Water

The last 200 years of commercial boat traffic have had a profound effect on the ecological makeup of the Great Lakes. One-hundred and seventy-nine non-native species have relocated to the lakes from far off ports of call, stowed away in the ballast tanks of ships, and lacking any natural predators they have thrived. As a result, the native flora and fauna have suffered. Some of this is an unavoidable consequence of globalization, but government gridlock also shares responsibility for this ecological transformation, according to a series of articles that appeared in the Minneapolis Star Tribune.

Week in Review takes a look at some environmental stories in Greater Minnesota, including a look at the Superfund site on the Leech Lake Indian Reservation and an update on the US Army Corp of Engineers' plans for the Upper Mississippi River.

Volunteers are hauling garbage from styrofoam containers to tires out of the Mississippi River again this summer. Such events raise awareness of the river, but its water quality and wildlife may need more drastic fixes.