Water Quality

As the U.S. Senate prepares to vote on reversing a 2023 mining ban in the Superior National Forest, Minnesota Sen. Tina Smith spoke on the Senate floor April 14, 2026.

The bill seeks to integrate wild rice waters into the ag department's pesticide management plan, developing better practices to monitor pesticide distribution, use and disposal.

The Republican from Hermantown authored the American Water Stewardship Act, and it passed March 24, 2026, with bipartisan support.

Getting an earlier start on targeted removal gives them a stronger chance to effectively manage invasive weeds over the course of an open-water season, professionals say.

Little progress has been made despite 40 years of cleanup on Leech Lake Reservation. Locals fear for the health of surrounding lakes and the Mississippi River downstream.

The free test kits from the Beltrami County Soil and Water Conservation District check for bacteria, nitrates, lead, arsenic and manganese in private wells.

Elevated lead levels are not citywide and vary based on individual service lines and plumbing materials. The event is 6 p.m. at the Memorial Building.

Kathy Wagner of Wabedo Township has done decades of conservation work, both on her own property and throughout Cass County.

Some areas are facing emerging risks for nutrient levels and E. coli in the Mississippi River basin watershed encompassing parts of Becker, Otter Tail, Todd and Wadena counties.

Investigators from the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency found sediment from a filled wetland discharged into nearby Trout Lake in Itasca County.