Friends of the Mississippi River

How FMR's priorities for the Mississippi River fared — 2026

smclaughlin — Wed, 20 May 2026 18:50:37 +0000

FMR staff were at the capitol advocating and testifying regularly. Thanks to a surge of timely support from River Guardians, we achieved quite a bit for the Mississippi River this session. (Photos by FMR; upper right via the Minnesota House)

Just a few weeks ago, we weren't sure how this legislative session was going to turn out. A number of our priorities had been pushed into unexpectedly precarious positions.

Would lawmakers find time to pass a tax bill that included bipartisan, widely supported environmental guardrails for new airplane fuel? Could legislators set aside their disagreements and get keystone environmental funding bills across the finish line, like they have every year for nearly two decades?

With outcomes in flux, we asked river advocates to help put some tailwinds behind these Mississippi River priorities.

And they delivered.

Legislators received more than 1,000 messages from River Guardians, urging them to support better sustainable aviation fuel, conservation funding, a lock and dam removal study and more.

When the clock ran out on the session, every single one of those once-doubtful items had been passed. It's a testament to the power of grassroots advocacy and how messages from constituents can make a real difference.

Keep scrolling to learn more about how each of these priorities came together, and how they will help us get to a cleaner, healthier river in the years ahead.

Environmental guardrails for sustainable aviation fuel

Status: Passed in the taxes bill (HF 2438 CCR)
House vote: 126-8
Senate vote: 52-15

We know the most impactful way we can reduce agricultural pollution to the river is by getting lots and lots of acres of continuous living cover crops. Sustainable aviation fuel can be a driving force (or flying force, more aptly) to make that happen — if done responsibly. We took a big step in the right direction this session.

Lawmakers passed bipartisan language to put environmental guardrails on an existing sustainable aviation fuel tax credit. These guardrails will encourage the use of winter-hardy oilseeds as a main source for fuel, and will prohibit practices that threaten habitat.

Learn more about the guardrails.

Locks and dams removal study

Status: Approved via the Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund bill (HF 3426)
House vote: 117-15
Senate vote: 46-19

Our quest to learn as much as possible before a decision is made about the future of two major locks and dams is on track. Legislators OK’d $923,000 for FMR to conduct a removal feasibility study for the Lower St. Anthony Falls Lock and Dam and Lock and Dam 1. It’ll tell us how removal of these two massive structures might impact habitat, recreation and infrastructure on this stretch of the river, which will then inform a decision on what should happen next.

Read more about the need for this work and how it will fill the serious gaps in a federal disposition study.

Habitat restoration work at 4 FMR sites

Status: Approved via the Outdoor Heritage Fund bill (SF 2077 CCR)
House vote: 111-22
Senate vote: 47-20

Great news for riverfront habitat and FMR’s conservation work. The next stage of habitat restoration and enhancement at four FMR sites will move forward as planned. The $891,000 included in this year’s Outdoor Heritage Fund bill (read more below) will allow us to:

Enhance 32 acres of prairie and 38 acres of forest at Hastings Sand Coulee SNA, which harbors over 150 plant species and many rare birds. 11 acres of enhancement occur on remnant native prairie.
Enhance 7 acres of prairie and 17 acres of forest at Rosemount Wildlife Preserve, adjacent to 88-acres of newly protected Dakota County Conservation easements. This contributes to a growing corridor of protected and restored habitat in the city.
Enhance 22 acres of riverfront forest along the Crow River (a tributary of the Mississippi) at Camp Cozy in Otsego.
Enhance 29 acres of degraded floodplain and upland forest at Highlands of River Pointe, located along another Mississippi tributary, the Elk River.

Learn more about the special places our conservation team helps restore and protect.

Supporting design work on the invasive carp deterrent

Status: Approved via the Outdoor Heritage Fund bill (SF 2077 CCR)
House vote: 111-22
Senate vote: 47-20

The invasive carp deterrent for Lock and Dam 5 funded by legislators a couple of years ago remains on track to be installed by 2029 as originally planned. The only change brought forward this session was an extension of the interim design deadline, which is now summer of 2027. This will help ensure this important phase of the work has a sufficient amount of time to be completed without affecting the final outcome.

Funding for clean water, outdoors projects

Status: Both dedicated environmental funding bills passed

Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund (HF 3426 CCR)
House vote: 117-15
Senate vote: 46-19

Outdoor Heritage Fund (SF 2077 CCR)
House vote: 111-22
Senate vote: 47-20

As the session neared its end, we were worried that lawmakers would, for the first time, fail to pass two dedicated environmental funding bills that included a collective $321 million for more than 150 projects that benefit clean water and the outdoors throughout Minnesota. (The Minnesota Reformer wrote about the "partisan conflict" that led to this uncertainty.)

Luckily, both passed just before the session closed — but not without challenges.

The Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund bill (lottery proceeds for the environment) includes $102 million for projects that protect, preserve and enhance Minnesota’s air, water, land, fish and wildlife. That includes the funding for FMR's locks and dams study, detailed earlier.

In addition, this bill includes $28.18 million for the state’s new community grants program that was included as a part of the voter-approved 2024 reauthorization amendment. The program, which will be administered by the Department of Natural Resources, will provide under-resourced organizations access to these funds without having to overcome a lengthy application process or operate on a reimbursement basis.

The Outdoor Heritage Fund package (Legacy Amendment funds), meanwhile, includes $191 million for projects that restore, protect and enhance wetlands, prairies and forests, as well as habitat for fish, game and wildlife.

Also included: An extension for the design phase of the invasive carp deterrent and funding for the FMR-led restoration projects, both of which are detailed above.

While legislators largely adhered to the recommendations of nonpartisan commissions charged with suggesting the best projects, they did make a handful of process changes and removed one project related to youth Boundary Waters programming.

While we’re pleased to see these bills pass, we will continue to urge lawmakers to avoid deviating from the project recommendations.

Forever Green funding, CLC market development

Status: No new funding this year, but a couple of valuable hearings

Given the tough budget outlook, our expectations for new investments in sustainable agriculture this legislative session were tempered. Knowing it’s important to keep the fire stoked for the next opportunity, we continued to advocate for this market-driven approach to improve public health and resilient farm landscapes. We secured important committee hearings in both the House and Senate, during which Forever Green Initiative staff detailed the significant progress they’ve made, and other partners laid out the benefits for both farmers and industry.

Committee members on both sides of the aisle expressed a lot of support and interest in continuous living cover, and we see opportunities to work with champions new and old in the next session.

Water infrastructure and capital investment

Status: Passed on the last day of the session (HF 719 CCR)
House vote: 122-11
Senate vote: 60-7

Late in the session, FMR submitted a letter to key lawmakers making a case for certain priorities — replacing lead service lines, addressing new threats to drinking water, and funding critical water infrastructure across the state.

The $1.24 billion infrastructure package invests more than $400 million in water infrastructure, and includes some real highlights:

$15 million for lead service line replacement
$56 million for clean water and drinking water grants
$30 million for wastewater and stormwater infrastructure
$17 million for the Emerging Contaminants Grant Program
$2 million for permanent land conservation

We are thrilled that the Legislature chose to invest more than one-third of the bonding bill in projects that protect and restore public health and our great outdoors.

You can explore our 2026 legislative session even further and see some of our previous updates here. And if you want to help us make a difference for the river going forward, sign up to be a River Guardian to get action alerts and special opportunities directly in your inbox.

Become a River Guardian

Sign up and we'll email you when important river issues arise. We make it quick and easy to contact decision-makers. River Guardians are also invited to special social hours and other events about legislative and metro river corridor issues.

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Legislative Updates

Clean Transportation

defense

Protect the Environment & Natural Resources Trust Fund

Minnesota sustainable aviation fuel

Agriculture

Forever Green

Check out our stream health report from 2025 monitoring

erogers — Tue, 19 May 2026 16:56:00 +0000

Stream health monitor volunteers gather to learn how to sample macroinvertebrates. (Photo by Alexandra Jabbarpour for FMR)

Since 2006, FMR volunteers have sampled benthic macroinvertebrates — or small stream-dwelling bugs — and studied these samples to assess water quality in the Rice Creek Watershed District, just north of the Twin Cities.

Our Stream Health Evaluation Program (SHEP) volunteers each contribute roughly 20-40 hours of work between July and November before drying waders and returning microscopes. Our contracted field biologist, Katie Farber, then conducts data analysis on what they've found, reviews the program's monitoring accuracy and writes a summary report of stream health conclusions for each of nine sampling sites — all of which are part of Rice Creek itself or part of major streams that flow into it.

Overall, the 2025 report shows mostly positive or at least stable trends for stream health at our sampling sites in the Rice Creek watershed. That's good news for the Mississippi River. Rice Creek is an important tributary, and water quality successes in the watershed eventually flow downstream.

A deeper dive into the findings

Farber calculates a health score based on the findings from each site, ranging from very good, good, fair, fairly poor, poor to very poor.

The 2025 report shows four sites with good scores, indicating some organic pollution is probable. (In the report, these sites are named: Clearwater Creek, Hardwood Creek Above, Locke Lake Above and Locke Lake Below.)

Five sites scored in ranges that indicate more substantial pollution, from fair to poor. (In the report, Locke Lake Park scored fair; Rice Creek Above, Rice Creek Below and Rice Creek Irondale scored fairly poor; and Hardwood Creek Below scored poor.)

How can aquatic insects help us measure water quality?

Meet three critters our monitoring volunteers sample — and find out what they might mean about stream health.

Trends over time

A vital aspect of SHEP is its long-term monitoring. Organic pollution, as well as other environmental factors, including water levels, habitat availability and other sources of disturbance, vary year to year. Because SHEP volunteers sample the same sites annually, this data provides a more reliable picture of water quality over time, allowing researchers and the watershed district to adapt management decisions and the public to follow the progress.

With the addition of the 2025 scores, the long-term summary data from SHEP shows overall improving or relatively stable scores for eight of the streams. Only one, a site we call Hardwood Creek Below, continues to show a clearer "worsening" trend line.

Cheers to SHEP volunteers!

This long-term monitoring project would not be possible without the dedicated and passionate volunteers and team leads. Most return year after year. Many have been with the program since its founding and have now completed their 20th season.

SHEP volunteers, who come from a variety of backgrounds, continued their typical trend of high accuracy. Farber found that they correctly identified approximately 99% of macroinvertebrates in 2025. That quality makes the SHEP dataset valid and valuable for research and policy.

Slideshow: 2025 season

SHEP volunteers suit up in waders and sample streams in the Rice Creek Watershed District. (Photo courtesy of Joy Gerdes)

Two SHEP volunteers check their nets as part of their field sampling work. (Photo courtesy of Darrell and Katherine Majkrzak)

SHEP volunteers work in the lab to identify the macroinvertebrates they've collected. (Photo by Alexandra Jabbarpour for FMR)

Biologist Katie Farber trains SHEP volunteers on macroinvertebrate identification. (Photo courtesy of Darrell Majkrzak)

Thank you 2025 volunteers! (Photo by Alexandra Jabbarpour for FMR)

Check out the full report

Each year, we submit a full report to our partners and funders at the Rice Creek Watershed District. Read the detailed findings in the 2025 SHEP report, or see the full archive here.

Get involved

Our SHEP teams may have a few volunteer openings for 2026. Preference is given to Rice Creek Watershed District residents, who are especially encouraged to apply. (Check this map to see if you live in the watershed.) You can learn more about volunteering here or contact SHEP@fmr.org.

Project support

The Stream Health Evaluation Program is made possible through funding and support from the Rice Creek Watershed District, our SHEP volunteers and team leads, as well as our longstanding partnership with field biologist Katie Farber of Bolton & Menk, Inc.

Explore all of our Stewardship & Education updates.

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Research

Stewardship

Watershed Protection

FMR Updates

Where we work: Gores Wildlife Management Area

erogers — Mon, 18 May 2026 17:26:12 +0000

No need to upload the Image above! Instead please paste the link to your preferred feature image here and comms dept staff will upload it and add a draft caption here with photo credit (if needed). It's okay to use images from other FMR.org pages, and over 20K images are available in our photo database, https://www.flickr.com/photos/friendsmissriv

Redirect to https://fmr.org/gores-wildlife-management-area

Explore all of our Conservation updates.

Better understand this work

Where we work: A map of our conservation and restoration sites

How we choose sites to protect and restore

Planning + the special importance of wildlife corridors

Ecological restoration: A practice in patience

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Land Conservation

Welcome Shelley and farewell Barb!

erogers — Thu, 14 May 2026 13:31:05 +0000

Barb Heintz, our longtime accounting manager, retired in April after a 17-year career with Friends of the Mississippi River. We're celebrating her service and welcoming our newest team member, Shelley Rohlf.

Welcome Shelley

FMR is excited to introduce Shelley Rohlf to our small but mighty finance team.

Shelley brings more than a decade of experience in nonprofit finance to her role, which includes critical functions such as maintaining the general ledger, preparing financial reports, working with our auditors, managing grants and handling payroll and human resources.

Shelley brings a deep love for the river, having lived near it most of her life. She says, “The Mississippi River has long been the place where I go to recharge, so I couldn't be happier to dedicate my work to FMR's mission. My new coworkers have been extra supportive and encouraging, and for that, I am truly grateful.”

Shelley is also a talented visual artist. Her colorful paintings and illustrations often draw inspiration from the natural world. We’re excited to have her as part of the team!

Thank you, Barb

The staff and board of FMR bids a fond farewell to Barb Heintz, who retired last month after 17 years as accounting manager. Beloved and depended upon by her colleagues, Barb played an indispensable role in all the critical financial functions of our growing nonprofit. From payroll to grants management to financial audits, Barb kept the bills paid and the accounts balanced.

But Barb did much more than accounting at FMR. Her love for the river and deep commitment to community service led her to put on work gloves and volunteer, along with her family, at many FMR stewardship events over the years.

“Barb isn’t one of the FMR faces most known to our members and partners, but internally, she’s loved and respected for her integrity and diligence. She made a lot of the important internal systems run smoothly. She’ll be missed,” said FMR Executive Director Whitney Clark.

Barb has played a key role in FMR's growth and success for many years. We wish her all the best in retirement.

Barb regularly volunteered at FMR restoration sites with her family.

Barb and her son pull invasive garlic mustard at a restoration site.

If you've ever come to our fall gala, Barb may have welcomed you. (Photo by Anna Botz)

Barb and John greet gala attendees in 2015. (Photo by Anna Botz)

We'll miss Barb's presence at staff outings!

Meet the rest of our staff.

Earth Day rally highlights threats to clean water

ctoberman — Thu, 07 May 2026 15:04:51 +0000

FMR's Colleen O'Connor Toberman spoke to hundreds of clean water advocates at the Minnesota State Capitol on Earth Day.

On Earth Day, hundreds of clean water advocates, including FMR staff and River Guardians, rallied together at the state Capitol. Speakers drew attention to a range of threats to clean water in Minnesota, including a proposed mine that could threaten the Mississippi River.

FMR and others speak out on water issues around the state

In her speech, FMR’s Land Use & Planning Program Director, Colleen O’Connor Toberman, urged state regulators to require Ford Motor Company to clean up its Area C dumpsite on the Mississippi River floodplain in St. Paul.

Friends of the Boundary Waters Wilderness, the rally's hosts, highlighted a recent blow to water protection.

In the week before this inspiring Earth Day rally, Congress overturned a mining ban near the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. The ban prevented companies from seeking leases in the national forest surrounding the wilderness area — including Twin Metals, which had previously proposed a copper-nickel mine in Northeast Minnesota.

Rally speakers described how copper and nickel sulfide mines like that one may result in acid mine drainage that would damage not only surface and groundwater supplies, but also aquatic life, plant life, cultural sites and more.

The Twin Metals mine near the Boundary Waters wasn't the only proposed sulfide ore mine cited at the rally. Two more proposed sulfide mines in Minnesota put other watersheds at risk — the potential PolyMet mine near Lake Superior, and most recently, a proposed mine in the Mississippi River watershed.

The proposed Talon Metals mine

Talon Metals has proposed a copper-nickel sulfide mine in Tamarack, Minnesota, roughly 120 miles north of St. Paul in Aitkin County. A mine there would impact the Mississippi and St. Croix river watersheds. (Read more about the proposed mine.) Two national parks, the Mississippi National River and Recreation Area and the St. Croix National Scenic Riverway, are downstream of the mine and any pollution it may generate.

These waters and lands are also of great significance to Indigenous people and Tribal nations whose reservations, treaty rights, sacred places, and cultural resources like wild rice would be impacted by mine pollution.

FMR is an official partner of Water Over Nickel, the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe's campaign to protect clean water, land and cultural resources from the negative impacts of mining.

"In a water-rich environment like Minnesota, impacts to the health of our watersheds ripple out across the environment," says Kelly Applegate, Commissioner of Natural Resources for the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe. "Our pristine wetlands recharge drinking water for our communities. Interconnected wetlands carry water across the landscape and link to rivers, streams, lakes and groundwater flows."

We recently cosigned this MinnPost commentary in honor of Earth Day that offers shared principles to guide decisions about our waters as mining pressures grow. "We advocate for rigorous scientific review, respect for tribal sovereignty and public accountability in any decision that could put Minnesota’s clean water at risk," writes Applegate on behalf of the Water Over Nickel Campaign. "Clean water is Minnesota’s inheritance, not an expendable resource for short-term profit."

Speak up this summer

Minnesotans will have their first chance to weigh in on Talon Metals’ mine proposal later this summer when a public comment period opens.

Before any mining is permitted, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources must prepare an Environmental Impact Statement about the mine. The first step in that process is to complete a scoping document or "environmental assessment worksheet" that will inform other approvals and permitting decisions.

This year’s public comment period will be for that scoping document. We’ll let FMR River Guardians know when it’s time to submit comments and how to share their concerns about the mine’s potential harmful impacts. We’ll also host educational events so you can learn more and ask questions.

Once the scoping document is finalized, the DNR prepares the Environmental Impact Statement, which is assessed for adequacy. Then Talon Metals can apply for local, state and federal permits. This process will take years and include additional opportunities for public input throughout.

FMR's role, and how you can help

Working with our Water Over Nickel partners, FMR will submit public comments and engage community advocates or River Guardians at each important step, for as long as this process may take.

Learn more about Water Over Nickel by watching the video below.

Become a River Guardian

Explore all of our Land Use & Planning updates.

Better understand this work

Rules to protect our special river corridor

How do we evaluate development plans?

What we weigh in on: development and parks map

What's our deal with density?

What's going on with Twin Cities locks and dams?

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Tamarack mine

Land Use & Planning

Advocacy

River Guardians

2022 Annual Report

erogers — Thu, 08 Dec 2022 16:26:59 +0000

Enjoy online

fmr_ar2022_print.pdf

What do you dream for the river?

erogers — Fri, 19 Aug 2022 20:56:14 +0000

The river has the power to spark imagination, catalyze action and inspire. That's why the theme for FMR's fall gala this year is The River Dreams.

As we get closer to the Big River's biggest night on September 29, we want to know: What do you imagine we can make possible together for the Mississippi River, its wildlife and communities?

Tell us your dreams for the river

Our work is stronger because of our supporters, and we're inspired by your visions for the Mississippi. Tell us your dreams for the river using the form below. We'll weave your answers throughout our event.

Our dreams for the river and this year's fall gala

We hope you can join us for An Evening Celebrating the Mississippi River: The River Dreams on Thursday, September 29. We're back in person this year for the first time since 2019 and we couldn't be more excited to celebrate the river with our community.

From our historic venue on the Minneapolis riverfront, we'll savor refreshments and seasonal fare, and enjoy a river-themed auction, live music and interactive learning exhibits. You'll have the chance to taste-test foods and beverages made with perennial clean-water crops, play river Jeopardy, meet three Environmental Stewardship Institute fellows, try to stump our ecologists, and more!

This year's program will feature stories of our hopes and dreams for the Mississippi River, as well as the work we're spearheading to achieve them.

We'll hear from staff, interns and participants on the front lines of our critical work who daily envision a brighter future for our river and communities, and whose imaginations, skill and effort drive those dreams closer to reality. Here's a preview:

Water Program Director Trevor Russell and Agricultural Policy Manager Peter LaFontaine

Our dream is as simple as it sounds: a cleaner, healthier Mississippi River. We envision acres of farmland across the Midwest planted with continuous living cover — crops and systems that significantly reduce the amount of nutrient pollution running into the river, as well as enhance farm prosperity.

Conservation Director Alex Roth and Ecologists Karen Schik and Laura Domyancich-Lee

Our dream is to create corridors of protected and restored land, green ribbons winding and weaving through the metro landscape. We envision more diverse, vibrant native habitats that support our buzzing pollinators, our feathered friends and all the other wildlife and people that depend on the natural environment.

2022 Community Engagement Interns Aldric Martinez-Olson and Yumi Kashihara and Grassroots Organizing Coordinator Maddie Miller

Our dream is that your dreams and perspectives will shape policy and decision-making on critical river issues. This summer, as we led tours and events for more than 600 people on the potential for dam removal in the Twin Cities, every conversation taught us something. Your responses and engagement make us hopeful and excited for the river's future.

2022 Environmental Stewardship Institute Fellows Li Le Kaplow and Sarah Hu, Stewardship & Education Program Associate Samantha Mie Armacost and Volunteer & Outreach Coordinator Sophie Downey

Our dream is that everyone has access to outdoor spaces, and everyone feels safe in them. We are working to deepen connections with BIPOC neighbors through our BIPOC River Stewards Program and to grow our career pathways program for youth, building relationships between our communities and our river.

Learn more and join us

Visit our event page to RSVP and find out more about An Evening Celebrating the Mississippi River: The River Dreams.

If you have questions, would like to RSVP over the phone or have an access or disability-related request to make your evening more enjoyable, please contact FMR Member Relations Manager John Briel at 651.222.2193 x19 or jbriel@fmr.org.

Photo credits on page: Kernza by Dodd Demas, River Heights Park by Tom Reiter

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Supporting FMR

FMR Updates

Thank you, summer 2022 interns and assistants!

erogers — Wed, 10 Aug 2022 21:18:47 +0000

Our internship program helps us support the next generation of environmental leaders on their career paths. This summer, we had three interns and three assistants working with our teams. Together, we doubled the size of our high school career pathways program, led more than 20 engagement events around lock and dam issues, and surveyed wildlife at restoration sites around the metro.

Here's a little more info about these amazing people and the efforts they made possible.

Yumi Kashihara: Community Engagement Intern

Yumi helped engage community members in the forthcoming studies about the future of two Mississippi River locks and dams, with a special focus on reaching youth. She also assisted with our Environmental Stewardship Institute, for which she had been volunteering for several months. Yumi helped mentor emerging environmental leaders, led lock and dam tours for dozens of people, and created curriculum and activities that we'll use to engage more youth in the future.

Yumi is extremely driven and focused. She worked hard to learn everything she could about FMR, the river and future employment opportunities in our field.

Yumi's reflections

"After working on the issue of the locks and dams at FMR, I learned about the Mississippi River itself and what it has gone through in the past. On top of that, I re-realized that many entities intertwine in the community along the river. People, animals, plants, infrastructure and geography significantly impact the river. It is necessary to focus on each separately as well as their relationship as a whole.

Besides the projects I worked on, I really enjoyed working at the office. I connected with other staff and learned what they were working on, which helped me explore my future career potential.

I strongly hope to continue having experience outside of school before finishing my undergraduate program in a year. Thanks to the opportunities at FMR, I reaffirmed that I want to work on building a healthy relationship between humans and nature. I'd like to seek opportunities in city planning, natural disaster management or environmental consulting."

Aldric Martinez-Olson: Community Engagement Intern

Aldric helped design, plan and lead tours and other outreach events to engage folks in the upcoming studies about the future of the locks and dams. He spoke with hundreds of community members about this huge opportunity for the Mississippi River, equipping them to be involved advocates in this process for years to come.

Aldric can have a great conversation with anyone. He's skilled at connecting with people and inviting them into our work.

Aldric's reflections

"I was the most excited to interact with the community regarding the lock and dam. I wanted to know each person's relationship to the river, and if they didn't have one, help them form one!

I think the stories that I heard were very powerful, it seems like a lot of community members developed a connection to the river by visiting it during their childhood, and it has still stuck with them. I learned about the importance of access and how simply existing by water can have positive effects on people.

This fall, I'll be starting my junior year at Macalester with a focus in urban geography. I hope to work with other nonprofits on other community-building issues."

Keeley McCall-Tunell: Field Ecology Intern

Keeley assisted the staff ecologists on bird and vegetation surveys and data entry from our restoration sites across the metro. She brought her native landscape background to lead a request for proposals process and helped to plan a new prairie restoration and select contractors. Independently she led volunteer trainings on pollinator, monarch and soil invertebrate surveys, and compiled the recorded data. She monitored a wildlife camera and assisted on a small mammal survey.

She came with good basic skills in plant identification and accomplished all new endeavors with great competence. Keeley's interest in learning and strong work ethic contributed so much to FMR and will no doubt set Keeley up for success in her natural resources career.

Keeley's reflections

"This summer, I've had the opportunity to work with FMR on a variety of components of restoration. I've been able to conduct bird, monarch, pollinator, small mammal, and my personal favorite, vegetation surveys. This internship also allowed me to be a part of the beginning stages of a restoration project and meet other professionals in the field. Throughout my internship, I've increased my native plant ID skills, learned bird calls, and deepened my understanding of what considerations and decisions need to be weighed when working on a land restoration project.

This fall I will continue to study horticulture at the University of Minnesota. My time at FMR has strengthened my desire to continue working in the restoration field after completing my schooling, and I am excited to see what the future holds!"

Environmental Stewardship Institute Assistants

As part of the growth of our career pathways program, we're able to offer paid leadership positions primarily to Environmental Stewardship Institute (ESI) graduates and prior FMR interns. These assistants help plan and facilitate the summer program and provide support for fellows. We had three wonderful assistants this year.

Our ESI assistants (from left to right: Holly, Ivy and Riya) made it possible to grow our program to accept even more fellows this year.

Holly Swiglo

Holly supported our community and team-building activities this summer for the ESI fellows. This was an important component this year especially; with a larger ESI cohort from the previous year, we wanted to make sure fellows had an opportunity to develop relationships with their peers. She also worked with fellow assistants to create an ESI guidebook for future assistants that will include some of the collaborative activities she led.

Holly is a great leader and very organized! She's detailed-oriented and knows how to prioritize tasks. She is also a very skilled facilitator — she even led one of our Stewardship & Education meetings with our program staff and ESI team.

Holly's reflections

"My favorite part of the summer was the enthusiasm and energy at our first meeting with the fellows. It was so awesome to see all the hard work we put into planning the program come to life! I really enjoyed getting to know and work with other youth interested in environmental issues. Seeing how their projects came along was so exciting. I learned so much about the behind-the-scenes of the program too — there are so many moving parts! It's great to see how everyone's unique skills and abilities come together to create an awesome program. The ESI team is amazing, and we have so much fun together!

I will be a senior at Roseville Area High School next year, and I plan on continuing my journey with ESI during the school year as a member of the ESI Youth Advisory Council. After high school I plan on attending a liberal arts college to major in environmental studies. I look forward to seeing where life will take me next!"

Ivy

Ivy managed communications between FMR and the ESI fellows, sending out weekly emails with assignments and reminders, and creating a calendar for the fellows to give them a complete picture of the program schedule. Her work broadened the role of the assistants and produced clearer guidelines for ESI communications.

Ivy was very insightful and took initiative to fill gaps she saw in our planning. Her attention to detail and organization skills were a great help with our fast-paced summer schedule.

Ivy's reflections

"I was excited to work with FMR because I wanted to get to know others in the field, other youth and environmental groups, and to build connections. I also wanted to work with and learn about the environment and ways to help it. I learned many things at FMR, some of which include leadership skills, event planning, time management and many others.

I will be a high school senior in the fall, graduating in 2023. I plan on going to college and pursuing environmental studies."

Riya

Riya managed ESI's Instagram page, bringing together reflections from fellows and photos from staff to expand our social media presence. She also put together our ESI resource list, which allowed us to quickly create assignments and activities for the fellows.

Riya jumped right into her role as assistant, despite having never worked with FMR before. She was always quick to suggest new ideas for ESI. Her willingness to try new things made her fun to work with for staff and fellows.

Riya's reflections

"Being an ESI assistant this summer has completely broadened my understanding of the Mississippi River's significance and the importance of stewardship on Indigenous land. It also opened up opportunities for new relationships and collaborations with fellow youth advocates and the BIPOC community.

I'll join the ESI Youth Advisory Council this fall to continue supporting our social media and plan the ESI Environmental Career Day next spring. I'm excited to learn more about what environmental careers are out there."

Learn more about our internship program

We've expanded our capacity for hosting paid opportunities for youth and young people. Learn more about internship openings or, to see future announcements, sign up for our e-newsletter Mississippi Messages.

Tags:

FMR Updates

Internships

Environmental Stewardship Institute

Stream Health Evaluation Program starts its 16th year

sdowney — Mon, 11 Jul 2022 17:49:21 +0000

August 11, 2022

If you live in the Rice Creek Watershed District and you're looking for a unique, in-depth way to contribute to your watershed, join us as a SHEP volunteer!

On a Friday evening in July, a group of volunteers gathered to share food and celebrate the start of the Stream Health Evaluation Program's 16th year. In just a few weeks, these volunteers will be donning waders and grabbing nets to head into streams in the Rice Creek Watershed District and start sampling. The data they collect will help provide a snapshot of each stream's health and whether it's improving or declining over time.

Since 2006 FMR has coordinated the Stream Health Evaluation Program (SHEP) in the Rice Creek Watershed District. Scientists train SHEP volunteers to evaluate stream biological health by sampling benthic macroinvertebrates (small, stream-dwelling bugs) and then studying these samples to assess stream quality. Volunteers contribute roughly 40 hours to the program between August and December. Each team of 10 samples three sites along Rice Creek, Clearwater Creek, Hardwood Creek and Locke Lake.

SHEP volunteers truly wade into their watersheds, like this volunteer in 2020.

Volunteers keep coming back

Between field and lab training, sampling with groups and hours spent identifying bugs, SHEP volunteers give a lot of their time to this program. Many volunteers have been involved since day one, accumulating 16 years of experience. This year, the SHEP teams include city officials hoping to gain knowledge to enhance their environmental programming, parents and their children, and friendships forged through volunteering together. Community and friendship play a large part in why volunteers stay involved.

"I come back for the science — it's always changing and always interesting," says Jo Ann Morse, a longtime volunteer. "And for the people, who are so fun to work with."

Why monitoring makes a difference

Macroinvertebrates have different reactions to pollutants and stream conditions. Some can live in polluted waters while others are more sensitive and can only survive in healthy waters. This makes the presence or absence of certain macroinvertebrates a strong indicator of the conditions of our local streams, rivers and lakes.

Our well-trained and dedicated volunteers produce reliable data that can be used to inform water resource management decisions throughout the watershed. SHEP volunteers typically score 90-99% accuracy on their identification, producing high-quality findings every year.

And with 16 years of data, this information plays a valuable role in determining the watershed's future. After all this time, certain trends are starting to take shape. One stream, for example, appears to have a five-year cycle of improvement and decline that repeats over time. Volunteers have also recorded how changes in the environment (such as drought) affect water quality. Findings can help shape policy and practices to protect these streams in the future.

"It is so interesting to look through the microscope," says volunteer Tere O'Connell, who describes herself as having a history background rather than a science background. She explains her dedication to the program as "making sure [the streams] stay healthy and get better."

SHEP volunteers kick off the 2022 season with a report from Katie Farber from Bolton & Menk, who runs the SHEP trainings and analyzes the data.

Get involved

This year, our SHEP teams have openings for a few more volunteers. Rice Creek Watershed District residents are especially encouraged to apply. (Check this map to see if you live in the watershed.) You can learn more about volunteering here. Contact Alex Jabbarpour at ajabbarpour@fmr.org or 651.477.0934 if you're interested in signing up.

Project support

SHEP is made possible through funding and support from the Rice Creek Watershed District, as well as technical support from Bolton & Menk. And thanks to our members for making all our programming possible.

Tags:

Stewardship

Watershed Protection

FMR Updates

Time is running out to stop invasive carp

ctoberman — Mon, 11 Jul 2022 00:24:03 +0000

Silver carp can jump up to 10 feet in the air when startled by a boat, such as during this electrofishing removal effort on the Cumberland River in Kentucky. (Photo credit: USFWS)

For decades invasive carp (silver carp, bighead carp, black carp and grass carp) have been working their way up the Mississippi River. Because they outcompete other fish for food and space, their spread can diminish ecosystem diversity, lower water quality and limit recreation in tributaries from Minnesota to the Gulf.

Though we don't fully know the extent of their population in Minnesota's portion of the Mississippi River, invasive carp have been recorded as far north as the Twin Cities metro as well as in the St. Croix and Minnesota rivers. However we believe that most of their population, and likely their reproductive activity, is still further downstream, meaning that we still have the opportunity to stop carp from reproducing in many of Minnesota's waterways — if we act right now.

One method the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) uses to monitor carp is to attach tracking tags to some fish and allow them to continue living in the river as "traitors" to help us understand where fish go. This led to a stunning recent event.

High water levels in the Mississippi this spring helped one tagged silver carp swim 35 miles upstream in a single day through or over several locks and dams. The carp traveled from Pool 8 (near LaCrosse, WI) to Pool 5A (upstream of Winona, MN, just 22 miles short of Lake Pepin) in mere hours.

The Star Tribune and Rochester's KTTC TV were among the outlets that interviewed FMR staff and brought attention to this distressing finding.

State action is overdue

Invasive carp are introduced predators, brought to the U.S. in the 1970s as a way to clean aquatic farms and canals. As introduced species, it's easy for them to outcompete native fish, leading to native fish population decline, which harms ecosystems and recreational activities. Silver carp can even injure people; weighing over 40 pounds, these fish can jump high enough out of the water to hit boaters.

It's difficult to study how large a fish population is. However we do know that carp populations often explode unexpectedly and take us by surprise. We don't know when a population will reach a tipping point of no return, which means that no one can decisively say that Minnesota can afford to wait to stop them.

For this reason, FMR and other members of the Stop Carp Coalition have been asking the DNR to take more action to prevent invasive carp's spread in the Mississippi River. In October 2020, the coalition asked the DNR to update its Invasive Carp Action Plan to guide these expanded actions and support funding requests and policy changes.

Nearly two years later, we're still waiting for the updated plan. The DNR hasn't even started creating it yet.

Inaction has a cost

Invasive carp prevention and management is not simple; several tools and tactics will need to be deployed. One potential tool is a barrier at Lock and Dam 5, for which a feasibility study has been done. We know that carp are knocking at the door of Lock and Dam 5, and we know that the dams upstream are unlikely to be as effective as this barrier.

No one tactic will be sufficient on its own. Carp management will also need to include fish removal programs, strengthening the resilience of our native ecosystems, continuing research on additional options and other efforts.

The DNR has told us that it can't expand its current set of tactics without a full revision of its Invasive Carp Action Plan. Of course we support the need to review the science, learn from other localities, engage stakeholders and carefully examine the pros and cons of different management options. That planning should get underway immediately.

But just as action has its costs and consequences, so does inaction. With no timeline for completing an action plan or expanding its carp prevention efforts, the DNR has left our waterways and residents at risk.

We don't know how many invasive carp are in Minnesota, but we do know that the threat is imminent and that our state isn't ready for what's to come. Our state leaders need to act with far more urgency to evaluate and implement prevention strategies before it's too late.

Join us

Become a River Guardian today to hear about future opportunities to advocate to stop the spread of invasive carp and other ways to protect our river and enhance riverfront communities.

Tags:

Land Use & Planning

FMR Updates

Invasive carp

Mississippi River News

Friends of the Mississippi River

How FMR's priorities for the Mississippi River fared — 2026

Environmental guardrails for sustainable aviation fuel

Status: Passed in the taxes bill (HF 2438 CCR) House vote: 126-8 Senate vote: 52-15

Locks and dams removal study

Status: Approved via the Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund bill (HF 3426) House vote: 117-15 Senate vote: 46-19

Habitat restoration work at 4 FMR sites

Status: Approved via the Outdoor Heritage Fund bill (SF 2077 CCR) House vote: 111-22 Senate vote: 47-20

Supporting design work on the invasive carp deterrent

Status: Approved via the Outdoor Heritage Fund bill (SF 2077 CCR) House vote: 111-22 Senate vote: 47-20

Funding for clean water, outdoors projects

Status: Both dedicated environmental funding bills passed Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund (HF 3426 CCR) House vote: 117-15 Senate vote: 46-19 Outdoor Heritage Fund (SF 2077 CCR) House vote: 111-22 Senate vote: 47-20

Forever Green funding, CLC market development

Status: No new funding this year, but a couple of valuable hearings

Water infrastructure and capital investment

Status: Passed on the last day of the session (HF 719 CCR) House vote: 122-11 Senate vote: 60-7

Become a River Guardian

Check out our stream health report from 2025 monitoring

A deeper dive into the findings

How can aquatic insects help us measure water quality?

Trends over time

Cheers to SHEP volunteers!

Slideshow: 2025 season

Check out the full report

Get involved

Project support

Explore all of our Stewardship & Education updates.

Where we work: Gores Wildlife Management Area

Explore all of our Conservation updates.

Welcome Shelley and farewell Barb!

Welcome Shelley

Thank you, Barb

Meet the rest of our staff.

Earth Day rally highlights threats to clean water

FMR and others speak out on water issues around the state

The proposed Talon Metals mine

Speak up this summer

FMR's role, and how you can help

Become a River Guardian

Explore all of our Land Use & Planning updates.

2022 Annual Report

What do you dream for the river?

Tell us your dreams for the river

Our dreams for the river and this year's fall gala

Water Program Director Trevor Russell and Agricultural Policy Manager Peter LaFontaine

Conservation Director Alex Roth and Ecologists Karen Schik and Laura Domyancich-Lee

2022 Community Engagement Interns Aldric Martinez-Olson and Yumi Kashihara and Grassroots Organizing Coordinator Maddie Miller

2022 Environmental Stewardship Institute Fellows Li Le Kaplow and Sarah Hu, Stewardship & Education Program Associate Samantha Mie Armacost and Volunteer & Outreach Coordinator Sophie Downey

Learn more and join us

Thank you, summer 2022 interns and assistants!

Yumi Kashihara: Community Engagement Intern

Yumi's reflections

Aldric Martinez-Olson: Community Engagement Intern

Aldric's reflections

Keeley McCall-Tunell: Field Ecology Intern

Keeley's reflections

Environmental Stewardship Institute Assistants

Holly Swiglo

Holly's reflections

Ivy

Ivy's reflections

Riya

Riya's reflections

Learn more about our internship program

Stream Health Evaluation Program starts its 16th year

Volunteers keep coming back

Why monitoring makes a difference

Get involved

Project support

Time is running out to stop invasive carp

State action is overdue

Inaction has a cost

Join us

Status: Passed in the taxes bill (HF 2438 CCR)
House vote: 126-8
Senate vote: 52-15

Status: Approved via the Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund bill (HF 3426)
House vote: 117-15
Senate vote: 46-19

Status: Approved via the Outdoor Heritage Fund bill (SF 2077 CCR)
House vote: 111-22
Senate vote: 47-20

Status: Approved via the Outdoor Heritage Fund bill (SF 2077 CCR)
House vote: 111-22
Senate vote: 47-20

Status: Both dedicated environmental funding bills passed

Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund (HF 3426 CCR)
House vote: 117-15
Senate vote: 46-19

Outdoor Heritage Fund (SF 2077 CCR)
House vote: 111-22
Senate vote: 47-20

Status: Passed on the last day of the session (HF 719 CCR)
House vote: 122-11
Senate vote: 60-7