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Minnesota rivers are shrinking in the drought; some have their lowest flows in decades. What will be the long term effects?

Partnerships and diversified funding drive the work to restore water quality in impaired streams in the Red Lake River Watershed through science-based interventions.

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.

Initiatives passed during the 2023 legislative session invest hundreds of millions of dollars to advance Minnesota’s Climate Action Framework.

The disposable wipes toolkit includes free, customizable communications resources to help communities inform their residents about the hazards of flushing disposable wipes.

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.

The Lower Big Sioux River Watershed covers nearly 2.2 million acres, mostly located in eastern South Dakota. A small portion lies in western parts of Lincoln, Pipestone, and Rock counties in southwestern Minnesota. There are several small to medium-sized tributaries.

Only a very small portion of the 1.35-million-acre Upper Big Sioux River Watershed is located in Lincoln County in western Minnesota; the vast majority is located in eastern South Dakota.

One indicator of impairment that puts a stream on the Impaired Waters List is its macroinvertebrate population. Here's how that works.

The Kettle River Watershed covers 672,235 acres in northeast Minnesota, covering parts of Aitkin, Carlton, Kanabec, and Pine counties.

Lake of the Woods is a big lake with a big problem caused by one of nature’s smallest organisms: algae. Scientists from the MPCA and the Science Museum are working together to understand why.

Kohlman Lake, one of 27 bodies of water to come off the impaired waters list this year, did so with substantial help from the Clean Water Fund.

First of a series of MPCA staff profiles. Kevin Stroom conducts research on streams and has published a report about Straight River.

State and community leaders visited Faribault and Northfield to observe Minnesota climate resiliency efforts in action.

The MPCA completed 68 enforcement cases for water quality, air quality, hazardous waste, stormwater, and wastewater violations in the first half of 2025.

Removing of an old dam and restoring a creek's curves are improving habitat and water quality in the Pomme de Terre River Watershed.

This feature summarizes findings from four WRAPS reports in 2024: Root River, Mississippi River-St. Cloud, Pomme de Terre River, and Mississippi River-Lake Pepin Tributaries.

The Cedar River Watershed in Minnesota encompasses 454,029 acres in Mower, Freeborn, Dodge, and Steele counties. This watershed covers prime agricultural land with many streams and drainage ditches flowing into the river.

The Vermilion River Watershed, located within northern St. Louis County, covers 662,427 acres, or 1,035 square miles.

Profile of John Weiss, a volunteer with the MPCA's Volunteer Water Monitoring Program