Vance Boelter, suspect in shooting of Minnesota lawmakers, taken into custody in Sibley County

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Ask a 'sotan is an occasional series exploring the questions from curious Minnesotans about our state. Have a question about life in Minnesota? 

We're asking folks at the State Fair what they're most curious about, then asking folks around MPR to find the answer. Here’s a question close to many Minnesotans’ hearts: How much does it cost to clean a lake of pollution?

, 40 percent of Minnesota’s lakes and streams are impaired — meaning they fail to meet one or more water quality standards.

Given all the different factors that go into the process of cleaning a lake, it’s impossible to apply an average dollar amount. While not impossible, removing pollutants from a body of water is costly, time-consuming and rare.

In addition to the equipment and construction needed, a big part of the cost is actually educating and paying residents and farmers around the lake to change their behavior so the water doesn’t continue to be polluted.

 in which a local community cleaned up a body of water. One of those cases featured First Fulda Lake.

Step one was looking for grants to pay for fixing up the lake. Then the watershed district began working with farmers on a drainage-improvement project to ensure they had buffers on open ditches, and swapping in rock inlets for open-tile intakes. Read the full story via this link:

Cleaning up polluted water is tough, but possible

It takes more than just funding to fix the conditions of a lake, it takes community organization and political willpower. Back in 2016, MPR News reporter Mark Steil wrote about the efforts to clean up 

Saving Minnesota's polluted lakes takes science, political will

Have a question about life in Minnesota? 

Sara Porter

Author

Matt Mikus

We're asking folks at the State Fair what they're most curious about, then asking folks around MPR to find the answer. Here’s a question close to many Minnesotans’ hearts.

Dan Livdahl tests the clarity of Lake Okabena.

Jackson Forderer for MPR News

First Fulda Lake has been part of a decades-long cleanup effort.

Ask a 'sotan: How much does it cost to clean a lake of pollution?

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