Updates and Articles

Can contact lenses end up in your beer? Well, sort of.

Microplastics, tiny bits of plastic pollution, are the subject of recent New York Times and National Public Radio articles that explore the sources and consequences of ubiquitous microplastic pollution.  >>

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Snapping turtle hatchlings protected from predators

Our wildlife cameras caught baby snapping turtles hatching in peace thanks to our new wildlife nest enclosure at Spring Lake Islands Wildlife Management Area. >>

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Baby snapping turtle
Restoring habitat on an urban island

After almost two years of planning, FMR is embarking on our Nicollet Island habitat restoration project designed to enhance wildlife habitat, control erosion and improve water quality.  >>

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FMR is beginning restoration and enhancement of the natural areas on the north half of Nicollet Island. Photo by MWMO.
Welcome, Jen and Ellie!

Meet our new data coordinator Jen Hadley and communications associate Ellie Rogers. >>

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Our new communications department!
Several metro cities want to hear from residents about their riverfront

As summer turns to fall, Twin Cities communities throughout the metro are moving fast to wrap up their draft plans for land use and development along their local riverfront.

Hastings and St. Paul Park — two cities with an abundance of high quality riverine habitat — are accepting comments through the end of November and December, respectively. Several other cities want public comments submitted before the end of September. >> 

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The view from Cottage Grove's River Oaks Park looking towards Hastings to the south.
Will St. Paul block future park trails?

A railroad expansion proposal threatens planned community trails that would connect Pig’s Eye and Eagle Lakes in St. Paul’s largest park.  >>

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Pelicans fly up from Pig's Eye Lake
Special Places: Cocktails on the river

This month in our ongoing special places silver anniversary feature, we suggest a couple of our favorite spots to grab a cocktail (or mocktail) and watch the river flow by. >>

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Riverfront patio
St. Croix Watershed Research Station: 3 steps to clean water

Our friends at the St. Croix Watershed Research Station recently published a new ‘Field Notes’ article detailing three ways experts think Minnesota could make measurable progress on improving water quality in Minnesota.  >>

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Renderings of new riverfront concert venue, parks and housing in N Mpls released

After more than two and a half years of community engagement, draft plans for the redevelopment of a mile-long riverfront site in North Minneapolis were revealed mid-August. 

The draft calls for a dramatic overhaul of the Upper Harbor Terminal site, aiming to turn the long-closed port into both a regional attraction and a beneficial part of the North Minneapolis community. >>

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A rendering of the proposed Upper Harbor Terminal Community Performing Arts Center
A small metro-area town has a big drinking water problem 


Emblematic of challenges facing many rural communities, up to 55 percent of the private wells in the town of Coates in Dakota County exceed safe levels for nitrates. This is why we need a strong Groundwater Protection Rule. >>

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Upcoming Events

Saturday, April 19, 2025 - 9:30am to 12:00pm
West River Parkway and 36th Street/44th Street, Minneapolis
Saturday, April 19, 2025 - 10:00am to 12:30pm
MWMO, Northeast Minneapolis riverfront
April 8 through April 22, 2025
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