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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.

Heavy rains left southern MN rivers polluted. How can we fix that?

Heavy rains left southern MN rivers polluted. How can we fix that?

Late September rain storms pushed millions of pounds of dirt into southern Minnesota rivers, but experts don't exactly agree on the cause or a solution.
by Mark Steil

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How is a 1,600-year-old tree weathering California's drought?

How is a 1,600-year-old tree weathering California's drought?

Four years of too little water is killing millions of trees in the Sierra, yet some giant sequoias still thrive. Tree-climbing scientists are exploring sequoias branch by branch to find their secret.
by Christopher Joyce

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Climate Cast: Solutions to America's water crisis

Climate Cast: Solutions to America's water crisis

Which cities and which corporations are stepping up their water conservation?
by MPR News Staff

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Settlement deal reached in 2014 West Virginia chemical spill

Settlement deal reached in 2014 West Virginia chemical spill

Residents affected by a leak of coal-washing chemical into the Elk River reached a deal with a chemical company. A class action suit against a water company was set to move forward in federal court.
by Rebecca Hersher

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California's dire drought message wanes, conservation levels drop

California's dire drought message wanes, conservation levels drop

Californians are saving less and less water as the state enters what may be its sixth year of drought, in part because they say they're hearing a less-than-clear message about the drought.
by Nathan Rott

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How a far-sighted Minnesota scientist pointed America toward the future

How a far-sighted Minnesota scientist pointed America toward the future

The National Sea Grant Program, which turns 50 years old this month, is the brainchild of a former University of Minnesota Dean who also proposed a domed experimental city in Aitkin County and wrote a famous comic strip.
by Dan Kraker

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MN Corn Growers Association pledges to help environment

The Minnesota Corn Growers Association is pledging new efforts to make the state's corn farmers the country's "most sustainable and environmentally responsible."
by Mark Steil

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New database targets federal farm conservation spending

New database targets federal farm conservation spending

The Environmental Working Group says it took seven years and 28 Freedom of Information requests to get the data.
by Dan Gunderson

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Science brings success in fight against Minnesota aquatic invaders

Science brings success in fight against Minnesota aquatic invaders

Stopping the spread of aquatic invasive species can seem like an uphill battle but one Minnesota group is claiming success keeping non-native flowering rush in check in four Becker County lakes.
by Dan Gunderson

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