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An index of biological integrity (IBI) is a particularly powerful tool that provides an accurate measure of the condition of the biological communities and are a direct determinant of the attainment of aquatic life uses.

The MPCA is committed to engaging broadly with the public and ensuring that residents affected by its decisions have a voice in its processes.

Karst near Oxbow Park and Zollman Zoo, host of the We Are Water MN traveling exhibit. Phil George, who lives in rural Byron, Minnesota, has always felt a deep…

The Clean Water Council was created to advise the Legislature and the governor on the administration and implementation of the 2006 Clean Water Legacy Act

Public input is critical to the work that we do. We invite that input by soliciting comments on agency decisions, holding public informational meetings, and more.

The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency is planning amendments to rules governing water quality fees (Minn. R. ch. 7002 and 7083).

The MPCA plans to amend Minnesota Rules chapter 7050, which establishes beneficial uses and water quality standards to protect those uses, and designates where the uses occur in waters of the state.

A water quality variance is a temporary change in a state's water quality standard for a specific pollutant and its relevant criteria, allowing deviation from meeting a water quality-based effluent limit for a particular discharger.

Planned amendments to Minn. Rules ch. 7050 affect the Class 1 beneficial use, which protects waters (both surface and groundwater) used as a source for domestic consumption.

MPCA seeks public comment on two draft industrial wastewater permits for U.S. Steel Corp.’s Keetac mining area and tailings basin in Keewatin, Minnesota. These permits will improve protections for wild rice waters and human health.

Standard operating procedures (SOPs) reflect how agency staff and contracted partners complete agency-funded field activities.

We come from the stars Nibi Walks: A prayer for the water

Implementing water quality standards come with tangible costs and benefits. Costs such as taxes to residents, regulated parties, and communities help achieve benefits such as increased property values, tourism, and protecting human health.

Protecting and restoring water quality is one of the MPCA's core areas of focus.

State agencies, counties, municipalities, nonprofit organizations, and many others are engaged in protecting Minnesota lakes.

Clean Water Fund dollars come from the Clean Water, Land and Legacy Amendment that Minnesotans approved in 2008.

Wild rice is an important part of the biological community in many Minnesota lakes, streams, and wetlands, and a cultural resource to many, particularly members of the Dakota and Ojibwe Tribal Nations in Minnesota.

Resources and guidance for TMDL projects in Minnesota.

The triennial standards review offers every Minnesotan the opportunity to comment on essentially every water quality standard the agency defines to protect the waters that they drink, swim in, and fish from.

The MPCA monitors and assesses lakes around the state to determine if they meet water quality standards.