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The Otter Tail River Watershed encompasses three different ecoregions, covering more than 1.2 million acres in west-central Minnesota.
The Red River of the North - Sand Hill River Watershed covers 708,469 acres and is part of the Red River Basin in northwestern Minnesota and southeastern North Dakota.
In Minnesota, wastewater treatment operators must be certified to ensure that facilities meet operational requirements.
The Mississippi River - Headwaters Watershed consists of 1.26 million acres (1,961 square miles) and contains the headwaters of the Mississippi River at Lake Itasca in Itasca State Park. The watershed includes parts of Becker, Beltrami, Cass, Clearwater, Hubbard and Itasca counties.
The Big Fork River Watershed covers more than 1.3 million acres that include some of the state’s most pristine wilderness. The river flows north 165 miles from Dora Lake (45 miles northeast of Bemidji in north-central Itasca County) to the Rainy River, which forms the Minnesota-Canada border.
Located in south-central Minnesota, the Le Sueur River flows 111 miles through a gently rolling landscape, most of it farmland, until it cuts down through high bluffs to the Blue Earth River.
This watershed is located in the southeastern tip of Minnesota, known for its scenic bluffs. More than 900,000 acres drain to the Mississippi River at Reno, Minn., but only 117,000 of those acres are in Minnesota.
The Cloquet River Watershed covers approximately 507,858 acres (794 square miles) and is located within portions of Lake and St. Louis Counties in northeastern Minnesota.
The Upper Red River of the North Watershed drains an area of 371,689 acres in the Glacial Lake Agassiz Plain, while the extreme southeastern portion of the basin lies in the North Central Hardwoods ecoregion. The Red River begins its course just below Breckenridge, Minn.
This Winnebago River consists of a stream and lake system in southern Minnesota that flows into Iowa. The water resources here face several water quality challenges, including high nutrient and bacteria levels.
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 Blue Earth River begins in northern Iowa and meets with the West Branch Blue Earth River in Faribault County. The watershed includes parts of eight counties in southern Minnesota and four in northern Iowa.
The Lake Superior - South Watershed covers 402,371 acres.
MPCA completed 100 enforcement cases for water quality, air quality, waste, stormwater, and wastewater violations in the first half of 2024
The Snake River begins its 50-mile course in Marshall County and drains an area of 611,800 acres. The Snake River Watershed lies within Marshall, Polk, and Pennington Counties in NW Minnesota.
The Mustinka River begins its course southwest of Fergus Falls in southwestern Otter Tail County and flows toward the south into Grant County, where it continues through Stony Brook Lake and Lightning Lake.
Sediment is composed of loose particles of sand, clay, silt, and other substances. Sediment flows into Minnesota lakes, rivers, and streams via runoff in both urban and rural areas.
The Lake of the Woods lies on the border between the U.S. and Canada; the watershed covers 734,783 acres.
The Snake River Watershed is located north of the Twin Cities in the St. Croix River Basin and encompasses 1,006 square miles in five counties: Aitkin, Kanabec, Mille Lacs, Pine, and Isanti.
Question and answer session with Addison Otto, a rule coordinator with the MPCA, about her work with the agency and how her hobby farm informs her work.