MPCA releases 'The Air We Breathe' report





Minnesota Pollution Control Agency logo on white background [ [link removed] ]




Waterfront Bulletin









Working with partners to restore and protect Minnesota's waters






"April 2025"

Big Stone wetland
On the edge of the prairie, a wetland provides solace and inspiration

Brent Olson’s life is deeply connected to the land he calls home. He grew up on a 1,000-acre farm on the edge of the prairie in Big Stone County, where his family has lived for generations. He still lives in the house his great-grandparents built in the 1880s. This deep connection to place shapes not only his work as a farmer, journalist, and county commissioner, but also his passions.

An essential part of that connection is his commitment to preserving 240 acres of wetland on the farm, which he credits as a source of inspiration for his writing. He has built a shack on the edge of the wetland that serves as his writing studio.

“I treasure this place,” he said. “I look out my window and see cattails and ducks and muskrats. It is a place of vast peace to me.”

Brent Olson

Brent Olson

For Olson, this land holds memories of time spent with his family — hunting with his son, canoeing with his daughter, and now sharing that relationship with the land with his grandchildren. These experiences have shaped his belief in conservation, emphasizing the importance of preserving this landscape for future generations.

Olson shared his story as a part of We Are Water MN, a traveling exhibit and community engagement initiative that explores Minnesotans’ relationship with water. Big Stone Arts Council will host the exhibit this spring.

Visit the We Are Water exhibit

The We Are Water Exhibit in presents local stories and explores Minnesotans' connection to water. The exhibit runs through April 21 at Ortonville High School. Admission is free. The exhibit is supported by the Clean Water Fund in partnership with the MPCA.

*Exhibit details* [ [link removed] ]


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Fish kill in South Twin Lake Burnsville

Steps to help prevent fish kills

As the weather warms, the soils thaw, residents tend to their lawns, and farmers start spreading manure, the threat of fish kills returns. Fish kills are impacted by disease; changes in water quality, levels, or temperatures; weather; and external sources, such as runoff. Here are some tips:


* Utilize best management practices when applying manure and chemicals to fields.
* Plant trees and deep-rooted native plants along shorelines to reduce runoff.
* Avoid applying lawn chemicals before it rains, and keep septic systems operating properly.
* Connect with neighbors to protect water quality. Runoff may also impact wells used for drinking water.

"If you see multiple dead fish in a lake or river, or runoff or a spill entering waters, call the Minnesota Duty Officer at 800-422-0798. Calls are answered 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. If there is an immediate threat to life or property, call 911 first."

*More about minimizing fish kills* [ [link removed] ]


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Loons
MPCA helps retailers and anglers upgrade fishing tackle

Going lead-free benefits wildlife and human health

Loons hold a prominent place in Minnesota culture. The state bird appears on the state seal, in massive sculptures across the state, and even as sports team mascots (remember Twinkie the Loon?).

Fishing also holds a prominent place in Minnesota culture, as anybody who’s whiled away an afternoon on a bass boat can attest.

To make sure one of those Minnesota icons doesn’t harm the other, the MPCA is promoting the spread of lead-free fishing tackle to reduce the number of loon deaths from lead weights, sinkers, and jigs.

*Feature story about lead-free tackle* [ [link removed] ]


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Ice house on Upper Red Lake

A truck tows an ice house off Upper Red Lake at the end of the walleye season in February 2025.

As winters in Minnesota get warmer, the lake ice season is shrinking

Less lake ice has implications for recreation, the environment, and fish and wildlife

We might have had another sufficiently cold winter in Minnesota to support some ice fishing and pond hockey — certainly a colder winter than the one before — but climate experts point out that winters in Minnesota are still warming at a rapid and accelerating pace. That carries big implications not just for Minnesotans’ winter pastimes, but also for their health, the environment, and for the state’s economy.

Many of those implications can be seen in the ice that covers Minnesota’s 10,000 lakes every winter.

As a climate change research scientist with the MPCA, Carl Stenoien analyzes data on how long Minnesota lakes stay frozen. That dataset [ [link removed] ] now goes back to 1895 when somebody recorded 137 days of ice duration on Lake Sagatagan.  

*Feature story about lake ice* [ [link removed] ]


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Pigs in feedlot
*MPCA seeks public input as it begins process to update feedlot rule*

The MPCA is beginning the rulemaking process to improve the state’s feedlot rule. Since the last major rule revision in 2000, agricultural practices, regulatory strategies, and technology have evolved. There is also an improved understanding of the source and extent of pollution to ground water and surface waters.

To receive updates specifically about this rulemaking process, check your GovDelivery subscriptions. Look for the "Rulemaking" category and check the box for "Rulemaking: Animal Feedlots."

*GovDelivery* [ [link removed] ]


Informational meetings are anticipated to take place in June and July this year. Meeting locations and times will be publicized later this spring on the MPCA website. [ [link removed] ]

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Attorney General Ellison forms task force on future of Minnesota’s water

Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison announced March 31 that he is forming a new Advisory Task Force on the Future of Minnesota’s Water. He is soliciting applications to serve on the Task Force through the State of Minnesota Open Appointments process. The deadline for applying is April 30, 2025. The Task Force will begin its work in June 2025.

*Attorney general news release* [ [link removed] ]


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Recent news releases

MPCA recognizes wastewater treatment facilities for operational excellence

The MPCA recognized 235 wastewater facilities for outstanding operations in 2024. To receive this recognition, facilities must demonstrate consistent compliance with monitoring, operations, and maintenance requirements; submit accurate, on-time reports to the MPCA; and employ staff certified by the MPCA in wastewater operations. 

*News release* [ [link removed] ]


Kroschel Township and First State Tire Disposal, Inc. fined for stormwater violations

Kroschel Township and First State Tire Disposal, Inc. began improvements to old 370th Avenue Town Road West near Sandstone, Minnesota, in May 2021, and failed to obtain a construction stormwater permit until June 2023, according to an MPCA investigation. The regulated parties were fined a combined $47,555 for these violations.

*News release* [ [link removed] ]


American Crystal Sugar fined for wastewater violations

American Crystal Sugar Company in Moorhead, Minnesota, failed to collect fecal samples on two occasions, according to an MPCA investigation. The company was fined $16,000.

*News release* [ [link removed] ]


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Volunteer water monitoring web banner
Volunteer to be a water monitor

Water clarity is an important indicator of lake and stream health. 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. Click the button to learn more!

*Volunteer water monitoring* [ [link removed] ]






In the news
Keep It Clean billboard

A billboard promotes the Keep It Clean guidelines in Waskish, Minnesota.

New fines and awareness help reduce litter on Minnesota lakes, but advocates want more action

Every winter, thousands of people fish on Minnesota’s frozen lakes. Some leave trash, an unsightly problem that can affect a lake’s health. Lake advocates say a recent Minnesota law targeting litter left on the ice is helping curb the problem. But they’re hoping for more action, including passage of a bill requiring state agencies establish a statewide “Keep It Clean” program and provide funding for local cleanup efforts. — Minnesota Public Radio [ [link removed] ]

Community art project explores flora and fauna of the Brown’s Creek Watershed

In downtown Stillwater, you’ll find a set of green doors and a stairway leading up to A House Unbuilt’s art, water, and ecology community space. Inside the is The Water Where We Live, a unique collaborative exhibition between 12 regional artists and the Brown’s Creek Watershed District. — East Metro Water [ [link removed] ]

Feedlot upgrade contributes to groundwater protection effort

When Minneola Township dairy farmer Tony Scheffler installed a manure pit with 14 months’ capacity, he gained 15 to 20 hours a week and the ability to apply fertilizer when crops need it most. By curbing feedlot runoff in the farmyard and the potential for nitrate leaching in the fields, he is helping to protect both surface water and groundwater. — Cannon Falls Beacon [ [link removed] ]

What a lack of snowpack means for spring drought trends

Minnesota is far behind its normal seasonal snowfall. The landscape remains dry and brown in southern Minnesota, while the northern snowpack is rapidly shrinking — setting the stage for potential drought conditions this spring. — MPR News [ [link removed] ]

Hawk Creek water quality remains a work in progress

Pollutant trends for the Hawk Creek watershed in southwest Minnesota remain stable for two of its major nemeses — nitrogen and total suspended solids — while decreasing for its third — phosphorus. That’s the quick take on the annual assessment of water quality in the watershed provided by Heidi Rauenhorst, director of the Hawk Creek Watershed Project, at its annual meeting on Feb. 19 in Renville. — West Central Tribune [ [link removed] ]

Wild rice growing in lake
Six more ways of seeing the St. Croix River, map #2: Where the wild rice grows

Wild rice doesn’t grow just anywhere. The aquatic plant is picky: requiring the right climate, water chemistry, precipitation patterns, flooding cycles, and other specific needs. These conditions are common in the northern parts of Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Michigan. It’s a bountiful region where wild rice grows on many lakes, offering natural nutrition year after year. The upper St. Croix River region has some of the densest numbers of wild rice lakes. — St. Croix 360 [ [link removed] ]

Pine County township OKs controversial lakefront property ordinance

A Pine County township board voted to increase shorefront subdivision lot sizes this week in an attempt to protect lake water quality. New subdivision lots on lakefront property must be at least 5 acres in size for construction if the property has no public sewer connection, up from 2.5 acres. The change affects the majority of Windemere Township’s lake property owners. — Minnesota Star Tribune [ [link removed] ]

Drive to boost domestic mining stokes long-running debate near BWCA

In an address to Congress on March 4, President Trump hinted a big move on mining was coming soon. “I will also take historic action to dramatically expand production of critical minerals and rare earths here in the USA," he said. It has brought attention back to a long-running mining debate near the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. — Minnesota Public Radio [ [link removed] ]

St. Louis River summit celebrates major cleanup milestone

A three-day summit in March celebrated the progress and history of the St. Louis River. The river has been a major area of concern after parts of the tributary were contaminated by a former U.S. Steel's Duluth Works factory. At this year’s summit, the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency was proud to announce some success. A coordinator from the agency said that about 80% of the riverway is cleared of pollutants. — Fox 21 [ [link removed] ]

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Recently in social media
Watershed vocabulary word graphic
Instagram [ [link removed] ]

What IS a watershed, anyway? In the first installment of our Watershed Word of the Day series, we're taking it back to basics. Simply put, a watershed is an area where all the water drains to the same place — a river, stream, or lake. Minnesota has 80 watersheds across the state [ [link removed] ] — do you know yours?






Water pollution is part of the story in 'The Air We Breathe' report

Haze over the Red River valley

The MPCA recently released "The Air We Breathe," a report that focuses on air pollution and has numerous crossovers into water quality in the state. For example:


* The MPCA is improving how it looks at the cumulative effects of pollution. It is developing new tools to be more holistic in decision-making, whether the impacts are from the air, water, or land.
* Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), also known as “forever chemicals,” are a group of more than 5,000 human-made chemicals that do not break down over time. Studies have found PFAS in ambient air statewide. A better understanding of the sources of PFAS in the air will help the MPCA reduce exposures and PFAS in surface water.
* Mercury released into the air from human sources around the world settles into water and accumulates in fish, making them unsafe for people to eat and damaging the ecosystem. Minnesota continues to
promote mercury emission reductions regionally, nationally, and globally. 

*The Air We Breathe report* [ [link removed] ]






The MPCA Waterfront Bulletin newsletter welcomes news from partners about
watershed projects, people, and upcoming events throughout Minnesota.

Email submissions to: [email protected].






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.








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