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Governor's 25 by '25 Water Quality Goal
Earlier this year, Governor Mark Dayton announced his goal to achieve a 25% improvement in water quality by the year 2025.
The Governor's Office, with the support of state agencies and local partners, is now in the process of hosting Town Hall meetings across the state to collaboratively combat Minnesota's growing water pollution issue and reach this 25 by '25 goal.
Citizens, businesses, government entities and other stakeholders attending the meetings will be asked what they believe a 25% improvement in water quality is, along with what they believe are the best approaches to reach that goal.
The Governor's Office, with the support of state agencies and local partners, is now in the process of hosting Town Hall meetings across the state to collaboratively combat Minnesota's growing water pollution issue and reach this 25 by '25 goal.
Citizens, businesses, government entities and other stakeholders attending the meetings will be asked what they believe a 25% improvement in water quality is, along with what they believe are the best approaches to reach that goal.
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In addition to the scheduled meetings, Governor Dayton is also calling on Minnesotans and civic organizations to organize their own Community Water Meetings to provide further feedback and ideas.
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Water Pollution in Minnesota
Minnesota’s waters vary as widely as its landscape. Walleye lakes and wetlands dominate the landscape in the Northeast. Trout streams and rivers of the karst region in the Southeast have free flowing connections to groundwater. Groundwater supplies are very shallow in the Central Sands Plain. Groundwater is hard to find in any quantity at all in the Southwest. The Red River of the North flows north into Canada across a drained Lake Agassiz lake bed in the Northwest. The muddy Minnesota River flows through artificially drained farmland along an ancient river bed into the mighty Mississippi.
In each of these landscapes, water quality is under pressure from development, agriculture, mining, and competition for limited resources. As a result, 40 percent of surface waters tested to date fail to meet protective water quality standards. Every year this list of impaired water grows as new testing is conducted. The rate of cleanup is much slower.
In each of these landscapes, water quality is under pressure from development, agriculture, mining, and competition for limited resources. As a result, 40 percent of surface waters tested to date fail to meet protective water quality standards. Every year this list of impaired water grows as new testing is conducted. The rate of cleanup is much slower.
Impaired Waters WebmapMCEA has developed a webmap to illustrate the extent of water impairments across the state. The map identifies pollution in our streams, lakes and wetlands, as well as the presence of pollution sources and invasive species. The webmap also highlights the maximum amount of pollutant a body of water can receive while remaining in compliance with water quality standards (Total Maximum Daily Loads or TMDLs), and Watershed Restoration and Protection Strategy (WRAPS) areas that are used to evaluate water conditions and prioritize goals for improvements in water quality.
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To support those speaking up for water, MCEA has compiled background information on some of Minnesota’s most pressing water quality problems and suggestions for solutions.
Meeting attendees are encouraged to download and utilize the worksheet below, both in preparation for the meetings and at the meetings themselves, to ensure the most factual and scientific information is heard by the state's top decision makers.
Water Impairment Maps of Your Town Hall Community
Click your community to investigate the local water impairment webmap.
Click your community to investigate the local water impairment webmap.
Locations and Dates for Town Hall Meetings:
All Town Halls are free and open to the public. No advance registration is required.
All Town Halls are free and open to the public. No advance registration is required.
Additional ways to get involved
25 by 25 in the News
- Gov. Dayton hosts Water Quality Town Hall in Ely (September 13, 2017)
- Dayton's water-quality event draws crowd in Ely (September 13, 2017)
- Forums focused on improving Minnesota waters are coming to the St. Croix Valley (August 30, 2017)
- Dayton: 'I am here to listen' (August 22, 2017)
- Mankato to Dayton: Do better on water quality (August 16, 2017)
- Water quality remains a Minnesota problem. State launches effort to make improvements. (August 11, 2017)
- Getting to clean water: Complex problem, no easy solutions (July 31, 2017)
- Governor Dayton starts water quality town hall in Rochester (July 31, 2017)
- Governor Dayton addresses water quality in Rochester (July 31, 2017)
- Rochester leads off water-quality town halls (July 31, 2017)
- Gov. Dayton on water quality (July 31, 2017)
- Minnesota working to clean up the state's water (July 31, 2017)
- Governor wants to know ... how can water quality be improved? (July 28, 2017)
- Water quality town hall meetings across Minnesota begin Monday in Rochester (July 28, 2017)
- Dayton plans town-hall meetings on water quality (July 8, 2017)
- Dayton challenges state to cut water pollution by 25 percent by 2025 (February 6, 2017)
- Press release announcement (February 23, 2017)
