The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) released the draft 2025 Minnesota Nutrient Reduction Strategy on June 14. The updated strategy shows the state’s progress in reducing nutrients and ways to achieve Minnesota’s water quality goals. The public is invited to comment on the draft through Aug. 28, 2025.
The updated strategy documents a decade’s worth of progress that has helped reduce phosphorus in our water, shows mixed results on nitrogen, and identifies where work should be intensified.
The Minnesota Nutrient Reduction Strategy (NRS) includes the latest science, research, and data and recommends the most effective strategies to reduce nutrients in our water. The strategy serves as a framework outlining how voluntary and regulatory actions can reduce nutrient pollution to meet long-term water quality goals.
Reductions in nitrogen and phosphorus in Minnesota’s water are needed to reach our in-state water quality goals, as well as the downstream water quality goals aimed at reducing nutrient levels in the Gulf, Lake Winnipeg, and Lake Superior.
The MPCA finalized the first Minnesota NRS in 2014 and released a five-year progress report in 2020. The draft 2025 NRS update contains chapters on:
- reducing nutrients in lakes, streams and groundwater in-state
- reducing nutrients in downstream waters
- urban land and water; rural land and water
- watershed focus from Minnesota’s Water Management Framework
- tracking and showing progress
The MPCA will host two virtual information sessions. An overview of the 2025 draft update was presented on Tuesday, July 15, from 1-2:30 p.m. A question-and-answer session will be held on Thursday, July 24, from 1-2:30 p.m. Questions for the July 24 event can be submitted in advance on the MPCA website.
Review and comment
Review the draft Minnesota NRS 2025 update and supporting documents and provide comments July 14-Aug. 28.
Review and comment Take survey
Online information sessions. Learn about the draft at the July 15 overview and ask questions at the July 24 Q&A.
The public can review the draft 2025 Minnesota NRS update and submit public comments by visiting the Smart Comment portal on the MPCA website or by mail to:
Minnesota Pollution Control Agency
c/o Corrie Layfield
520 Lafayette Road
St. Paul, MN 55155
After the public comment period, all comments will be reviewed, and a final 2025 update will be published to MPCA website.