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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.
The National Crude Oil Spill Research Site near Bemidji was formed after a pipeline break released 10,000 barrels of crude oil in 1979.
Image Air quality is expected to reach the red AQI category in north central and northwest Minnesota, which is unhealthy for everyone.The Minnesota…
Image Air quality is expected to reach the orange AQI category for all of Minnesota, which is unhealthy for sensitive groups.The Minnesota Pollution…
Minnesota’s Continuous Nitrate Sensor Network generates publicly available water quality data on nitrate levels in our surface water.
Image Although Minnesota is rich in lakes and streams, Lake Superior is easily the most spectacular waterbody in Minnesota. Despite its immense size…
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Kate Knuth's career in addressing climate change, which took her to the Minnesota Capitol as a state legislator, has now led her to the MPCA as its new climate director.
The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) has issued an air quality alert for north and central Minnesota. The alert runs until 11 p.m. on Wednesday, July 30. Fine particle levels are expected to reach the red air quality index (AQI) category, a level considered unhealthy for everyone, across north central, northwest, northeast, and east central Minnesota, and the orange AQI category, a level considered unhealthy for sensitive groups, across central, east central, west central, north central, and northwest Minnesota.
MPCA is planning new rules governing how the MPCA determines currently unavoidable uses of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in products.
New rules establish a program for the MPCA to collect information about products containing intentionally added PFAS and establish fees to be paid upon submission of required reporting.
U.S. Steel Corp. operates the Minntac Taconite processing facility near the city of Mountain Iron, where it produces taconite pellets that are shipped for use at steel mills. U.S. Steel has applied for a reissued air permit so it can replace existing emissions controls in its pellet plant with cartridge filters.
MPCA staff studied the river during this summer's extreme drought conditions to see if tighter limits on phosphorus are protecting aquatic life.
Four watershed scientists had an article published in LakeLine magazine. They report on 20 years of success getting lakes cleaned up.
Whether they are called sloughs, swamps, bogs, or potholes, these are all wetlands and they provide many environmental benefits and contribute to watershed health. Though Minnesota has lost almost half of its wetland acreage over time, the quality of the remaining wetlands is good overall.
We Are Water next visits Ortonville and the Big Stone Lake area March 15 through April 21.
The air quality alert issued by the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) remains in effect until noon on Wednesday, June 4. Fine particle levels are expected to reach the red air quality index (AQI) category, a level considered unhealthy for everyone, across east central, southeast, and northeast Minnesota.
The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) has canceled portions of the current air quality alert for western and southern Minnesota. The alert runs until 11 p.m. on Friday, July 25. Fine particle levels are expected to reach the red air quality index (AQI) category, a level considered unhealthy for everyone, in east central Minnesota, and the orange AQI category, a level considered unhealthy for sensitive groups, across the remainder of the alert area.
The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) has issued an air quality alert all of Minnesota through 9 a.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 12. The maximum air quality index category for the area is red, which is unhealthy for everyone.
The St. Louis River Mercury TMDL will determine mercury reductions needed for lakes and rivers in the St. Louis River watershed.