Beneath the surface
Minnesota's pending groundwater challenge

Even in the land of 10,000 lakes, water is no longer unlimited. Lakes shrink, groundwater drops, wells go dry or get contaminated. Some cities have to look harder for good municipal water or pay more to treat it. Twenty years ago these were isolated problems. But three-quarters of Minnesota's residents get their water from aquifer-tapping wells, and today parts of the state seem to be on a path that is not sustainable.

In the Twin Cities, a tussle is growing over whether growing suburbs should shift from tapping wells to pulling water from the Mississippi River. Elsewhere, Park Rapids, Marshall and other cities have had to spend millions of dollars to respond to dropping water levels or contamination. The state has mapped "areas of concern," and an ambitious plan to test 70,000 wells is renewing questions about how much farmers should be required to do to limit nitrate contamination in groundwater.

This Ground Level project, "Beneath the Surface," shines a light on the pressures on Minnesota's groundwater and how residents, businesses and officials are being asked to adapt.

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Water solutions

After decades of draining, some MN farmers look to put water back

A few Minnesota farmers are testing what may be a better way to irrigate fields and manage water in a changing climate. It may also trigger conflicts.

Minnesota ramps up hunt for arsenic in wells

Minnesota Department of Health officials are in the midst of testing and retesting hundreds of private wells for arsenic, in order to better measure and reduce the effects of the carcinogen. They estimate 10 percent of the state's 450,000 private wells have levels of the naturally occurring arsenic that exceed federal standards.

Farmers aim for more precise irrigation to conserve groundwater, reduce nitrates

A new project measures precise shifts in weather and soil moisture to help central Minnesota irrigators try to limit groundwater contamination.

Minnesota starts to think about re-using wastewater

Treated sewage water is getting used again in a few places, watering golf courses, washing trucks and sweeping streets. The economics in a water-rich state make for slow change, but those who have tried it think it could be a way of the future.

Quest to save groundwater aims at love for lush, green lawns

Lawn watering is one of the biggest uses of groundwater in Minnesota, but a combination of technology, pricing and attitude change suggests that residents may be starting to change their behavior.

State officials promise tougher approach on nitrates contaminating groundwater

Minnesotans are spending millions of dollars to deal with nitrate contamination in their water, and the state agriculture department says it's time to insist that farmers do more to prevent the problem.

Golf courses start to reuse stormwater to keep grass green

One of the first places Minnesotans are starting to find ways to reuse water is on the golf course. Two Twin Cities suburbs have launched projects to capture stormwater and use it for irrigation.

Special report from Tucson, AZ

  1. MPR News reporter Dan Kraker talks with Daily Circuit host Tom Weber about his reporting from Tucson, Ariz., and what Minnesotans might take away from it. May 27, 2014

Tucson's water ethic: Blueprint for Minnesota

By conserving water at every turn, the residents of Tucson have developed an attitude toward water that some think the Land of 10,000 Lakes should emulate.

Desert city uses water, then uses it again

Encouraging residents to use less water is one thing. But perhaps the biggest water gains Tucson has achieved come from using water more than once. It's a water idea that some in Minnesota think needs to gain importance.

Rain Man: How one Tucson resident harvests the rain

Brad Lancaster, perhaps the nation's expert on capturing and using rainwater, creates an oasis in the desert where he lives. And what he used to do illegally is now sanctioned by the city and imitated by neighbors.

What Minnesota can learn from Arizona about water

In a groundwater Q and A with MPR News reporter Dan Kraker, University of Arizona water expert and author Robert Glennon says Minnesota's water situation is not all that different from that in dry Arizona.

Your take: The Tucson water use model

MPR News' water reporting from Tucson generated a strong response from listeners and readers. Hear what some said about potential lessons for Minnesota and join the conversation.

White Bear Lake settlement hinges on Legislature

The Department of Natural Resources agreed to support legislative proposals to examine connecting six nearby cities to surface water as a way to relieve pressure on a regional aquifer.

Crop switch could cost millions in water contamination.

A University of Minnesota study says a recent switch from grassland to crops in southeastern Minnesota could increase the number of household wells contaminated with nitrates.

Chemicals spreading in Minnesota groundwater

A state and federal study of Minnesota's groundwater has found increasing evidence of consumer and other chemicals known as 'contaminants of emerging concern.'

In southwest Minnesota, water costs rise, pipes get longer

From Marshall to Mountain Lake to Worthington, southwestern Minnesota communities are finding that the hunt for an adequate supply of good water can get expensive.

UPDATE: Lewis & Clark pipeline still needs local money

Pumping curbs pollution but stresses Minnesota groundwater supply

Twin Cities companies and governmental organizations pump billions of gallons of water every year to prevent the underground spread of pollution. But that puts stress on aquifers already the object of growing concern.

A first in Minnesota, cities launch system to treat, stash water underground

To avoid building a new water treatment plant, three cities have begun storing treated water 500 feet underground for use when summer demand is high.

Unchecked irrigation threatens to sap Minnesota groundwater

An MPR News investigation shows that several hundred Minnesota farmers are probably pumping groundwater to irrigate their crops without required permits, making it harder for the state to understand and regulate what's happening to a water resource increasingly seen as vulnerable.

Behind the scenes: How we did the irrigation well permit story

MAP: Pumping groundwater to contain pollution

More than 4 billion gallons of water are pumped out of the ground in the Twin Cities every year to remove contamination. Some of that water is treated and put to use but much is not. This map shows the 26 sites in the seven-county area that each pump more than 5 million gallons per year. The two sites in yellow pump more than a billion gallons a year. The shaded area is where a new state approach to dealing with groundwater concerns is focused. Figures are 2008-2012 annual averages, except where noted. Source: Minnesota Department of Natural Resources.

Help us explore Minnesota's pending groundwater challenge

Read what others around Minnesota have to say and add your voice. We want to know what water problems you see in your community and elsewhere and what ideas you have about solutions to those problems.

from Today's Question

Ask the Editor:
Minnesota's ground water problem

Discussion:
How important is stormwater reuse?

  1. Keith Buttleman at the Metro Council, Matt Kramer at the St. Paul Area Chamber of Commerce, MPR News reporter Elizabeth Dunbar and MPR News editor Dave Peters talk on the Daily Circuit about White Bear Lake and Minnesota's water challenges more generally. July 29, 2014

  1. Jim Stark, director of the U.S. Geological Survey's Minnesota office, tells MPR News' Cathy Wurzer that recent heavy rains are replenishing shallow aquifers but that deeper levels of water can take years or even decades to respond. Conservation is still important in many areas, Stark says. June 19, 2014

  1. MPR's Cathy Wurzer spoke with Jason Moeckel about how a week of rainy days affects the water level in our underground aquifers. Moeckel is with the Department of Natural Resources' Division of Ecological and Water Resources.
    May 1, 2014

  1. Dave Peters, Ground Level editor, and Tom Weber, Daily Circuit host, discuss the impact of changes to water around Minnesota and how solutions are being approached.
    February 17, 2014

  1. Even in Minnesota, water is under stress

    Jason Moeckel and Bruce Montgomery discuss water on the Daily Circuit
    February 21, 2014

Water Q & A

From fish to pipes, Minnesota firms see opportunity in growing water challenge

Rising concern over the supply of clean water, both in Minnesota and worldwide, is turning into what some technology companies think is a chance to grow.

In Cold Spring, it's trout vs Lost Trout in tension over water and beer

For more than a century the brewery in Cold Spring has drawn increasing amounts of water for its operations from a nearby trout stream. But the state says it's time to stop, so the hunt is on for a new source of water. That's proving difficult.

Even in region with abundant water, residents turn to bottles and try to conserve

Southeastern Minnesota has plentiful groundwater sources, but the geology in the region makes some of those sources vulnerable to contamination. So cities deal with the challenge by looking for clean water and urging conservation.

Big rise in irrigation pumping draws DNR attention to Minnesota's 'Bonanza Valley'

A 175 percent increase in irrigation pumping over 25 years has caused the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources to single out this west central Minnesota area as one of three places to focus on groundwater management.

Irrigation boosts potatoes, but Park Rapids pays more for water

Increased irrigation pumping is driving up the cost of water for residents in Park Rapids, Minn., and is a big reason the state has established one of three groundwater management areas here.

With White Bear as poster child, Minnesota tests new approach to limited water supplies

A new effort involving just about anyone from Lino Lakes to Woodbury is about to eclipse the scattered sprinkling limits and water-saving campaigns to rescue a shrinking White Bear Lake. A first step in getting Minnesota residents, businesses and others to think differently about how they use water.

From the blog

Read all "Beneath the Surface" posts

A visual primer

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Minnesota groundwater
Bedrock water
Glacial deposits
It's complex
Six provinces
Some levels dropping
Future levels
Contamination complications
More testing

To help you understand more about Minnesota and its groundwater, check out these links. If you know something that should be included, let us know by sending an email.

"Minnesota's Groundwater: Is our use sustainable?"[PDF] April 2013 report by the Freshwater Society.

"Groundwater Management Program." October 2013 strategic plan draft by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources.

"Groundwater and the Mt. Simon Aquifer," a YouTube video primer by the Minnesota DNR on an important Twin Cities water source.

"Groundwater and the Mt. Simon Aquifer," Part 2.

Minnesota's groundwater provinces, an explanation by the Minnesota DNR.

"Minnesota Nitrogen Fertilizer Management Plan," an August 2013 draft of a plan by the Minnesota Department of Agriculture to deal with farm-caused nitrate contamination of groundwater.

A description of underground aquifers in the four-state area. U.S. Geological Survey.

Minnesota groundwater basics. [PDF] Minnesota Geological Survey.

"Condition of Minnesota's Groundwater, 2007-2011," an August 2013 report by the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency.

(PDF) Clean Water Fund Performance Report, measures of water quality, including groundwater.

The state of water. April 2014 report and recommendations by the Center for Rural Policy and Development.