Water

Water shortages and problems around Minnesota — and the country — have many wondering what is the true cost of clean and reliable water. This reporting is supported in part by The Water Main, a project of American Public Media.

Minnesota lawmakers assert protections for public waters
Legislators passed language clarifying that a waterway that meets the legal definition is a public water, even if it’s not on a decades-old state inventory. Its passage followed a lengthy legal dispute over Limbo Creek, the last free-flowing stream in heavily-farmed Renville County.
How to stay safe during a canoe trip
The news of two missing canoeists may make you feel uneasy, so we talked to an outfitter in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness.
Report: Mississippi River’s St. Cloud watershed sees progress, ongoing threats
The Mississippi River-St. Cloud watershed northwest of the Twin Cities includes fast-growing counties such as Wright and Sherburne. The latest data show some improvement in water quality, but also challenges including the loss of shoreline buffers to development.
Heavy rain hampering rescue efforts for missing canoeists in Boundary Waters
Heavy rainfall is hampering ongoing rescue and recovery efforts for two canoeists who have been missing in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness since Saturday evening, after two canoes carrying four people went over Curtain Falls.
Search continues for 2 people missing after canoes went over waterfall in Boundary Waters
Search efforts continued Monday amid poor weather and difficult water conditions for two people who went missing over the weekend after their canoes went over a waterfall in northern Minnesota’s Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness.
Two canoeists missing in Boundary Waters after going over waterfall
Two canoeists are missing in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness after two canoes went over a waterfall on Saturday evening between two large lakes along the Canadian border.
Minnesota waterways recovering from drought
The rain we’ve gotten so far this spring have been good news for Minnesota’s lakes, rivers and ponds.
Anglers hope better stocking can revive Minnesota’s muskie fishing
Some anglers say Minnesota’s once-robust muskie fishery has declined in recent years, due to reduced stocking and increased pressure from anglers aided by the latest sonar technology.
DNR sets limit on diverting water from central Minnesota trout stream
It’s the first time the DNR has used the new regulatory tool, which the Legislature authorized in 2023. The move marks a significant development in how the DNR addresses increased groundwater use and potential depletion in parts of Minnesota.