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The Long Prairie River Watershed covers approximately 565,078 acres and is located in the central part of the Upper Mississippi River Basin in central Minnesota. The watershed encompasses parts of Douglas, Otter Tail, Todd, Morrison and Wadena counties.
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 Lower Rainy River Watershed is composed of a conglomeration of tributaries to the Rainy River, from International Falls and west to the Rainy River's pour point at the Lake of the Woods.
Waterways in the northeastern part of the state are generally in better condition than those in the southern, central, and western regions.
The Lac qui Parle Watershed covers approximately 1,100 square miles and drains parts of Lac qui Parle, Lincoln, and Yellow Medicine counties in Minnesota as well as parts of Grant, Deuel, and Brookings counties in South Dakota.
Canby Creek now flows into Del Clark Lake and protects Canby from flooding, while providing outdoor recreation and excellent water quality.
Intense storms of late spring can wash soil and other pollutants into rivers. Producers can use several techniques to protect their soil and water quality.
The Clean Water Act established the framework for creating water quality standards and continues to help us protect Minnesota's prized lakes and rivers.
The MPCA has important roles in protecting and restoring waters in degraded conditions.
From the days when raw sewage flowed into rivers and lakes, Minnesota’s water bodies have come a long way. However, there is still work to be done in the restoration and protection of our waters.
A new planning effort in northwest Minnesota takes a basin-wide approach to reducing the state's phosphorous contributions to the Red River, and to Canada's Lake Winnipeg.
Before Laura Mendoza Romero got involved with shoreline restoration, she remembers going on boat rides and seeing all the different landscapes along the shore. Some houses you could barely see…
The MPCA proposes adding 46 new impaired bodies of water and removing 45 impairments from bodies of water from the IWL, the most removals in a two-year cycle since the state began the IWL program in 1992.
Image Although Minnesota is rich in lakes and streams, Lake Superior is easily the most spectacular waterbody in Minnesota. Despite its immense size…
The MPCA completed 68 enforcement cases for water quality, air quality, hazardous waste, stormwater, and wastewater violations in the first half of 2025.
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.
Four watershed scientists had an article published in LakeLine magazine. They report on 20 years of success getting lakes cleaned up.
The MPCA is committed to engaging broadly with the public and ensuring that residents affected by its decisions have a voice in its processes.
For more than 50 years, volunteers have gathered critically important water clarity data on Minnesota lakes and streams.
The MPCA’s Smart Salting program helps cut down on chloride pollution by training snowplow drivers and municipalities to use less salt on the roadways.