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! >>
Uncertainty amid promise of agriculture climate solutions (Yale 360)
As policymakers and advocates look to croplands to sequester carbon, a recent article from Yale 360 points out that flows of greenhouse gases into and out of soil are complex, and outcomes can be uncertain. >>
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. >>
Why rivers flood
Community water supplies at risk. Sediment and pollutants washing downstream. Catastrophic floods right around the corner — A recent Star Tribune article reminds us of the growing threat high flows and erosion pose for the Minnesota River — and the toll that takes on our waters and communities. >>
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. >>
Report: One in eight Minnesotans drink groundwater with elevated nitrate
Drinking water for an estimated half a million Minnesotans is drawn from groundwater contaminated with elevated levels of nitrate, a toxic pollutant that is linked to cancer and is especially dangerous for infants, according to a recent Environmental Working Group analysis of federal and state test data. >>
Thank you, River Guardians!
Thank you, River Guardians! We deeply appreciate you advocating for clean water and sustainable and equitable development along the river this past year. >>
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. >>