Land Use & Planning

Land Use & Planning
The case for and against lock and dam removal

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Removing two metro locks and dams would reconnect 39 miles of river through the Mississippi's only gorge, which is in the heart of the Twin Cities. But is dam removal the best scenario for our metro river? Here's what we need to consider. Read more
Drawdown
Meet our Twin Cities locks and dams

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See a map of our three Twin Cities locks and dams, a timeline of when and why they were built, and find out why we may not need them anymore. Read more
All three Twin Cities locks and dams
How we choose sites to protect and restore

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Our Land Conservation program has protected and restored more than three dozen sites near the metro Mississippi River. Here's how we decide where to focus our efforts. Read more
View of river through prairie in autumn
What we heard on this summer's lock and dam tours

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This summer, FMR and our partners talked with over 600 community members about the future of our Twin Cities locks and dams. We led more than than 20 focus-group tours that brought many people to the river in new ways. Here's what we heard. Read more
FMR, partners issue Minneapolis 2040 support statement

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In response to the lawsuit challenging the Minneapolis 2040 plan on the basis of potential environmental harm, FMR coordinated a sign-on statement from several leading environmental and planning organizations. The statement reaffirms our support for the 2040 plan's goals and environmental benefits.  >>

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Time is running out to stop invasive carp

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This spring a silver carp was recorded swimming 35 miles up Minnesota's Mississippi River in a single day. Across the state our news outlets helped highlight what's at risk for our waterways and why we need the DNR to act with more urgency.  >>

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Can St. Paul's River Learning Center project get back on track?

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We've long supported the goal of creating a River Learning Center in St. Paul's Crosby Farm Regional Park. Recent design concepts for the center, however, seemed to disregard community input and riverfront development regulations. Here's how we've responded and what we hope to see happen next.  >>

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Upcoming Events

Three options: October 20, October 28, November 22, 2025
Hidden Falls Regional Park, St. Paul
November 1 - 20, 2025
Online
Thursday, December 4, 2025 - 6:00pm to 8:00pm
F-O-K Studios, St. Paul