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NEWSLETTER / FEBRUARY 2026
 When the snow melts, all the trash, oil residue, pet waste, and de-icing salt that built up over months gets mobilized and carried into storm drains. That early “first flush” of runoff often contains some of the highest pollutant concentrations of the year, and once it enters the storm sewer system, it flows untreated to nearby lakes and rivers.
Road salt is a big part of the problem. Chloride doesn’t break down or evaporate; once it dissolves, it stays in the water. Elevated chloride levels are toxic to fish and aquatic insects, and the EPA identifies stormwater runoff as a leading source of surface water pollution nationwide. Even small amounts add up. Just one teaspoon of salt permanently pollutes five gallons of water. But salt isn’t the only issue. Stormwater runoff is a leading source of surface water pollution nationwide, carrying sediment, nutrients, bacteria, litter, and automotive fluids into waterways.
The good news is this is a water quality challenge where everyday habits make a measurable difference.
If you see salt sitting on dry pavement, it isn’t working anymore. Salt only melts ice when it dissolves into liquid. On dry ground, it’s just waiting to wash away. Take a few minutes to sweep it up and save it for next winter. While you’re outside, pick up litter along your curb, clear debris from the storm drain near your home, and make sure pet waste is disposed of properly before the next rain. Even brushing excess grass clippings back onto your lawn keeps nutrients out of the street.
Earth Day cleanups matter. But what protects water most is the small, repeated actions during spring thaw that stop pollution before it starts moving downstream.
 📅 February 17–May 29, 2026
📍 MWMO Stormwater Park and Learning Center
Still Moving is a photography-based exhibition that explores the relationship between mental health, water, and seasonal cycles through imagery rooted in the natural world. Drawing parallels between the movement of the Mississippi River and the inner landscapes of the human mind, the project invites viewers to slow down, reflect, and recognize that stillness is not an absence of motion but an active and necessary state of rest.
The exhibition unfolds in four sections — Pause, Within, Confluence, and Return — inviting visitors to move through the work in a way that echoes the flow of a river and the rhythm of seasonal change. Through frozen botanicals, macro studies, double exposures, and layered interior and exterior compositions, the photographs reflect both watershed processes and lived emotional experience, especially during winter months in northern climates.
By encouraging reflection, creative engagement, and sensory awareness, Still Moving offers a gentle way to navigate the winter blues and reconnect with the quiet resilience present in both our rivers and ourselves.
The gallery is open for self-guided visits during regular business hours. In addition, we are hosting public gallery hours on the 1st and 3rd Wednesdays of each month from 4–6 p.m. These open hours offer extended access and a shared time to experience the exhibit alongside others, with MWMO staff on site for conversation and questions.
 📅 Application Deadline: Sunday, March 1, 2026
📍 Fieldwork throughout the MWMO watershed | Based in Minneapolis, MN
Want hands-on experience collecting real-world environmental data on the Mississippi River? MWMO is hiring an Environmental Monitoring Intern for summer 2026!
This internship offers the opportunity to work alongside our Monitoring team to collect water quality samples, monitor stormwater discharges, evaluate green infrastructure performance, and help maintain field equipment that supports our Monitoring Program. Ideal for students in environmental science, water resources, biology, or related fields who are eager to gain practical, field-based experience protecting and improving the Mississippi River.
⏳ Deadline is March 1 at 11:59 p.m.
Mississippi Musings Workshop: Impact of Warming Winters
 📅 Saturday, March 21 | 9 – 11:30 a.m.
📍 MWMO Stormwater Park and Learning Center
This workshop kicks off Mississippi Musings, a new MWMO workshop series exploring the Mississippi River through science, storytelling, and art. Inspired by Sacred Water, Shared Future, this year-long series invites community members to connect more deeply with the river and its future.
Did you know that Minnesota’s winters are warming faster than our summer months? Come learn about the impacts of warming winters on the Mississippi River and surrounding watershed.
At this opening session, Jothsna Harris, founder of Change Narrative, will be both expert and storyteller at this month’s workshop. Jothsna Harris implements climate change programs that are rooted in community and centered on personal stories.
Artist Kimberly Boustead will lead participants through a collaborative art project consisting of personalized squares depicting a healthy Mississippi River. Participants will learn simple stitches and applique to adorn their squares with botanical dyed stitching and wool elements.
This workshop is a collaborative effort between the MWMO; Minneapolis artist, Kimberly Boustead; and Jothsna Harris, founder of Change Narrative.
The event is free, but registration is required.
MPCA Turfgrass Maintenance Certification Training
 📅 Thursday, April 2 | 8:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
📍 MWMO Stormwater Park and Learning Center
This training focuses on best management practices for lawn/turf maintenance that can save money while protecting lakes and streams. Turf care professionals will learn essential skills like soil testing, fertilizer application, pesticide use, irrigation efficiency, and proper mowing techniques and will have the opportunity to take the certification test upon completion of the course.
Still Moving Sound Bath Workshop
 📅 Saturday, April 11 | 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
📍 MWMO Stormwater Park and Learning Center
Join us for a guided sound bath experience that invites you to connect with the mind and the river, beginning with a pause that invites stillness and listening. The human body is made of nearly 60% water, mirroring the river’s own flowing nature. In this session, you’ll be guided into stillness, turning your attention inward to notice subtle movement, breath, and rhythm.
The river’s flow creates sound as water meets rock. The crystal singing bowls, formed from earth, stone, and crystal, carry these same elemental origins. As their tones fill the space, gentle vibrations move through the body, bringing inner and outer waters into into confluence, resonating through the body. In this shared sound and stillness, we return to a natural rhythm, remembering a sense of presence that has always been there.
This immersive workshop offers a moment of rest, reflection, and sensory connection that encourages you to slow down, listen deeply, and reconnect with both yourself and the river.
This event is free, but registration is required.
Photo of the Month
 Community members view Tracy Walsh’s work during the opening of Still Moving, gathering to reflect on water, winter, and resilience.
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