Excess nitrate remains a long-term challenge to manage. In our lakes, rivers, and streams, it is toxic to fish and other aquatic life. In drinking water, it can pose a risk to human health, especially babies. The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, along with other state agencies, local governments, and people across the state work together to protect our water.
The state’s approach to address excess nitrate requires all of us to continue to work together to reduce levels in lakes, rivers, and groundwater. Continuing to implement and utilize the Minnesota Nutrient Reduction Strategy will support this effort. Other activities to further this work involve updating the feedlot rules and permits, collecting data through monitoring, and implementing the wastewater nitrogen reduction strategy. State agencies like the Department of Agriculture and Department of Health lead other nitrate reduction efforts.
Minnesota Nutrient Reduction Strategy
The Minnesota Nutrient Reduction Strategy compiles the latest science, research, and data, and then recommends the most effective strategies to reduce nitrogen and phosphorus in our waters. As Minnesota's framework for action, it outlines how voluntary and regulatory actions can reduce nutrient pollution to meet long-term pollution reduction goals in Minnesota and downstream.
Learn more about nitrate
Working together to protect Minnesota’s waters from nitrate explains how state and regional government agencies are working together to reduce nitrate pollution in Minnesota’s waters. The report highlights monitoring, actions, and protection efforts funded by Minnesota’s Clean Water Fund and coordinated by the Interagency Coordination Team (ICT).
Long-term monitoring uncovers healthier watersheds
Flowing forward: Trends in Minnesota’s lakes and rivers highlights how Minnesota’s waters are changing and what those changes mean for our environment and communities. The MPCA’s long-term monitoring shows that fish and insect populations in rivers and streams are improving in most regions, a sign of healthier ecosystems.
Updating state feedlot rules
The MPCA is working to revise, update, and modernize the rules governing animal feedlots. Improved land application of manure to address nitrate pollution and prevent fish kills are among the expected changes. More than a dozen meetings with stakeholders during 2025 opened dialogue on the 25-year-old feedlot regulations. MPCA is preparing draft rules and a Statement of Need and Reasonableness document.
Continuous Nitrate Sensor Network
Minnesota’s sensor network generates publicly available water quality data on nitrate levels in our surface water. With it, you can see nitrate levels in rivers and streams 24 hours a day from March to November. Operating a 24-hour network is possible because of collaboration among state and federal agencies.
Reissuing feedlot permits
The MPCA regulates most aspects of livestock management, including the location, design, construction, operation, transportation, storage, and management of feedlots and manure-handling facilities. Operators must apply for a permit to manage the facility’s water pollution and land application practices of animal manure and other livestock operation wastes. During 2025 and 2026, the agency expects to reissue about 250 State Disposal System (SDS) permits that last 10 years and 800 federal National Pollution Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permits that last five years.
Wastewater nitrogen reduction strategy
The MPCA developed a wastewater nitrogen strategy in 2024 to reduce nitrogen loads as well as protect Minnesota and downstream waters. The agency is implementing Phase 1, which requires nitrogen management plans and nitrogen-removal design for new and upgraded wastewater treatment facilities, and adds total nitrogen limits to some permits. Later phases will add nitrogen limits to permits once nitrate standards and regulations are in place.