impaired waters list

Q&A: What the latest data says about the Mississippi River's health

update

July 17, 2026

The state recently released the newest draft of its Impaired Waters list. We asked FMR Water Program Director Trevor Russell what it tells us about the river. Read more

High Mississippi River water levels in St. Paul in 2024.

Winter tips: How to safely salt your sidewalk and protect the river

update

December 1, 2025

Minnesota uses a lot of road and sidewalk salt, and our waters are paying the price. Check out our winter maintenance and salting tips, and sign our petition to support smart salting measures. Read more

A pile of deicing salt piled along a sidewalk in winter.

FMR urges MPCA to develop long-overdue nitrate standards

update

February 13, 2025

How much nitrate in our surface waters is safe for plants and animals? We don't know, because the MPCA still hasn't established standards. Read more

An MPCA staffer in waders reaches down to get a sample from shallow waters.

Explainer: How jet fuel from crops can help (or hurt) water quality

update

January 2, 2025

Sustainable aviation fuel has the potential to significantly impact water quality. Here are some of the factors that will determine whether those impacts are for the better, or for the worse. Read more

A worker refueling an airplane while standing beneath its wing.

Is it safe to swim in the Mississippi River in the Twin Cities?

by sue rich

update

July 1, 2023

As an organization focused on the river’s health, we get asked this all the time. Read more

Bare feet standing on the sand along the shores of the Mississippi River in the Twin Cities.

Our comments on Minnesota's 2022 Impaired Waters List

by Trevor Russell

update

January 10, 2022

On January 7, FMR was one of eight environmental organizations (led by the Minnesota Center for Environmental Advocacy) that provided comments to the State of Minnesota on the state's 2022 Impaired Waters List on behalf of the Minnesota Environmental Partnership. We focused on three key pollutants: sulfate (in wild rice waters), "forever chemicals" and nitrate contamination. Here's our letter. >>