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.)

Updates are also shared on social (Facebook and Instagram) 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

A bad idea that won't go away: Diverting the river

November 17, 2023

Despite its high environmental and economic costs, the literal "pipe dream" of diverting water from the Mississippi River to Arizona, Colorado and other dry states won't disappear. Read more

Outline of U.S. with Mississippi River, plus a pipeline splitting off the river to the Southwest

Video: How the 'big brown spot' pollutes the Mississippi River

October 16, 2023

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

October 12, 2023

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

Rave reviews for locally made Kernza goods, even amid market growing pains

September 18, 2023

It takes more than a tasty product to create a market. Learn about how growers, businesses and consumers can work together to support clean-water crops like Kernza. Read more

A recently baked cinnamon apple Kernza muffin is split apart on a plate. A mug can be seen on the table just behind it.

Reflections on the recent youth & climate change ruling

September 18, 2023

A landmark decision for the first constitutional climate trial in the U.S. is about more than climate change. It's about considering the full impact of our actions today, and the power youth have to fight climate change in the courts — and win. Read more

Two young people hold a sign in the river gorge that reads "Protect our future"

Is Minnesota doing enough to protect our drinking water?

by Trevor Russell

September 18, 2023

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

FMR tapped to help craft clean transportation recommendations

August 18, 2023

The newly announced working group will deliver Clean Transportation Standard recommendations to legislators early next year. Read more

A driver at a hydrogen fueling station, filling up her fuel cell vehicle. She is holding a pump that appears similar to a traditional gas station.

What the Mississippi River needs from the new Farm Bill

August 14, 2023

The Farm Bill accounts for hundreds of billions of dollars’ worth of spending on programs that address nutrition, commodity crop production, farmland conservation, research and more. Read more

A pair of hands examining the roots of a small, green plant that has been pulled from an agricultural field.

Is it safe to swim in the Mississippi River in the Twin Cities?

by sue rich

July 1, 2023

As an organization focused on the river’s health, we get asked this all the time. Read more

Bare feet standing on the sand along the shores of the Mississippi River in the Twin Cities.

Sackett case: How the Supreme Court ruling impacts the Mississippi River

June 16, 2023

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