Working with partners to restore and protect Minnesota's waters

May 2024

After restoration projects, two northeast Minnesota streams are seeing clearer waters and more fish

Trout are once again finding a home in two small coldwater streams in northeast Minnesota after water quality conservation work in the Nemadji River Watershed. Watershed studies completed by the MPCA over the past two decades have shown that Skunk and Elim creeks in Carlton County are degraded by excess sediment. The creeks drain land west of the Nemadji River, a main tributary to western Lake Superior. When the MPCA added Skunk Creek to the impaired waters list in 2014, 2,400 tons of sediment were flowing into the creek each year. Projects have since reduced sediment loads by 224 tons and prevented more than 17,000 tons of sediment from entering the creeks. The projects helped bring fish back to the creeks, too. Read more, and watch a video, on the MPCA website.

Public meeting will address
St. Cloud watershed May 23

Overall, significant progress in surface water quality has occurred within the Mississippi River-St. Cloud Watershed over the past decade. A virtual public meeting on May 23, 2024, from 9-11 a.m. will discuss the most recent data, detailed in a Watershed Restoration and Protection Strategy (WRAPS) report. A link to the meeting is on the MPCA website events and meetings page.

Visit the MPCA website public comments page during the comment period to give feedback on the plans outlined in the latest reports. This period will run through June 12.

Coming up: Updated data will be reviewed in the coming months for the Pomme de Terre Watershed, in central-western Minnesota, and the Mississippi River-Lake Pepin Watershed, south of the Twin Cities. More information about data from those watersheds will be shared at a later date.

Root River Watershed WRAPS update finalized

The MPCA approved a report from the Root River Watershed in southeastern Minnesota in April. The WRAPS report for this area can be read on the MPCA website. Many aspects of the watershed remain unchanged since data were reported in 2016. One highlight of the report is that new tools and studies developed since then will heavily influence the effectiveness and efficiency of future restoration efforts.

We Are Water MN exhibit moves to Holdingford The We Are Water MN traveling exhibit wrapped up its successful run in Duluth and is now seated in the Mississippi River-Sartell Watershed. Until June 17, the small town of Holdingford will host the exhibit at Art in Motion on the Lake Wobegon Trail.   We Are Water MN uses the power of storytelling to educate and illustrate the state's important relationship with water. The MPCA is one of several partners to make this happen, thanks to funding from the Clean Water, Land and Legacy Amendment.

In the news

MPCA scientists share 20 years of success Twenty years ago, Minnesota took a step toward a cleaner environment when the MPCA first removed a lake from its list of polluted bodies of water in the state. Since then, more than 60 other lakes also have returned to health, according to a recent article detailing the agency’s success in this area. Four MPCA scientists — Jeff Strom, Amy Timm, Jesse Anderson, and Scott MacLean — wrote the article for the Spring 2024 issue of LakeLine magazine, a publication of the North American Lake Management Society. Read more on the MPCA website.

Anglers, state work to prevent lead poisoning of loons

According to the MPCA, the current national estimate is 25% of adult common loon deaths are due to lead poisoning after ingesting lead fishing tackle. The National Loon Center has announced that Lindy Fishing Tackle has become the first company to sign the Loons and Lakes Legacy Pledge, vowing to make its entire product line lead-free and loon friendly within three years. Learn more from this report by KARE 11.

Become a volunteer water monitor

For 50 years, volunteers have gathered critically important water clarity data on Minnesota lakes and streams. For some bodies of water, volunteer monitoring provides the only data available, making this work indispensable.

At least twice a month during the summer, volunteers measure water clarity using a Secchi disk or tube at designated locations on lakes or streams. During each visit, they record their reading and observations on the physical and recreational conditions of their lake or stream. They submit the information at the end of each monitoring season. Anyone can do it — no prior experience is needed. The MPCA uses volunteer-collected data to make decisions on watershed protection and restoration.

The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency is a state agency committed to ensuring that every Minnesotan has healthy air, sustainable lands, clean water, and a better climate.
The MPCA Waterfront Bulletin newsletter welcomes news from partners about
watershed projects, people, and upcoming events throughout Minnesota.
Email submissions to [email protected].