Dust in the wind (spreads toxic algae)
Pristine lakes in remote parts of Minnesota — and around the country — are beginning to suffer from blooms of toxic algae, and scientists are piecing together a troubling answer as to why. >>
Potato fiasco turns even more rotten
According to new disclosures, an enormous scofflaw corporation is trying to skirt basic environmental regulations in order to make billions on ... potatoes. >>
Minneapolis parks are getting the wrong kind of blooms
The Parks Department is warning of potentially toxic algae blooms in some of Minneapolis's most-loved lakes. Here's what you need to know. >>
Bake for the river: Kernza in your kitchen
For the first time ever, home bakers can get their oven mitts on Kernza flour, a delicious and river-friendly perennial grain. Let us know if you try it out! >>
Nutrients down(ish), salts up in U.S. rivers
A new report from the U.S. Geological Survey has found some disturbing — but uneven — trends in American rivers over the last generation. >>
Soil isn't a dirt-y word
You know it when you smell it — good soil is healthy! Here's an explainer for how soil organic matter can make a difference for plants, animals and downstream neighbors. >>
The flood forecast
A waterlogged 2019 makes for a floody 2020. Here's what Minnesota is gearing up for as the spring melt approaches. >>
Viruses, floods and an economic shoving match: All in a day's work on the farm
What does coronavirus have to do with the economic prospects of rural communities in 2020? In our endlessly entangled global market, it turns out that a public health crisis on the other side of the planet can have shockwaves felt here in Minnesota. We see this as yet another sign that it's time to shift our agricultural practices, for both the river and our farming communities. >>
You say potato, I say fiasco
Here's what one farmer's fight tells us about agriculture, public health and our state's exasperating approach to balancing priorities. >>
Another brutal year for MN farmers
Wet weather, a trade war, and low crop prices combined to deal a blow to Minnesota's rural communities in 2019.
Why is this Water Blog news? Because the same strategies that FMR supports to reduce river pollution from agricultural sources can also make farms more profitable and resilient long-term. >>