Watershed Protection

Watershed Protection
EPA says state needs to clean up drinking water in SE Minnesota

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In response to a petition we signed last spring, the federal agency is requiring Minnesota to address the public health crisis created by nitrate pollution. Read more
Drinking water glass
Video: How the 'big brown spot' pollutes the Mississippi River

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When farm fields are bare, there’s nothing to stop soil, fertilizers and other farm chemicals from washing off into our rivers, lakes and streams. This "big brown spot" in the Midwest is by far the largest source of pollution to the Mississippi. Read more
Map of Midwest with brown over much of the area around the Mississippi River
Minnesota's drought contributes to drinking water crisis downriver

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In this Q&A, Matt Rota at Healthy Gulf in Louisiana talks with FMR about the saltwater intrusion in the Mississippi River threatening New Orleans' drinking water supply — and already impacting communities farther south. Read more
Army Corps boats construct a sill to prevent saltwater intrusion
Is Minnesota doing enough to protect our drinking water?

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A recent headline in the Star Tribune said it all: 'Little action so far on plan to enlist farmers to clean up polluted groundwater in Minnesota.' How did we get here? And what do we do about it? Read more
Person holds a mason jar of clear water in a field of Kernza
Sackett case: How the Supreme Court ruling impacts the Mississippi River

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On May 25, the U.S. Supreme Court announced a decision that drastically narrows the scope of the Clean Water Act and represents one of the most far-reaching rollbacks to this decades-old law since its passage in 1972.  Read more
Wetland reflecting sky
FMR's Laura Mann Hill featured in 'SciGirls River Rescuers' episode

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Catch FMR Stewardship & Education Program Director Laura Mann Hill in the latest "SciGirls" series. Read more
Four young people look at a watershed model with Laura
FMR joins environmental group's petition for clean drinking water in SE Minnesota

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Nitrate levels in private and public wells are endangering drinking water for southeastern Minnesotans. We've signed on to a petition to urge the EPA to take action. Read more
Person holding drinking water in Kernza field

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Upcoming Events

Apply by June 1, 2025
F-O-K Creatives gallery near Harriet Island in St. Paul
Tuesday, June 3, 2025 - 6:00pm to 8:00pm
Southwest Park Ponding Basin, Hastings
Wednesday, June 4, 2025 - 6:00pm to 8:00pm
Camel's Hump Park and Open Space, Cottage Grove