?
We asked seven Minnesotans to give us their thoughts. What are yours?
• Question 1: Farms and water
• Question 2: Does local matter?
• Question 3: Why take action?
• Conversation: Farming and pollution
BACKGROUND
Water study landed quietly but helps shape debate
U of M researchers criss-crossed the state, studied the data and involved hundreds to build a report the Legislature could use for decades to frame how the Land of 10,000 Lakes talks about water.
Focusing on a watershed, pilot project makes case more convincing
Examining water problems across a larger area lets local officials and landowners pinpoint priorities.
FROM MINNESOTA TODAY
Study: Minn. groundwater contamination levels low | Minnesota Public Radio
On the Plains, water bedevils each generation | Forum Communications
A novel strategy to reduce farm runoff will be tested starting in Minnesota | Miami Herald
UP CLOSE
- Tony Thompson, farm philosopher
- Kris Sigford, environmentalist
- Bruce Tiffany, farmer and swimmer
- Patrick Moore, changing culture
- Richard Axler, water scientist
- Dan Kittilson, lake organizer
- Bonnie Huettl, watching the Legislature
- Chris Pence, enforcer
BIG IDEAS
Emerging technologies — from corn that needs less nitrogen to floating plastic islands that absorb phosphorous — could help solve some of the state's water quality problems.
PLACE TO WATCH
Places to watch if you want to test Minnesota's progress on water quality.
- Minnesota River, lightning rod in farm debate
- Lake Volney, recovering lake
- Duluth, controlling runoff
- Pomme de Terre River, farm vs. city
- Crow Wing County, cutting phosphorus
- Willmar, measuring runoff
ON THE RADIO
Reporter Jennifer Vogel discusses water quality issues with MPR's Tom Crann on All Things ConsideredREPORTS
- Minnesota Water Sustainability Framework, a 25-year plan for the state. 2011.
- Minnesota River: 20 years later and little improvement
- Minnesota water quality conditions by region
- Minnesota Water Facts -- Department of Natural Resources
- Map of Minnesota's 81 watersheds
- Minnesota's 10 basins
- Help monitor a lake's quality
- How to build a rain garden
- Minnesota's impaired waters. Lists and maps compiled by the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency
- Maps of water conditions. Minnesota Center for Environmental Advocacy
RESOURCES
GLOSSARY
POINT AND NON-POINT
You can understand a lot about the history, the difficulties and the successes and failures in the realm of water quality if you get two concepts: point source pollution and non-point source pollution.
Point source pollution runs from a pipe into a river or a lake. It's the easier of the two to identify and to fix (although such monumental battles as the Reserve Mining case in the 1970s have been fought over it.) To the extent that water quality has improved in Minnesota, it's largely the result of dealing in recent decades with point sources like sewage treatment plants and industrial operations by means of a national system of permits, regulatory limits and potential fines.
Non-point source pollution is harder to identify and to fix. It can include nitrates, phosphorus, bacteria and other materials that run off farmland, lakeshore property and developed urban land. Another water problem involves the presence of mercury, which typically gets into water from the air and whose source is similarly difficult to pinpoint. Efforts to deal with non-point source pollution tend to involve looking at networks of land and water use and trying to educate and change the behavior of many people and organizations.
In The Spotlight
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