BIGFORK — The last day to comment on the draft report on the conditions of the Big Fork River Watershed is July 2.
The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency's report found many of the lakes, streams and wetlands in the watershed to be in good condition. It also identified restoration strategies and potential problems in improving and maintaining conditions in some water bodies.
The report stated that Island Lake, Shallow Pond, Jessie Lake and Little Spring have not been meeting water quality standards for recreation due to excess nutrients, which can pose a threat to fish populations. Island Lake is a priority due to high levels of phosphorous.
The report also identified Round Lake, Dunbar Lake and Bowstring Lake in the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe as vulnerable to harm. These lakes are subject to the band's water quality standards.
Comments on the draft report can be submitted on the agency's website.
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Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe staff also found starry stonewort in Six Mile Lake, near the city of Cass Lake.
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The Bemidji Planning Board voted 6-1 to prohibit new developments of data centers greater than 10,000 square feet during its meeting Sept. 14, 2026.
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The action comes weeks after executive action by Gov. Tim Walz halted the mining company's efforts to establish a copper-nickel mine in the Rainy River Headwaters Watershed.
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The Bureau of Indian Affairs announced it was assuming operations of family and children services in Red Lake following a raid on Sept. 10, 2026.
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An estimated 15,000–20,000 seasonal agricultural workers arrive for work in Minnesota during the peak harvesting season, according to the National institutes of Health.
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The standard began Sept. 10, 2026, following approval from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services on Aug. 11.
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Officials found a male dead in the yard of a residence in Pike Bay Township on Sept. 13, 2026. The Cass County Sheriff's Office, Leech Lake Tribal Police and other agencies are investigating.
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The organization aims to help Minnesota forests regenerate after fire and disease and protect them in the future.
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The Public Utilities Commission approved a plan for how Minnesota Power will generate power on Thursday, Sept. 10. That includes new details about the future of Boswell in Cohasset.
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The FBI confirmed in an email that federal agents from the FBI and the Bureau of Indian Affairs executed a search warrant at Ombimindwaa on Sept. 10, 2026.