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.

December 3, 2023 4:00 AM

'Pick it up': New Minnesota law aims to curb litter left on ice

Garbage left behind on frozen lakes is one of the biggest complaints conservation officers hear every year. The law, which took effect July 1, requires all trash to be placed in a container that's secured to an ice house or vehicle.

by Kirsti Marohn

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December 1, 2023 2:19 PM

State agencies pledge new steps to reduce nitrate in southeast Minnesota

Last month, the EPA said state agencies need to develop a comprehensive plan to tackle the nitrate problem in eight southeast Minnesota counties’ drinking water. In a letter Friday, commissioners of the departments of health, agriculture and the Pollution Control Agency promised to do more – but said they may need more federal or state money to do so.

by Kirsti Marohn

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December 1, 2023 4:23 AM

The iceberg cometh: It's the size of Oahu, and it's moving into the open ocean

"It's a trillion tons of ice," as one expert told NPR. Now the largest iceberg in the world, A23a, is on the move after decades of being grounded on the seafloor.

by Bill Chappell

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November 22, 2023 5:35 PM

Judge throws out lawsuit by southeastern Minnesota dairy farm seeking to triple in size

Environmental advocates, including the Land Stewardship Project, opposed the expansion. They said the additional manure generated by a larger operation would increase the risk of water pollution in a region where nitrate in groundwater already is a problem.

by Kirsti Marohn

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November 22, 2023 4:00 AM

Tackling the 'big brown spot': Keeping fields in living cover could be path to reducing nitrate

Commercial fertilizer and manure applied to crop farms is a major source of nitrate in Minnesota’s water. A new report finds planting crops that keep the soil covered year-round benefits both the environment and farmers.

by Kirsti Marohn

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November 21, 2023 6:26 AM

Results of lead testing prompt letters to St. Paul Regional Water Services customers

Letters are going out to St. Paul Regional Water Services customers about recent testing that found higher-than-acceptable levels of lead in the water.

by Peter Cox

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November 15, 2023 3:39 PM

State officials add dozens of lakes and streams to impaired waters list for sulfate and PFAS pollution

State officials are proposing to add 54 lakes and streams to the list of Minnesota waters considered impaired because of pollution. The list includes a large lake on the border of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness that exceeds the state’s wild rice sulfate standard.

by Dan Kraker

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November 10, 2023 4:00 AM

Split Rock Lighthouse hosts annual Edmund Fitzgerald memorial ceremony

A crowd of several hundred people is expected to gather at Split Rock Lighthouse on Friday for a memorial ceremony and beacon-lighting to mark the 48th anniversary of the wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald.

by Estelle Timar-Wilcox

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November 8, 2023 12:05 PM

EPA says 'further actions' needed to protect human health from nitrate in southeast Minnesota

Environmental groups petitioned the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, saying nitrate in the groundwater in southeast Minnesota’s karst region — largely from fertilizer and manure applied to crop land — poses an imminent danger to human health.

by Kirsti Marohn