Friends of the Mississippi River

The Minneapolis Park Board so far hasn’t satisfactorily explained how and why a large pile of dirt ended up in the Deer Pen area of Minnehaha Falls Park, burying a former waterfall and channel of the Mississippi River. Read more…

Featured Volunteer — May 2008

Liz Fisher is a dynamo in lining up support for FMR’s marquee event, the Mississippi River Challenge. Last year, Liz was responsible for getting approximately three dozen people, including family, friends, and yes — even strangers, to volunteer at the MRC. She has even bigger plans for this year. Read more…

Urban stormwater pollution — runoff from city streets, parking lots and other impervious sufaces — is one of the biggest threats to the health of our lakes and rivers in urban areas. Now new technologies and design standards are being developed to help communities reduce runoff from parking lots — and many people think the new designs look nicer too. Read more…

It’s a fascinating flower with unusual characteristics — but don’t try to turn it into dinner. Read more…

Although a sluggish housing market has slowed the high-intensity development on 300 acres along the Mississippi River in what is now Saint Paul Park, key decisions are on tap — especially a revised critical area plan from the city. Will the state and city work to protect critical habitat? Read more…

Waste Management Inc. and government agencies are trying to reach agreement on what to do about 30,000 cubic yards of contaminated dirt from the Minneapolis ballpark site that the company improperly deposited beside the Minnesota River last summer. A fix could cost $1 million or more. Read more…

Join FMR and Wargo Nature Center staff for a guided paddle on Rice Creek, an important tributary to the Mississippi River that flows through the northern suburbs. Read more…

We thank an intern who's done enormous good advancing the 2008 Mississippi River Challenge. Read more…

Homeowners interested in preserving local water quality can start right in their own backyards. Sign up for this June 11th workshop to learn about gardening and lawncare decisions that help protect water quality, such as landscaping with native plant species, the proper use of lawn fertilizer, rain barrels, backyard composting, soil testing, creating a rain garden, and more innovative approaches to managing stormwater! Read more…

Enjoy a hands-on seed identification and collection training while enjoying a rare example of a sand gravel prairie. June 7, 9:00 a.m.-Noon. Read more…

The Clean Water, Land and Legacy Amendment on the state ballot this November would dramatically increase investment in restoring Minnesota’s polluted waters. Read more…

Four states are joining Minnesota in testing for toxic PFCs in the Mississippi River. The compounds’ presence in well water has caused widespread concern about drinking water quality and health implications in the Twin Cities metro. Read more…

Friends of the Mississippi River is currently seeking applicants for a summer events assistant internship. It is unpaid but offers a high-quality, fun experience in a professional yet camaraderie-filled environment, and is an excellent experience and résumé-builder. Read more…

Safety concerns prompted the county to close the Minneapolis bridge in late April and to attempt to speed up its replacement. Read more…

Enjoy a hands-on seed identification and collection training while enjoying a rare example of a sand gravel prairie. July 17, 6:00-8:00 p.m. Read more…

Help install aquatic vegetative mats and native shoreline plants on the Lake Marion shoreline in Lakeville. Originally scheduled for June 7th, this event has been postponed due to high water. Read more…

Join us on Saturday, May 31, to help plant an interpretive native prairie at Crosby Farm Regional Park! Volunteers will put in 1,000 native prairie plants and install species markers to educate and inform visitors. Read more…

A new analysis by Conservation Minnesota says current budget proposals will undercut funding for water testing and cleanup, increasing the importance of a November statewide referendum on funding for conservation. Read more…

FMR is excited to announce that we are adding a bicycle portion to the Great River Energy Mississippi River Challenge which will take place July 26 and 27 this year. We are currently working to finalize the route, and it promises to be as beautiful as the paddling portion. For more information, visit the Challenge web site.

And our new event slogan? “Paddle it. Pedal it. Protect it!” Read more…

Be sure to check out the latest posts on the Mississippi River Gorge Stewards’ new blog. Read about the latest news affecting the river gorge and leave a comment with your questions or thoughts. As the 2008 event season starts to shape up, keep watching the blog for information about upcoming events, as well as more stories and photos from the gorge! Read more…

We need a few (or many) good sponsors to help support our Gorge Stewards program and reach community members with a show of support for the River. Do you own or have ties to a local business in one of the eight Gorge Stewards neighborhoods we work with? There are great benefits for your business, and we’d be honored to have you join us as a sponsor. Read more…

FMR is looking for classrooms or community groups in Saint Paul to participate in our Storm Drain Stenciling Project. Complete kits are available free of charge from us, and a representative will meet with your group to explain the threat of non-point source pollution and the purpose of the project. Read more…