Water

FMR is proud to be a leading voice in protecting the water of our Big River and all the people and wildlife who depend on it.

From the banks of the Mississippi to the halls of the Legislature, our Water program strives to keep you up to date on important water-quality issues. (For political animals, here are all FMR posts related to legislative advocacy.)

Blog updates are also shared on social (Facebook and Twitter) and in FMR's Mississippi Messages newsletter.

Join us! Sign up to be a River Guardian to receive email action alerts when we need your help the most, plus invitations to educational happy hours and other events.

POSTS

Lessons from the Dust Bowl: A cleaner Mississippi is rooted in a new farming paradigm

Our agricultural practices caused disastrous dust storms like this one in Kansas in 1935. Generations later, the way we farm has again led to grave challenges — unsafe drinking water and the dead zone in the Gulf of Mexico. What can the Dust Bowl teach us about how to move forward?  >>

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Water Gremlin: How lead sinkers harm people too

The state’s sudden closure of the troubled Water Gremlin facility (known for producing lead fishing sinkers and battery terminals) casts new light on a little-discussed risk of lead products: “take-home lead.”  >>

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Leading scientists to UN: Slash nitrogen waste — or else!

We're not the only region working to stem nitrogen pollution. Scientists are calling on the United Nations to focus on this serious issue worldwide.  >>

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Lead shot takes the spotlight as FMR petitions state

As fall hunting season arrives, lead shot and tackle is once again in the spotlight for all the wrong reasons. Why? Because lead rounds can kill twice.  >>

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Star Tribune highlights link between pheasant decline and farming

How we farm impacts the Mississippi River — and bird populations. We can help them both. >>
 

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The end of ethanol: Future-proofing Minnesota’s cropland

The electric vehicle transition will happen, and it has huge implications for American farms (not to mention opportunities for water quality). In the electrified world of 2050, demand for corn ethanol will have plummeted, and the agricultural economy will be nothing like the one you know today. If we invest in innovative clean-water crops now, we can improve the long-term outlook for our state’s rural economic prosperity and for our river.   >>

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Global action on hybrid and electric vehicle commitments

We're tracking the transition to electric vehicles because moving away from ethanol production has major implications for agriculture and therefore water quality. Here's a very brief summary of recent local and global commitments towards electric vehicle incentives, requirements and production goals.  >>

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Stormwater's hidden perils

As our climate changes and water infrastructure ages, the challenges of water management are becoming more severe. Ultimately, our changing climate means that Minnesota faces more — and more powerful — storms, leading to sewage emergencies, mega-storms, sandbagged lake houses and twelve billion-dollar price tags.  >>

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MPR: UN study says don’t worry about microplastics in drinking water – much

Minnesota Public Radio recently highlighted a World Health Organization study on microplastics in drinking water. The conclusion: “…levels of microplastics in drinking water don't appear to be risky, but that research has been spotty and more is needed into their effects on the environment and health.”  >>
 

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UN: Global warming is splintering our food supply

Agriculture is a major driver of climate change, but it can also be a big part of the solution. The future of the planet relies on shifting to sustainable practices more rapidly than ever before.  >>

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