Watershed Protection

by Trevor Russell

article

October 20, 2016

The Star Tribune’s recent series on threats to Minnesota’s rivers – including our own Upper Mississippi – beautifully illustrates many of the challenges and opportunities facing our surface waters. Each article by veteran reporter Josephine Marcotty explores a different aspect of how land use and water interact, with inevitable consequences for surface water, groundwater, habitat and public health. Together, these three articles tell a powerful story of Minnesota’s water resources. They also illustrate and reinforce many of the key lessons of the FMR-National Park Service State of the River Report.

The greatest river in North America begins in Minnesota. But our pristine stretch of the Mississippi faces mounting environmental threats.

Landscape for the River Workshop: Native Plants, Raingardens, Lawn Care for Water Quality (+ Winter Tips)

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September 6, 2016

City of Elk River earns Blue Star Award

by Alicia Uzarek

article

July 11, 2016

Congratulations to the City of Elk River for earning the Blue Star Award for Excellence in Stormwater Management!

Minnesota's waters need a special session

by Trevor Russell

update

June 20, 2016

Following a hectic end to the 2016 legislative session, the Minnesota Legislature adjourned with some important work left undone. Legislative efforts to pass a transportation bill and a bonding bill failed, while a surprise $100 million wording error in a tax bill earned that piece of legislation a pocket-veto from Governor Dayton.

While the Governor has expressed support for a special session, the likelihood of such a session remains uncertain. FMR and our allies strongly encourage Governor Dayton and state legislators to reconvene to complete their work, which includes much-needed funding to protect Minnesota's water resources.

Conjunction dysfunction: A $100 million typo may lead to a special session

by Trevor Russell

update

June 7, 2016

After Gov. Mark Dayton's pocket veto of the tax bill, a special session appears more likely this month. The governor chose not to sign the bill as it contained a $100 million wording error (an "or" instead of an "and"), letting the clock run out and preventing it from becoming law. A June special session will be needed to correct and re-pass the essential bill, making it likely the Minnesota Legislature will also tackle important transportation and bonding business left undone, including vital funding for state water quality improvements.

How water quality fared during the 2016 legislative session

by Trevor Russell

update

May 31, 2016

As the 2016 legislative session came to a close, two of FMR's top legislative priorities were fully funded, the Working Lands Watershed Restoration Program and the University of Minnesota's Forever Green Initiative. Sadly, though, the bonding bill, with millions of dollars in priority funding for community drinking water and wastewater treatment upgrades, failed to pass before the clock ran out. Additionally, while the bigger-ticket items in the effort to artificially augment White Bear Lake were not approved, funds to obtain design-build proposals managed to make their way through at the last minute.

Funding to augment White Bear Lake pulled from Senate but lingers in House

by Trevor Russell

update

May 16, 2016

Water levels in White Bear Lake have fallen dramatically in the last decade, leading some to call for augmentation by pumping in water from nearby lakes, each of which is in turn backfilled by the Mississippi River. FMR has long advocated against such an expensive and uncertain system, instead promoting longer-term solutions to address the north and east metro's larger groundwater supply and demand issues. Thankfully, the author of the Minnesota Senate bill agrees and has removed all funding for augmentation while calling for investments in a more sustainable water supply for this area. Yet, $2.2 million in provisions supporting augmenting linger in the House.