The alarming prospect of a for-profit company mining our groundwater for sale out of state is deeply troubling and could leave public and private wells high and dry here at home. We're grateful for the leadership of Sarah Strommen, the head of the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources and former FMR board member, in derailing this proposal. >>
Water and Legislative Updates Blog
FMR is proud to be a leading voice to protect the water of our Big River, and all the people and wildlife who depend on it.
Our Water Blog strives to keep you up to date on important water-quality issues, from the banks of the Mississippi to the halls of the Legislature. (For political animals, here's a legislative-content-only version.)
Blog updates are also shared on social (Facebook and Twitter) and in FMR's Mississippi Messages newsletter.
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November 1, 2019
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? >>
October 29, 2019
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.” >>
October 23, 2019
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. >>
October 16, 2019
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. >>
October 14, 2019
How we farm impacts the Mississippi River — and bird populations. We can help them both. >>
October 1, 2019
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. >>
October 1, 2019
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. >>
September 28, 2019
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. >>
September 10, 2019
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.” >>