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The Chippewa River Watershed covers 2,085 square miles and drains portions of eight counties in west central Minnesota.
As part of our commitment to continuous improvement, transparency, certainty, and customer service, the MPCA is improving the way we track and administer permits. These efforts are part of periodical…
In karst landscapes, the distinction between groundwater and surface water is blurry.
The Mississippi River - Winona Watershed covers 419,200 acres in the southeast Minnesota counties of Wabasha, Winona, and Olmsted. A majority of the watershed is cropland, with forest and grassland covering large portions as well.
The Pomme de Terre River begins cool and clear in Otter Tail County, bordered by wooded hills and grassy meadows. It flows south through several lakes; as the river nears its mouth, it is bordered by eroding banks, becoming increasingly muddy before discharging into the Minnesota River at Marsh Lake.
The Clearwater River Watershed drains an area of 886,600 acres in the Red River of the North basin. The river flows to the northwest and southwest, eventually emptying into Red Lake River near Red Lake Falls.
Find out what’s being done in Minnesota’s watersheds to protect and improve water quality.
An MPCA investigation determined David Heinonen of Grand Rapids filled in 3,200 square feet of wetland near Horsehead Lake in Itasca County without prior approval and engaged in unpermitted construction activities on 1.57 acres on the shore of Horsehead Lake.
During a residential construction project in Franklin Township in 2024, Capstone Homes and Arnt Construction failed to properly manage construction stormwater activities.
MPCA investigation determined Derek Vekich committed stormwater and wetland violations in 2024.
BNSF Railway Company paid a fine of $20,000 for industrial stormwater and wastewater permit violations at its Willmar facility.
Minnesota samples a network of shallow monitoring wells designed to provide early detection of contamination in the groundwater.
Volunteer water monitors collect valuable data used by agencies and organizations across the state to protect and manage Minnesota’s waters.
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.
Minnesota continues to reduce industrial and transportation air pollutants that have the highest potential health risks. Investment in clean air for all Minnesotans is a top priority for the MPCA and Governor Walz.
Completed rulemaking for changes to reporting requirements for hazardous air pollutants (HAPs).
Allows new and expanding wastewater treatment facilities to receive a discharge permit prior to completion of an applicable phosphorus-related TMDL. Through pre-TMDL phosphorus trading a, a new or expanding facility may increase its phosphorus discharge by purchasing a phosphorus reduction from another source.
The East Fork Des Moines River Watershed covers 839,518 acres, which includes Minnesota's Martin and Jackson counties.
The Lake Superior - South Watershed covers 402,371 acres.
The Bois de Sioux River Watershed covers 718,685 acres, and includes the drainage basins of Lake Traverse and the Bois de Sioux River.