Water

Water shortages and problems around Minnesota — and the country — have many wondering what is the true cost of clean and reliable water. This reporting is supported in part by The Water Main, a project of American Public Media.

March 7, 2014 4:05 AM

Can we fill up our underground water supply with stormwater?

One way to relieve pressure on Minnesota’s groundwater would be to make better use of stormwater and the spring melt. Or is it?

by Dave Peters

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March 5, 2014 6:40 AM

Obama's budget: An agency-by-agency glance

From Agriculture to Veterans affairs, here's a top-level breakdown on where the Obama Administration says it would like to place its budget priorities for FY 2015.

by The Associated Press

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March 4, 2014 8:54 AM

Lawmakers discuss giving DNR tighter grip on irrigation, industrial water use

A Department of Natural Resources request for a bigger stick to deal with irrigators and other big water users who violate permit requirements has run into both backing and criticism at the Legislature.

by Elizabeth Dunbar

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March 3, 2014 3:47 AM

This nitrate chart looks worrisome. Is it?

A rising percentage of new wells in Minnesota hit nitrate-contaminated water. It needs to be watched.

by Dave Peters

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February 26, 2014 4:34 AM

Bonding to fill White Bear Lake, other water proposals surface at Capitol

Lawmakers will consider at least several water-related proposals this session, evidence of increasing interest in making sure Minnesota maintains reliable sources of water.

by Elizabeth Dunbar

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February 25, 2014 12:47 AM

Should voluntary water regulations for farmers be made mandatory?

– Dave Peters, editor, Beneath the Surface, Minnesota’s Pending Ground Water Challenge You can’t talk about water use in Minnesota for long before you get around to talking about farming. That’s clear from two recent stories by MPR News. One, by MPR News reporter Dan Gunderson, showed how increased irrigation and leaching of nitrates from…

by MPR News Staff

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February 21, 2014 5:26 AM

Daily Circuit asks: How sustainable is our water use?

Minnesota is rich in water, but our use of it seems less sustainable than it once did. Two state officials talked about water issues with Daily Circuit host Tom Weber.

by Dave Peters

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February 20, 2014 3:10 PM

Duluth gets EPA grant to protect Lake Superior basin

The so-called "green infrastructure" grant will help the city reduce stormwater runoff from the Lake Superior Zoo parking lot and Chambers Grove Park at Duluth's far southern edge, both of which were extensively damaged by flooding in 2012. A third project will help redevelop a contaminated site near the St. Louis River that once housed a cement plant.

by Dan Kraker