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The Upper/Lower Red Lake Watershed covers more than 1.2 million acres and is home to Upper and Lower Red Lakes, the two largest bodies of water within the state.

Cleaner water is taking hold across Minnesota this Earth Day as farmers and communities scale up solutions that protect rivers, strengthen soil, and build resilience from headwaters to downstream lakes.

Guidance and recommendations for local officials dealing with public health issues related to blue-green algae.

Seventeen TMDL projects undertaken in the Lower Minnesota River Watershed, to address nutrient, turbidity, fecal coliform, chloride, and other impairments.

A stormwater system upgrade in Duluth was expanded with the help of an MPCA employee who tapped into available funding. It protects Lake Superior and can serve as an example for other cities and counties.

Nitrogen, like phosphorus, is a nutrient that pollutes in state waters, and its concentration in many rivers has been increasing from historic natural levels over time due to human influences.…

The MPCA is working to address environmental concerns at the closed Freeway Landfill, to prevent the buried waste from affecting drinking water and the nearby Minnesota River.

The Shell Rock River begins at Albert Lea Lake in Freeborn County in south-central Minnesota, a few miles from the Iowa border. It flows 113 miles into Iowa, where it enters the Cedar River. In Minnesota, the Shell Rock drains 246 square miles (160,000 acres), all in Freeborn County.

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's chloride reduction program assists communities and organizations across Minnesota in identifying sources of chloride.

Environmental Assessment Worksheets (EAW) and Environmental Impact Statements (EIS) are part of MPCA's environmental review, providing a standardized and public process to disclose information about the potential negative environmental effects of a proposed development and ways to avoid or minimize them before the project is permitted and built.

For more than 50 years, volunteers have gathered critically important water clarity data on Minnesota lakes and streams.

The MPCA closed 118 enforcement cases for water quality, air quality, waste, stormwater, and wastewater violations in the second half of 2023.

The Mississippi River - St. Cloud Watershed covers 691,200 acres (1,080 square miles) in the south-central part of the Upper Mississippi River Basin. The watershed includes all or parts of the counties of Benton, Meeker, Mille Lacs, Morrison, Sherburne, Stearns, and Wright.

The Lower Red River Watershed (also known as the Red River of the North - Tamarac River) drains an area of 281,000 acres, including parts of Kittson, Marshall, and Roseau counties.

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.

Thirty TMDLs undertaken in the Mississippi River - Twin Cities Watershed to address excess nutrients, turbidity, bacteria, and more.

Groundwater is the source of drinking water for about 75% of all Minnesotans and provides almost all of the water used to irrigate crops. Its purity and availability is critical to the health of the state.

Tools and materials for partners and stakeholders interested in minimizing the impact of chloride on Minnesota lakes, rivers, and groundwater.

The Minnesota portion of the Roseau River watershed covers 774,197 acres; an additional 594,560 acres are across the U.S. border in Canada.