On water issues in Minnesota

Minnesota is home to more than 10,000 lakes and more than 90,000 miles of rivers and streams. But many of those waterways are threatened by pollution and agricultural practices.

Mike Edgerly, news director at Minnesota Public Radio, discussed some of these pressing water issues with Deborah Swackhammer, co-director of the University of Minnesota's Water Resources Center. They were joined by MPR News reporters Mark Zdechlik and Dan Gunderson, and Iowa Public Radio reporter Clay Masters, who have reported on these stories:

Should farmers or city pay to clean the water? Iowa may decide

A Des Moines Water Works lawsuit could bring historic change to water regulation and farm economics across the country. A key question: Should farmers be held liable for the pollution draining from their fields?

Random acts of conservation: Water quality depends on farmers' willingness, not regulation

Roughly 40 percent of Minnesota's lakes and streams are polluted, mostly thanks to soil, fertilizer and other contaminants flowing off farm fields. With little regulation, reversing that trend is almost solely reliant on the goodwill of farmers.

Trouble in the water: Can Minnesota stop polluting its lakes, rivers?

Minnesotans love their water, but are they willing to save it? Some 40 percent of the state's lakes and streams are polluted. Much of that is related to farming. At the Capitol, lawmakers are divided on how far to go to fix the problems.

Can agriculture and clean water co-exist in Minnesota?

Steve Morse, executive director of the Minnesota Environmental Partnership, and Warren Formo, executive director of Minnesota Agricultural Water Resource Center, joined a discussion on whether farming needs and clean water concerns can be reconciled.