Search
The Lower Minnesota River Watershed includes the lowest reach of the Minnesota River and flows into the Mississippi at Fort Snelling. The second-largest watershed in the Minnesota River Basin, it covers 1,760 square miles, divided by the Minnesota River itself.
Minnesota GreenCorps members serving with the City of Minneapolis developed a mini-course for residents about responsible use of deicing salt.
The MPCA completed 78 enforcement cases for water quality, air quality, waste, stormwater, and wastewater violations in the second half of 2025, for a total of 146 for the year.
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.
A recent $1 million MPCA grant round will fund projects focused on waste reduction and reuse. To invest in projects that will continue to offer benefits to Minnesotans well into the future, this grant round prioritized proposals that would replace single-use items with reusables or help build a trained repair workforce in Minnesota.
The MPCA investigates sites where hazardous substances have been or could be released to identify risks and appropriate remediation plans.
Learn about environmental regulations that may apply to your business. It is not an exhaustive list, so other regulations may apply.
Owners/operators of construction activity must complete several steps before completing a permit application and beginning construction. These steps also help owners/operators determine their eligibility for coverage under the general permit.
The MPCA provides climate change technical assistance to Minnesotan, including one-on-one consultation or small group facilitation, to assess current capacity, build on strengths, and address underlying needs.
Volunteer-collected data are regularly used in decision-making and conservation efforts. Find a program that excites you and join in.
From shorter winter ice seasons to shifting fish populations, climate change is transforming Minnesota lakes as we know them.
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 MPCA awarded just over $300,000 for projects to increase access to or expand participation in organics recycling for residents of multifamily buildings.
The MPCA uses the Environmental Quality Information System (EQuIS) to store water quality data from more than 17,000 Minnesota sampling locations.
The MPCA had at least $1 million to support projects that will build lasting capacity to preserve standing tree stock and manage increasing volumes of wood waste.
The amount of hazardous waste you generate will dictate your waste generator status.
There are two types of federal air regulations, the National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAPs) and New Source Performance Standards (NSPSs). Either or both regulations may…
AccessibilityThe Minnesota Pollution Control Agency is committed to accessibility on its website. As part of that commitment, the MPCA makes every effort to comply with the State of Minnesota…
Environmental information and permits that affect wood-finishing industries.
In 2023, Minnesota saw more air quality alerts covering more days than ever before. Smoke from Canadian wildfires throughout the summer caused many of the alerts, though climate change is playing a growing role in Minnesota's air quality.