Search
The Chippewa River Watershed covers 2,085 square miles and drains portions of eight counties in west central Minnesota.
Status of total maximum daily load (TMDL) projects in Minnesota.
The Rapid River watershed covers 573,060 acres in northern Minnesota. Over 79% of the land in the watershed is owned or managed by state entities.
Water scientists from the MPCA published four watershed reports in 2025, updating the data we need to keep Minnesota’s waters clean and protected.
Partnerships and diversified funding drive the work to restore water quality in impaired streams in the Red Lake River Watershed through science-based interventions.
News releases and featured stories from the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency
The Little Fork River Watershed covers nearly 1.2 million acres, the main stem flowing 160 miles through north-central St. Louis County and heading northwest into Koochiching County. It flows more northerly until it reaches its confluence with the Rainy River about 11 miles west of International Falls.
The Leech Lake River Watershed consists of approximately 854,659 acres (1,335 sq. miles) in the northern part of the Upper Mississippi River Basin. The watershed includes parts of Beltrami, Cass, and Hubbard counties and the Leech Lake Reservation (Leech Lake Band of Chippewa).
The St. Louis River Mercury TMDL will determine mercury reductions needed for lakes and rivers in the St. Louis River watershed.
Information about the work to clean up the pollution from over 100 years of unregulated development and industrial practices.
The Nemadji River Watershed spans the Minnesota-Wisconsin border and covers nearly 1.2 million acres.
MPCA studies shows 75% of Minnesota lakes meet standards for recreation. Clean Water Fund dollars help answer water quality questions.
Ten TMDL projects undertaken in the Lower St. Croix River Watershed to address nutrient, biota, bacteria, and other impairments.
The Mississippi River - Grand Rapids Watershed covers 1,3 million acres and contains 1,908 miles of stream/rivers and 552 lakes greater than 10 acres. The watershed drainage comprises parts of the counties of Aitkin, Carlton, Cass, Itasca, and St. Louis.
Collaboration and engagement have been keys to progress in the St. Louis River AOC.
The St. Louis River Watershed covers 3,584 square miles at the head of the Great Lakes and represents the extreme headwaters of the St. Lawrence River.
The Minnesota River - Headwaters Watershed covers 487,015 acres in the Prairie Parkland ecoregion of southwestern Minnesota. Portions of Traverse, Big Stone, Swift, Lac qui Parle, Stevens, and Chippewa counties drain the watershed.
Each year, Minnesotans throw away more than 850,000 tons of recyclables, worth around $153 million. Here's how we're reducing those numbers in Greater Minnesota.
Answers to frequently asked questions about compliance and MPCA's enforcement of environmental rules in Minnesota.
A watershed is the area of land where all of the water that drains off of it goes into the same place — a river, stream or lake.