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Image Although Minnesota is rich in lakes and streams, Lake Superior is easily the most spectacular waterbody in Minnesota. Despite its immense size…

The MPCA is currently recruiting volunteers to measure water clarity in numerous lakes and streams across the state and then report the data back to the agency.

While hundreds of fish kills occur in Minnesota every year, mostly in lakes and ponds, fish kills on trout streams in southeast Minnesota are much less common.

Wild rice is an important part of the biological community in many Minnesota lakes, streams, and wetlands, and a cultural resource to many, particularly members of the Dakota and Ojibwe Tribal Nations in Minnesota.

Under the new EPR program, Minnesota is phasing out all product packaging sold in our state that is not refillable, reusable, recyclable, or compostable by 2032.

Intense storms of late spring can wash soil and other pollutants into rivers. Producers can use several techniques to protect their soil and water quality.

We Are Water MN travels to Chisago County, where Dawn White has served as an educator and policy team member focused on preserving waters.

The triennial standards review offers every Minnesotan the opportunity to comment on essentially every water quality standard the agency defines to protect the waters that they drink, swim in, and fish from.

Smart technology, conservation practices, and a commitment to clean water help this family dairy and crop operation thrive — while protecting rivers, streams, and future generations.

The MPCA monitors and assesses lakes around the state to determine if they meet water quality standards.

The MPCA has important roles in protecting and restoring waters in degraded conditions.

Southeastern Minnesota is characterized by an unusual type of geography called karst, where the distinction between groundwater and surface water is blurry.

Hear Josh Krenz's story about protecting water in Minnesota at We Are Water MN, a traveling exhibit and community engagement program that explores Minnesotans’ relationships with water. You can visit the exhibit from March 2 through April 24 at the Sherburne History Center in Becker, Minn.

Volunteers across Minnesota’s 87 counties have been collecting pine needles from coniferous trees in their neighborhoods to help the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency better understand how to protect Minnesotans from PFAS pollution.

Profile of Karl Scheuer, a volunteer with the MPCA's Volunteer Water Monitoring Program

Groundwater is not a static thing, but moves around in the layers of rock and soil beneath our feet. How does this affect the work to treat contaminated groundwater and protect drinking water?

In karst landscapes, the distinction between groundwater and surface water is blurry.

From January through March 2025, MPCA air monitoring data showed elevated lead levels that exceeded national ambient air quality standards near the facility. An MPCA inspection of Gopher Resource in spring 2025 confirmed that the source of the elevated lead levels was addressed.

State agencies, counties, municipalities, nonprofit organizations, and many others are engaged in protecting Minnesota lakes.

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.