Search
Lake of the Woods is a big lake with a big problem caused by one of nature’s smallest organisms: algae. Scientists from the MPCA and the Science Museum are working together to understand why.
For more than 50 years, volunteers have gathered critically important water clarity data on Minnesota lakes and streams.
Long-term lake management considers the unique environmental, cultural, and biological factors affecting the lake and sets a priority on finding lasting solutions.
The Lake Superior - North Watershed covers over 1 million acres in the Northern Lakes and Forest ecoregion.
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 MPCA issued a new air quality permit for this manufacturing facility in White Bear Township.
The Red Lake River Watershed, which covers 909,024 acres, is part of the Red River Basin in northwestern Minnesota. The Red Lake River begins its course in Beltrami County at Lower Red Lake.
The Lake Superior - South Watershed covers 402,371 acres.
All distribution media products must be registered with the MPCA.
Surface water assessment grants (SWAG) provide local organizations and citizen volunteers with funds to complete the monitoring needed to meet assessment requirements on Minnesota lakes and streams. Assessment is usually the first step in protecting or restoring surface waters.
The MPCA plans to amend water quality standards (Minn. Rules chapter 7050) affecting Class 2 beneficial uses, which protect surface waters for aquatic life and recreation.
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,…
The MPCA studies, monitors, and regulates numerous water pollutants to protect human health and the environment. At the state level, three agencies share the monitoring and control of pollutants:the…
The Rainy River - Rainy Lake Watershed covers 583,791 acres. Open water makes up 75,815 of those acres and wetlands occupy another 84,851 acres. The watershed is 64% in St. Louis County and 36% in Koochiching County. The northern boundary is part of the international border waters with Ontario, Canada.
The Upper/Lower Red Lake Watershed covers more than 1.2 million acres and is home to Upper and Lower Red Lakes, the two largest bodies of water within the state.
Profile of Karl Scheuer, a volunteer with the MPCA's Volunteer Water Monitoring Program
Standard operating procedures (SOPs) reflect how agency staff and contracted partners complete agency-funded field activities.
The MPCA has important roles in protecting and restoring waters in degraded conditions.
Clean Water Fund dollars come from the Clean Water, Land and Legacy Amendment that Minnesotans approved in 2008.
MPCA studies shows 75% of Minnesota lakes meet standards for recreation. Clean Water Fund dollars help answer water quality questions.