Ground Level Blog

Skepticism apparent as state tries new approach to Bonanza Valley water
The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources last night launched its third project to deal with water availability differently than in the past. We asked Dan Haugen, a reporter and writer in Sioux Falls, S.D., to check out how it went. Here’s his report. BELGRADE — Central Minnesota farmers and well owners listened with skepticism and Read more →
State should put $100 million into broadband fund, says task force
Minnesota should put $100 million of its surplus into a fund to help pay for broadband infrastructure in parts of the state that now are poorly served, a state task force studying the issue is recommending. The fund, envisioned as a matching-grant program to help public and private broadband providers, could deliver service to more Read more →
Rising groundwater demand in Bonanza Valley prompts new state approach
Groundwater demand in an area of central Minnesota has increased by 175 percent in the past 25 years — five times as much as the state average, according to the Department of Natural Resources. That’s a big reason the Bonanza Valley, an area that stretches from southern Douglas County to Paynesville in Stearns County, is Read more →
Who owns rural Minnesota can quickly get complicated, says the Center for Rural Policy and Development in a new issue of its journal.
A resident in Woodbury pays 88 cents for 1,000 gallons of water. If he or she uses a lot of water, say, for sprinkling the lawn, the price goes up — to $1.88, then $2.88, then $3.88 and so on, says Klayton Eckles, Woodbury’s public works director. • Beneath the Surface: Minnesota’s Pending Groundwater Challenge Read more →
As east suburbs tighten groundwater use, Mpls wants to drill new wells
We’ve covered extensively the discussion happening in the north and east metro over concerns about the groundwater supply. Suburbs are trying to figure out how to use less water, and the Metropolitan Council has pushed the idea of getting more cities in the region to tap into surface water from the Mississippi River. Both Minneapolis Read more →