The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) can trace its roots to the Water Pollution Control Commission, established by the Minnesota Legislature in 1945 to stop the dumping of raw sewage into lakes and rivers. Then in 1962 the state suffered two catastrophic spills: a pipeline break that sent 1 million gallons of oil into the Mississippi River and a tank rupture that sent 3 million gallons of soy oil into the Minnesota River. Those spills and other environmental threats led the Legislature to replace the commission with the MPCA in 1967. Today the agency continues to work to protect water resources from pollution, prevent and manage spills that impact the environment, and much more to protect and improve human and environmental health.

The first national Earth Day was held in 1970, a movement started by Republicans and Democrats working together that led to the Clean Air, Clean Water, and Endangered Species Acts.

Earth Day has continued on April 22 each year. But as many Minnesotans realize, each day needs to be Earth Day. Here are a few ideas for doing that:

• Volunteer to be a Citizen Stream or Lake Monitor. See the full story below. Local partners like watershed groups and SWCDs can support the program by running the press release in their newsletters and/or on their websites.
• Put water quality data to use. The MPCA and local partners have completed intensive water monitoring of all 80 major watersheds in the states. This monitoring has resulted in a wealth of data for gauging the health of waters and developing strategies to restore or protect them.
• Reduce use of plastics. The Earth Day Network this year is focused on reducing plastic waste because of its impact to water resources. See more information below.
• Advocate. With deep cuts proposed to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and state water protection proposals under fire, it’s important for Minnesotans to advocate for their lakes, streams, wetlands and groundwater.
• Take pride in your work. No matter if you’re a volunteer who picks up trash or a watershed professional crunching data, your work makes a difference to Minnesota’s water resources. One way to see that difference: 65% of the state’s lakes and streams are holding their own as far as water clarity and 25% are improving, according to the MPCA dashboard of performance measures.

Photo above: Spilled soybean oil drenches the banks of the Minnesota River after a tank ruptured in January 1963. The 3 million gallons of oil wreaked havoc on water quality and wildlife as it flowed downstream toward the Mississippi River.  At the time, there was no regulation of tank construction or requirements for reporting or cleanup of spills.

Proposals for funding 2019-20 projects are due May 31 at 4 p.m. to the Lessard-Sams Outdoor Heritage Council. The council expects about $100 million to be available for projects that protect, restore and enhance wetlands, prairies, forests, and habitat. See the full request for proposals on the council website for details.

The council makes annual recommendations to the Minnesota Legislature on appropriations from the Outdoor Heritage Council, which is funded by the Clean Water, Land and Legacy Amendment.

Once the weather warms up, hundreds of volunteers across Minnesota will head out to their lake or stream to measure its clarity. By collecting data for the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA), these volunteers provide valuable information for protecting or restoring their waters.

The agency uses the data to help determine if lakes and streams are meeting water quality standards designed to protect aquatic life and recreation like fish and swimming. If so, these waters are candidates for protective strategies. If not, then studies may follow to determine the pollutants, sources of those pollutants, and ways to reduce them.

Through the Citizen Monitoring Program, volunteers do a simple water clarity test in their favorite body of water twice a month during the summer. Lake monitors boat or paddle to a designated spot to check the clarity, while stream monitors may walk, bike or drive to the water or a bridge over it.

More than 1,300 citizen monitors gather data for the MPCA, but more are needed to reach the 69,000 miles of rivers and more than 12,000 lakes in the state. The MPCA provides equipment and training, and no experience is needed. For some waters, citizen data is the only data available.

Many volunteers go beyond collecting data:

• In Hennepin County in the Twin Cities area, Sean Connaughty (photo above) coordinates an annual cleanup of Lake Hiawatha.  Over the past three years, he and others have logged 879 hours of volunteer time removing 4,500 pounds of trash from the lake. 
• For Lake Washington in Le Sueur County in southern Minnesota, Pam Olson initiated a project in an upstream wetland to slow the movement of water during rain events and let sediments settle out before the water flows into the lake.
• In Anoka County in the Twin Cities area, Wayne LeBlanc helped establish a no-wake zone surrounding a shallow sensitive area on Peltier Lake.
• Richard Heimkes in Polk County in west-central Minnesota has long advocated for Gilchrist Lake and other waters in Minnesota through work with land management boards.

To join this volunteer effort, use the MPCA’s interactive map to find out if your favorite lake or stream needs monitoring: www.pca.state.mn.us/water/find-site-and-sign. To learn more and sign up, visit the Citizen Water Monitoring Program webpage at www.pca.state.mn.us/water/citizen-water-monitoring, or call 651-296-6300 (Twin Cities) or 1-800-657-3864 (Greater Minnesota).

Based on two new studies available for public review and comment, the MPCA and local watershed partners are recommending that landowners implement voluntary management practices to reduce water pollution in the Bois de Sioux River Watershed in northwest Minnesota. Members of the public may comment on the studies through May 2.

Land alterations that promote soil drainage, such as stream channelization and ditching, have led to water pollution, according to the studies.  These activities also impair stream habitat, water quality, and fish and aquatic insect communities. In addition to harming fish and other aquatic life, the studies found that excess nutrients, bacteria, eroded soil, and low dissolved oxygen reduce recreational opportunities for people in the watershed. 

The majority of land in the Bois de Sioux River Watershed is privately owned. To significantly improve water quality, the MPCA and its partners recommend that landowners make voluntary changes to their agricultural practices. In addition, the agency and its partners recommend that Minnesotans take steps to improve public understanding and interest in these conditions.

The draft Bois de Sioux Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) and Watershed Restoration and Protection Strategy (WRAPS) reports also recommend actions that can correct existing problems and prevent new ones. These actions include creating water impoundments to prevent flooding, taking highly-erodible areas out of production, and adding to buffers, cover crops and perennial vegetation.

The TMDL study quantifies the pollutant levels, identifies pollution sources, and proposes ways to return water quality to an acceptable level. The WRAPS report identifies impaired water bodies and those in need of protection, and identifies actions needed to achieve and maintain water quality.

Comments on the draft reports should be sent to Cary Hernandez, 714 Lake Avenue, Suite 220, Detroit Lakes, Minnesota 56501 or cary.hernandez@state.mn.us. He is available for more information at 218-846-8124. Comments must be received by 4:30 p.m. on May 2. More information is available also from Michelle Swanson, Bois de Sioux River Watershed District administrator, 320-563-4185, or bdswd@frontiernet.net.

Written comments must include a statement of your interest in the Bois de Sioux watershed study and/or report, a statement of the action you wish the MPCA to take, including specific references to sections of the draft study and/or report you believe should be changed, and specific reasons for your position.

Photo above: As part of the River Watch program, volunteers monitor the water quality in the Bois de Sioux watershed.

Buffer strips are the top water-quality improvement strategy in the South Fork Crow River Watershed, according to draft MPCA reports. The agency and local partners are seeking public comments on the draft reports through May 16.

The TMDL report identifies 42 stream segments failing to meet water quality standards due to low dissolved oxygen, high phosphorus levels, and altered hydrology. The report also shows that field drainage and tile drainage to waterways, especially Buffalo Creek and the South Fork Crow River, are important factors in stream impairments.

The WRAPS report identifies areas along Silver Creek and the South Fork Crow River, upstream of Hutchinson, where healthy buffer strips are helping to improve water quality. Other suggested strategies include increasing water storage, proper culvert and bridge sizing, adding riparian buffers with deep roots, and restoring connectivity and natural stream channels.

The South Fork Crow River watershed is located in south-central Minnesota and encompasses parts of Kandiyohi, Renville, Meeker, McLeod, Sibley, Wright, Carver, and Hennepin counties. The South Fork Crow River joins with the North Fork Crow at Rockford and then joins the Mississippi River near Dayton.

The MPCA encourages those interested in the South Fork Crow River Watershed to review and provide feedback on the reports. Comments may be submitted to Scott Lucas, MPCA, 7678 College Road, Baxter, MN, 56425, or by email to, scott.lucas@state.mn.us by 4:30 p.m. on May 16. For more information, contact Lucas at 218-316-3874, or toll-free at 800-657-3864.

Written comments must indicate whether they pertain to the South Fork Crow River watershed’s TMDL or WRAPS report. They should clearly state the action you wish the MPCA to take, including references to sections of the report that you believe should be changed; please provide specific reasons supporting your position.