Featured stories
Success story: Morgan moves to new wastewater treatment system
The city of Morgan in Redwood County is undertaking a $20.5 million project to replace its aging mechanical plant for a pond system.
Smoky summers the new normal?
Does it seems like the number of alerts due to wildfires has increased in the past few years? We’ve had 26 air-quality alerts since 2015—14 of those due to wildfire smoke. That’s twice the number of smoke-related alerts in the previous 7 years.
GreenCorps member Lauren Jensen
Did you know rain gardens help prevent rainwater runoff? That means less pollutants flowing directly into nearby streams and ponds. The latest #OurMN video features what Minnesota GreenCorps is doing in Winona County!
Study of 23 MN cities IDs climate risks & strategies to help
By 2100, summer in Brainerd may be like that now felt over 300 miles farther south. That's equal to moving Brainerd 217 feet south every day. MPCA is working to help communities build resiliency.
Fishy story attracts public TV coverage
Recognizing the importance of water quality in the thousands of lakes and miles of streams across the prairie landscape, Pioneer Public Television in western Minnesota films a segment on MPCA’s citizen water monitoring programs.
Rachel Pichelmann’s volunteer water monitoring sparked career in water resources
Rachel's 4-H project in high school led to a career in civil engineering with an environmental focus.
Protective, effective and efficient MPCA permitting
One of MPCA's most important jobs is to issue timely air, water and land permits that protect human health and the environment. Data shows that the agency continues to improve its permitting efficiency.
For the fish and for you
Can you fish it? As anglers restock their tackle boxes for the season, MPCA field staff get ready to look at lakes and streams to answer that question, among others.
Giant Lego watershed helps teach water science
A group of volunteers built a 26,000-piece topographic model of the Whitewater River Watershed in southeast Minnesota.
Three generations, and counting
“It’s a whole family thing,” says Sheri Berg about being part of the state’s volunteer Citizen Lake Monitoring program for the past 30 years.
His ethic can inspire others
Concern about water quality led Ron Sprong to do water monitoring and help the Grindstone Lake Association obtain grants to fund research and develop a lake management plan.
GreenCorps member helps get her school Energy Star certified
River’s Edge Academy (St. Paul) is now Energy Star certified thanks to the work of Minnesota GreenCorps member Sophie Bishop.
Working on water quality in Willmar Chain of Lakes
It takes a lot of helping hands to work on the water quality issues in the Willmar Chain of Lakes — cloudy water and invasive curly leaf pondweed.
Keep off the grass: Let it bee
Grass lawns are the nation’s largest irrigated “crop” by surface area. Fortunately, there are environmentally friendly alternatives like flowering lawns that can transform your yard into a bee haven.
Shining light on hidden infrastructure
To highlight the need to invest in wastewater infrastructure, MPCA Commissioner John Linc Stine toured wastewater treatment plants across northern and north-central Minnesota.