Clean Water

Minnesota is the land of 10,000 lakes, but thousands of them are not drinkable, fishable, and swimmable. 40% of our lakes, rivers and streams are impaired, and this number is growing despite millions of dollars of investments. The groundwater that three of four Minnesotans depend on for drinking water is increasingly polluted with nitrates. Agricultural drainage projects and urban and suburban development are speeding water off the land, creating erosion and reshaping our waterways. In short, Minnesota is squandering our clean water heritage, and unless we act, we may lose it. 

MCEA is taking action in the courts, at the Legislature, and in state and local governments to defend our clean water. We scrutinize pollution permits, work with local residents to identify and prevent threats to drinking water, and push for targeted investments in clean water at the Minnesota legislature. As the only conservation group regularly participating in Minnesota’s Drainage Work Group, we work with agriculture and local units of government to shape drainage policies that prevent erosion and keep water on the land. All of this work is informed by a simple principle: everybody deserves clean water.