Friends of the Mississippi River

Sneak preview: Children's book celebrates caring for the river

erogers — Mon, 15 Jun 2026 17:25:47 +0000

The picture book to be released later this year follows an adventurous mouse from storm drain to river to community cleanup. (Image by Kimberly Boustead)

This school year, our Environmental Stewardship Institute (ESI) youth council drafted a picture book for kids about river pollution and the power each of us has to make a difference.

"Little Mouse, Big River" follows the journey of a mouse through a storm drain and down a river. Along the way, he discovers the river isn’t as clean as he thought, and that pollution is hurting other animals. He decides to take action to help his new friends.

The council came up with the idea last fall, deciding to focus on urban storm drains and the river, since many people don’t understand the direct connection between the two. We hope the book will inspire young readers to take action to prevent and reduce stormwater pollution.

Artist Kimberly Boustead, who is illustrating the book, held several storyboarding workshops with the council. Council members enjoyed playing an active role in the book’s design, especially the character design. Writing the book was a collaborative process, and several council members noted that they now feel much more comfortable working in a large group and sharing their ideas.

Here's a preview of one of our draft page spreads:

(Illustration by Kimberly Boustead)

More ESI youth council highlights

The children’s book was just one of several projects the ESI council worked on this past school year.

The council illustrated the connection between storm drains and the river through a water quality mural, collaborating with St. Paul West Side artist Jesús Ramírez to design and paint this mural at Harriet Island. They stenciled storm drains with water quality reminders. And they visited with a St. Paul Public Works engineer, who provided scientific context on our storm drain systems for the book.

Council members also participated in FMR’s advocacy around Ford Area C, a toxic riverfront dumpsite in St. Paul. One council member spoke at FMR’s rally before the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency town hall and wrote a letter to the editor published in the local newspaper.

In the winter, the council snow-seeded FMR's prairie restoration site at Ole Olson Park in Minneapolis with our ecologists.

ESI youth council members collaborated with St. Paul West Side artist Jesús Ramírez to design and paint a water quality mural at Harriet Island. (Photo by Alexandra Retter Jabbarpour for FMR)

ESI council members stenciled storm drains with water quality reminders.

Council members participated in FMR’s advocacy around Ford Area C, a toxic riverfront dumpsite in St. Paul. (Photo by Anna Botz for FMR)

Council members snow-seeded the prairie restoration site at Ole Olson Park in Minneapolis with our ecologists.

Looking ahead

Work on the children’s book continues this summer, and we hope to release the final version later this year. Sign up for our enewsletter for updates.

In the meantime, our ESI summer intensive program kicks off on June 22, with 25 students joining us for a summer of paddling, team building and career exploration. Two of our council members from last school year will serve as our summer assistants, gaining more environmental and leadership experience.

Thanks to partners and funders

Thank you to Mississippi Watershed Management Organization for funding this project.

And thanks to our 2026 Environmental Stewardship Institute funders: 3M Foundation, Beim Foundation, Berglund Foundation, Cargill Foundation, George Family Foundation, HB Fuller, Langwater Foundation, Mississippi Watershed Management Organization, Musser Fund, National Fish & Wildlife Foundation, Right Track, Step Up, St. Paul Jaycees Foundation, Trillium Family Foundation, Xcel Energy Foundation, WM Foundation.

Explore all of our Stewardship & Education updates.

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The results from our multi-year bumble bee research study are in

erogers — Mon, 15 Jun 2026 14:45:50 +0000

FMR's bumble bee research will help us and others improve habitat for pollinators like this federally endangered rusty-patched bumble bee we found at an FMR project site.

How can we improve habitat for bumble bees? That's the question our latest research project sought to answer.

Because habitat loss and fragmentation are among the main drivers of the alarming decline in pollinator populations, Friends of the Mississippi River has made supporting pollinators one of our Land Conservation team's strategic goals.

We designed a multi-year research project to aid this effort, funded by the Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund. Over the 2024 and 2025 field seasons, we conducted 144 bumble bee surveys across FMR's network of restoration sites to better understand what makes a high-quality restoration. During this fieldwork, we observed over 1,200 bumble bees of 14 species, including eight federally endangered rusty-patched bumble bees.

Now we're sharing our full results to help FMR and other natural resource professionals refine our approaches so that bumble bees and other wildlife have the homes and resources they need to flourish.

Download a two-page bumble bee habitat guide, plus a PDF of this research report

How can land managers and homeowners apply these research findings to habitat restoration projects? Our guide and report include key recommendations and a native plant list.

We observed three times as many bees in restored prairies compared to remnant prairies.

Since relationships between specific plants and pollinators often evolve over millennia, you might imagine that a remnant prairie — a prairie that has existed since before European colonization — would sustain more pollinators.

Our research revealed that we found three times as many bumble bees at restored prairie sites as at remnant prairie sites. Additionally, we observed a greater diversity of bumble bee species in restored sites than in remnant ones.

Digging into the data, we found that this pattern was associated with several factors, including a site's overall habitat score and the number of blooming plant species during bee surveys.

The takeaway for us here is that our process for restoring habitat for bumble bees is working! That's encouraging, given that so much of our native prairies have been lost.

These findings don't diminish the importance of conserving remnant prairie, particularly for plant species that are difficult to establish in restoration areas or to obtain from seed producers, such as pasque flower, puccoon, bird's-foot violet and porcupine grass. Higher proportions of bees that specialize on resources from specific flowers have been found in remnant prairies, too, likely due to the absence of their required host plants in restorations.

Bumble bees love bee balm.

The most frequently visited flower species in our study was bee balm, followed by Canada goldenrod, field thistle and anise hyssop. Over 70% of all bumble bee visits to these species occurred in restorations.

Bee balm establishes quickly and can spread aggressively, making it an excellent native plant species to include in restorations — and the bumble bees love it! But it's important to plant more than just bee balm. Less-abundant flowers matter too, as does flower diversity.

Despite similar numbers of flowering plant species and foraging resources in both restored and remnant prairies, bumble bees primarily foraged on different flower species in each context. Bumble bees visited 13 distinct flower species in remnant prairies, 30 distinct flower species in restored prairies, and only 11 flower species across both prairie types.

We observed bumble bees visiting bee balm more than any other flower.

Higher diversity of native plant species in seed mixes paid off.

In areas seeded with more native plant species, we found more flowering plant species in bloom during our surveys and, in turn, higher rates of bumble bee foraging activity. We found more bees foraging in units seeded with 70 native species than in units seeded with 50 or 30 species.

That result might seem unsurprising, but it's helpful to have data showing the efficacy of seed mixes. Knowing that seeding more plant species really does increase habitat quality can give us confidence to prioritize that diversity as we craft seed mixes and budgets for restoration.

Bumble bees foraged on 54 flower species over the course of our study, highlighting again the importance of floral diversity for quality pollinator habitat. And while several flower species attracted the most bumble bees, some of the rarer bumble bee species were primarily visiting less abundant flowers. For example, we found rusty-patched bumble bees primarily on hoary vervain. Figwort, an unassuming plant with nearly colorless flowers, attracted multiple bumble bee species.

How we seeded plots didn't increase or decrease bee findings.

We primarily use two methods to seed prairie restoration sites: broadcast seeding and drill seeding.

Broadcast seeding scatters seeds across the surface of a site by hand or with light equipment. When done on a large scale, it can be more time-consuming but also mimics the way seeds are naturally deposited on the soil surface.

Drill seeding, on the other hand, uses equipment to plant seeds at a set depth and distribution, which can result in higher germination rates but also has a greater impact on soils.

We found no significant difference in the number of bumble bees or the number of bumble bee species between units where we broadcast seeds and units where we drill-seeded.

This finding can help conservation practitioners budget effectively, since each seeding method has its own costs and benefits, as well as logistical considerations. At a large scale, drill seeding typically costs less than broadcast seeding. The use of drill seeding at suitable sites could free up funds to invest in higher-diversity seed mixes, providing a net benefit to bumble bees.

We observed many other pollinators during our prairie surveys, including quite a few monarch butterflies.

Good for the bees, good for the river

Friends of the Mississippi River works at more than 45 restoration project sites near the metro Mississippi River. As a river-focused organization, we care about restoring habitat to improve water quality and support the wildlife and systems the river sustains.

In this work, we practice adaptive management, which requires monitoring and understanding the effects of past management decisions in order to plan for the future. Our pollinator research not only enables us to share valuable information with the restoration and scientific communities about what bumble bees need, but also to evaluate our restoration practices and apply the findings to our own work.

We have shared the results of this study through conference presentations at the 2025 Entomological Society of America annual meeting and BeeCon. In the coming months, we will share reports with partners and the practitioner community.

Get involved

Want to help bumble bees and other pollinators too? Check out our tips for supporting pollinators and get to know Minnesota's native bees.

Thanks to our funders and partners

Funding for this project was provided by the Minnesota Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund as recommended by the Legislative-Citizen Commission on Minnesota Resources (LCCMR).

Thank you to our land-owner partners: the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources Scientific and Natural Area Program, 3M Cottage Grove, Flint Hills Resources and the City of Elk River. Thank you also to interns who assisted with data collection and management: Nick Levine, Ethan Phan, Lauren Schmelzer, Rashi DaSilva, Aaryan Awasthi and Tori Duckworth. We are grateful to professional colleagues who consulted on study design and methodology.

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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Minnesota now has environmental guardrails for renewable jet fuel

manderson — Wed, 10 Jun 2026 15:20:53 +0000

Putting environmental guardrails on an existing tax credit helps to make sure new sustainable aviation fuels can actually be considered sustainable. (Photo via Canva)

One of our main legislative priorities this year was getting environmental guardrails around the state's existing sustainable aviation fuel tax credit.

We know the most impactful way we can reduce agricultural pollution to the Mississippi River is by creating many acres of continuous living cover crops. Sustainable aviation fuel can be a driving force to make that happen — if done responsibly.

This session, we took a major step in the right direction. Lawmakers passed bipartisan language to create guardrails that will encourage the use of winter-hardy oilseeds as a main source for fuel, and will prohibit practices that threaten habitat.

A big deal

Going into this legislative session, we knew passing environmental legislation would be challenging. In this year of our two-year cycle, the Legislature's focus narrows to work on a state bonding bill and some supplemental budget decisions. Since we also had a divided Legislature, initiatives needed bipartisan support to advance.

Given the potential for gridlock, getting this complicated tax policy passed is a really big deal.

Friends of the Mississippi River supporters can be proud of the role our policy team and our advocates played with our partners to move this legislation forward. This legislative win is the culmination of years of advocacy garnering bipartisan support for measures that can steer sustainable aviation fuel in the right direction.

GOP Rep. Greg Davids remarked during one of the legislative hearings: “If you ever would have told me that we’d have a list like this — from, you know, agriculture to the governor's office to the environmentalists — I would have said, can't be done. But it has been done.”

The 5 guardrails

These environmental guardrails for the Minnesota sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) tax credit had broad, bipartisan support with environmental groups, agriculture groups, industry, labor and others recognizing the benefits. They are:

Linking the size of the tax credit to a fuel's greenhouse gas emissions in order to reward the most sustainable fuel sources, such as winter camelina being developed by the Forever Green Initiative. (Before, all fuels received the same credit as long as they reduced emissions by at least 50%.)
Ensuring only crops grown on longstanding farmland are eligible for the tax credit — meaning someone who plows existing forestwoods or prairie to create new cropland for SAF wouldn't qualify.
Prohibiting foreign feedstocks, which will disincentivize converting natural lands (like the Amazon rainforest) into farmland for SAF.
Barring SAF producers from claiming the tax credit if carbon captured during the process is then used for enhanced oil recovery (using CO2 to extract petroleum).
Expanding the definition of SAF to allow promising low-carbon technologies such as green hydrogen to qualify for the tax credit, when it's ready.

What's next

The first SAF facility in Minnesota will open this summer, and MSP Airport will start to use the fuel regularly shortly after. Though these tax credit restrictions represent a significant win for the river, we'll continue to work with our partners to help make sure new, lower-carbon jet fuel has a positive impact on water, land and air.

Prior updates

April 27: Take action: Urge legislators to pass environmental guardrails for renewable jet fuel

Lawmakers are making final decisions on bills right now, determining what will pass and go into effect, and what won’t. One of our top priorities this year — putting much-needed environmental guardrails around an existing sustainable aviation fuel tax credit — is among them.

With only a few weeks left in the session, it's time for the House and Senate to act. It’s a critical point for legislators to hear from their community about issues that matter to them.

Use the form below to send a message to these key decision-makers. Let them know you support sustainable aviation fuel environmental guardrails to help protect clean water, biodiversity and soil health, while rewarding farmers for conservation.

This action alert is closed.

The 5 guardrails

These environmental guardrails for the Minnesota sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) tax credit have broad, bipartisan support, with environmental groups, agriculture groups, industry, labor and others recognizing the benefits. They are:

Linking the size of the tax credit to a fuel’s greenhouse gas emissions in order to reward the most sustainable fuel sources, such as winter camelina being developed by the Forever Green Initiative. (Right now, all fuels receive the same credit as long as they reduce emissions by at least 50%.)
Ensuring only crops grown on longstanding farmland are eligible for the tax credit — meaning someone who plows existing forestwoods or prairie to create new cropland for SAF wouldn’t qualify.
Prohibiting foreign feedstocks,which will disincentivize converting natural lands (like the Amazon rainforest) into farmland for SAF.
Barring SAF producers from claiming the tax credit if carbon captured during the process is then used for enhanced oil recovery.
Expanding the definition of SAF to allow promising low-carbon technologies such as green hydrogen to qualify for the tax credit, when it's ready.

April 17: 3 takeaways from SAF environmental guardrails hearings

The sustainable aviation fuel environmental guardrails legislation is in a good place as we enter the final weeks of the session.

The Taxes committees in both the House and Senate heard testimony on their respective bills this month, and in both cases moved it to the next stop (read more about the process below). The language hasn’t changed since our last update, and still includes five important measures that will help ensure Minnesota’s sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) industry can actually be considered sustainable by protecting water and habitat.

As FMR’s biofuels policy manager, I spoke at both hearings to offer our organization’s perspective. (You can watch replays here and here.) These hearings, along with the countless conversations with key players both before and after, have given us valuable insight into what decision-makers think about sustainable aviation fuel and its connection to clean water.

Here are three things we’ve learned this session.

There is broad, bipartisan support for the guardrails

At both hearings I was joined by many other testifiers, including our partners at the Forever Green Initiative, Minnesota Environmental Partnership, Fresh Energy, the Minnesota Department of Agriculture, the Minnesota Farmers Union, Minnesota Farm Bureau, Minnesota Forest Industries, Minnesota Pipe Trades Association, the Minnsota State Building & Construction Trades Council and the Minnesota SAF Hub.

“If you ever would have told me that we’d have a list like this — from, you know, agriculture to the governor's office to the environmentalists — I would have said, can't be done,” noted Rep. Greg Davids, chair of the House Taxes Committee, in his closing remarks. “But it has been done.”

On both sides of the aisle, lawmakers acknowledged the importance of the strong environmental guardrails included in this session’s legislation. These guardrails — like limiting land use change and encouraging the lowest-carbon fuels — can nudge this emerging industry towards the most sustainable options and away from potentially damaging outcomes.

We’re cautiously optimistic about them being passed into law this year.

There is real enthusiasm for winter-hardy oilseeds

Legislators are excited about the ways SAF can expand the market for continuous living cover crops like winter camelina.

SAF can be made from many different input materials, including wood waste, agricultural crops like corn and soy, and even new technologies like green hydrogen.

But what we heard over and over during the hearings was a recognition of the promise that winter camelina shows for SAF. Not only does winter camelina turn into low-carbon fuel, it also supports water quality, soil health, biodiversity and farm prosperity.

SAF policy needs to be careful and considered

FMR has long talked about the promise and peril we see in an expanding SAF industry in Minnesota.

If done well, a new SAF industry could reduce greenhouse gas emissions from flying while also supporting a more sustainable agricultural system. If done poorly, the industry could double down on an agricultural system that leaves millions of acres bare and empty every year — to the detriment of our rivers, lakes, streams and groundwater systems.

We heard a similar sentiment from some lawmakers, including Rep. Andy Smith, who noted: “We need to enter this new market carefully."

What comes next

From here, typically the House and Senate Taxes committees will send their bundle of bills (called an “omnibus bill”) through their respective finance committees and to the floor of each chamber to be debated and voted on. Once passed, any differences between the House and Senate versions are hashed out in a conference committee made up of members of both chambers before a vote on a final agreement in both chambers.

The session will wrap up by May 18, so these final steps should happen within the next few weeks. The floor vote will also be another opportunity for River Guardians — and anyone in the state worried about clean water — to weigh in.

If you want to help us pass these environmental guardrails, which will reduce pollution to the river and improve water quality, sign up to be a River Guardian. We’ll reach out soon with this important upcoming action opportunity.

Feb. 24: Help get environmental guardrails on SAF

Sustainable aviation fuel's impact on the Mississippi River watershed will be significant. Whether that impact is positive or negative will come down to the policy decisions state leaders make.

The 2026 legislative session is the first big opportunity of the year to push this industry in the right direction.

FMR is supporting a bill that would put much-needed environmental guardrails around an existing state tax credit for sustainable aviation fuel. As it's currently written, the state SAF tax credit requires a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions, but does not do enough to safeguard water quality, soil health and biodiversity by rewarding the most sustainable sources.

The state is actively positioning itself as a leader in SAF. If it wants to do so legitimately, lawmakers need to put rules in places that ensure SAF made in Minnesota is actually sustainable.

The 5 environmental guardrails: A closer look

Scaling the tax credit to carbon intensity: The lower-carbon a feedstock is, the larger the tax credit becomes, which encourages the use of the lowest-carbon options. As the tax credit is currently constructed, all fuels receive the same credit as long as they reduce emissions by at least 50%. (So a 51% reduction and a 90% reduction are awarded with the same financial incentive.)
Requiring domestic feedstocks: For SAF made from crops, those crops must be grown in the U.S. to qualify for the tax credit. This helps disincentivize converting natural lands (like the Amazon rainforest) into crop production to serve our SAF market.
Preventing land use change: Only crops grown on longstanding farmland would be eligible. For example, someone who plows existing woods or prairie to create new cropland for SAF couldn't benefit from the tax credit.
Prohibiting enhanced oil recovery: A SAF producer cannot claim the tax credit if carbon, captured during their process, is then used for enhanced oil recovery (oil extraction).
Including green hydrogen: Expanding the definition of SAF will allow promising low-carbon technologies such as green hydrogen to qualify for the tax credit, when it's ready.

Since last session, we've been building support for these guardrails among a wide range of stakeholders and legislators. What we have now is a set of tax credit improvements with bipartisan support, and the backing of environmental groups, agriculture organizations and SAF industry decision-makers — all of whom recognize the promise of SAF if we do it right, and the peril to our waters and habitat if we get it wrong.

Help us pass these important guardrails

The House and Senate tax committees will take up the SAF environmental guardrails bill soon. We need these committees to support the current version of the bill so it has a chance to pass the full Legislature later in the session.

Use the form below to urge these policymakers to support these bipartisan environmental guardrails on SAF (HF 1669/SF 1312). (When you enter your address, the form will let you know if your representative is on the relevant tax committee.)

Take action

Thanks for your interest! This action alert has closed.

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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.

Learn more about our legislative priorities

Our 2026 legislative priorities for the river

Making clean-water crops a reality on the landscape

Growing the market for more river-friendly agriculture

Renewable jet fuel and the Mississippi River

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

Safeguarding the Clean Water Fund

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New FMR study will help answer crucial questions about potential dam removal

ctoberman — Tue, 26 May 2026 22:16:41 +0000

Lower St. Anthony Falls Lock and Dam (top) and Lock and Dam 1 (bottom) are both functionally obsolete, aging structures. We’re working on a major study to help us understand if removal makes sense for these two metro locks and dams. (Photos by Mike Durenberger for FMR)

Should two locks and dams in the heart of the Twin Cities be removed?

Lower St. Anthony Falls Lock and Dam and Lock and Dam 1 (the Ford dam) are both aging and functionally obsolete. (Learn more about the history of these locks and dams.)

Removing these structures would restore rare habitat, improve water quality and enhance river recreation.

But we don’t yet have enough information to determine whether removal is the right choice. FMR's major new study will help us find out.

Unanswered questions

Next year, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will release a "disposition study" outlining its recommendations for these two structures (which it owns).

This will be a high-level review focused primarily on what makes the most sense for the Corps’ mission and budget. The Corps has said its study will likely recommend transferring the dams to a willing owner.

The Corps' disposition study won’t be comprehensive enough to explore or answer crucial questions about dam removal, like: Where would new islands, rapids and shorelines arise in an undammed river? How might rare species like paddlefish and some mussels benefit? How much sediment is built up behind the existing structures, and can it be safely released downstream?

FMR is designing and securing funding for a feasibility study to fill this critical information gap.

We’re excited to announce that in spring 2026, the Minnesota Legislature approved a $923,000 Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund grant to FMR for this project, thanks in part to advocacy from River Guardians. The Mississippi Watershed Management Organization has contributed additional funds.

Congress will make the final decision about what to do with these federally owned dams. Our members of Congress will be listening to feedback from Tribal and local governments and community members. FMR's study will provide information for everyone to help guide these decisions.

Filling the information gap

Ultimately, the decision about dam removal comes down to two questions: Can it be safely done? And will the benefits outweigh the costs?

By examining the habitat restoration opportunities, water quality improvements, endangered species benefits, sediment transport, infrastructure impacts and recreational changes that dam removal could bring, this project will support scientifically sound decision-making to improve the health of the Mississippi River in the Twin Cities and downstream.

Here are some of the crucial questions this study will address:

Changes to the river channel

How would water levels change in an undammed river? Would dam removal affect the frequency, intensity or duration of flood events in the gorge or downstream?

What would the river look like after dam removal? Where would new islands, floodplains and shorelines be?

Ecological changes

What kind of habitats would be created in and along a restored river, and what species would benefit? Would dam removal expand the spread of any invasive species?

What changes would we see in water quality?

Sediment composition and transport

For over a century, Lock and Dam 1 has kept sediment from following its natural course down the river, and it’s backed up behind the dam.

Now we need to know: How can the excess sediment be used to reconstruct the former shoreline and islands?

If sediment were to be released downstream, where would it move to? Would that cause any ecological issues downstream or even in Lake Pepin?

We believe some of the sediment is contaminated with hazardous substances. How much will it cost to properly clean up those areas?

Infrastructure impacts

How will urban infrastructure in and along the river — such as bridges, stormwater outfalls and utilities — be affected by dam removal and lower river levels?

How would lower water levels impact surrounding properties like the University of Minnesota and Minneapolis and St. Paul parks?

What adaptations would be needed for these structures and properties, and what would they cost?

Recreational changes

Later this month, the National Parks Conservation Association (one of FMR’s partners) is publishing a report highlighting the potential economic benefits of tourism and recreation from an undammed, restored Mississippi River in Minneapolis-St. Paul. (We’ll share the report once available in our enewsletter.)

Our forthcoming study may provide more details on how changes in the river’s shoreline, flow, fish populations, etc., would guide where recreational amenities can be added or enhanced.

Dam removal options

The study will include multiple prospective scenarios for removing the locks and dams, including the possibility of removing just one dam, leaving elements of the structures in place, etc. It will also discuss the costs, benefits and drawbacks of different approaches.

All of these findings will be available for the public and policymakers to review. The final report will include a condensed, easy-to-read version along with renderings to illustrate the possibilities of an undammed river.

How the study was designed

We aren’t designing this study alone. This project came out of years of conversations with community members, elected officials and technical experts. FMR and our partners have given tours and presentations to over 1,300 people. We’ve met with dozens of researchers, engineers and ecologists to figure out what we need to learn and what data sources already exist.

The study itself will be carried out by an independent engineering firm chosen through a competitive bidding process later this year.

FMR’s partners in this long process include the National Parks Conservation Association, American Rivers, Dr. Roopali Phadke at Macalester College and Dr. Bruce Braun and the St. Anthony Falls Lab at the University of Minnesota.

What’s next?

The study findings will be released to the public in 2028, and FMR and our partners will provide many opportunities to learn about its recommendations and weigh the pros and cons together as we advocate for the best future for the river.

Community members and local, state, federal and Tribal nation elected officials all have a role to play in making these decisions. But given the significance of the Mississippi River gorge to Dakota people, we believe that Dakota Tribes should lead its future.

In collaboration with Owámniyomni Okhódayapi, FMR has held meetings and site visits with Dakota Tribes’ elected leaders to learn from them about what, if any, role they would like to have in deciding the future of these locks and dams, and what information this supplemental study must include to support their decision-making. We look forward to continuing this work together.

Become a River Guardian

Explore all of our Land Use & Planning updates.

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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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FMR Updates

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

srich — Sat, 01 Jul 2023 17:51:22 +0000

As an organization focused on the river's health, we get asked this question all the time. (Photo by MPCA Photos)

It's maybe the quintessential summer question for Twin Cities residents looking to enjoy the outdoors: Is it safe to swim in the metro Mississippi River?

As an organization focused on the river's health, we get asked this all the time (including by reporters, who often come to FMR when covering this topic).

Our answer? It depends. And there are a few important things to know off the bat.

Pollution levels

In some ways, the Mississippi River is the least-sick and least-polluted it's been in decades, thanks in large part to the 1972 Clean Water Act.

Still, most of the Mississippi River from St. Cloud to Hastings is considered "impaired" by the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency. This means those stretches of the river fail to meet at least one water quality standard, which could negatively impact humans, wildlife or aquatic plants. Industry pollution, climate change and human behavior also continue to threaten the river's health.

"It's cleaner and healthier," FMR's Water Program Director Trevor Russell explained to WCCO, "but not clean and healthy."

So while things are better than they were 50 years ago, we're a long way from a truly clean, healthy Mississippi River.

Which brings us back to the main question: Is it safe enough to swim?

The river faces numerous water quality and aquatic life challenges. When it comes to swimming, there are two primary risks to consider before jumping into the river: water quality and river flow or physical conditions. Here's what you need to know.

Bacteria

When it comes to the metro Mississippi River, bacteria such as E. coli are the primary risk to human health from a pollution perspective. E. coli can make people and pets severely sick and is particularly dangerous for certain populations.

(While multiple types of bacteria can taint the river, water quality monitors often use E. coli as a stand-in for overall safety as it's a good indicator of overall bacteria levels.)

E. coli usually ends up in our waters from runoff. Rain washes pet or wildlife waste from yards, trails, sidewalks, farms and other surfaces into the river, either directly or through urban storm drain systems. (The Star Tribune explained the ins and outs of this in a story that features FMR.)

Because of this, E. coli levels in the Mississippi River can fluctuate. For instance, we recommend not swimming in the river within 48 hours of significant rain, since the subsequent runoff often causes bacteria levels in the water to spike.

The bacteria won't penetrate your skin if you go do decide to go for a dip, so you'll generally be OK.

Still, use caution!

Try not to swallow the water
Rinse off/shower immediately afterward
If you have any open wounds, cover them up or postpone your swim session

River flows

There are physical dangers that come with swimming in the Mississippi River.

As Greta Kaul points out in this MinnPost piece that includes insights from FMR, rivers are strong and their speed varies significantly. It's also incredibly difficult to track currents. The river bottom itself changes, especially at curves or after a dam, which can result in sudden drop-offs.

You should always follow safety recommendations and guidelines from state agencies such as the Minnesota Department of Health and the Department of Natural Resources, including wearing a life jacket.

So … is it safe to swim?

The river's wild beauty draws us to it, but also comes with risks.

While you can swim in the Twin Cities metro Mississippi River, you should use caution in impaired reaches, avoid swimming anywhere in the river up to 48 hours after a major rain event and be mindful that our big river is powerful and dynamic.

If you take precautions, follow guidelines and look into current conditions, then swimming in the metro Mississippi River may be a good experience.

But if you're at all uncertain about diving in, there are many more ways to enjoy the river in our midst!

Our explore the river page includes recommendations for where to paddle, hike, view beautiful waterfalls, take in scenic vistas and more, all right here in the Twin Cities.

FMR Water Program Director speaking to WCCO's Heather Brown at Crosby Farm Regional Park for a 2023 "Good Question" segment. (Photo by FMR)

What about nitrates?

We frequently highlight concerns over nitrate pollution in the Mississippi River, including its role in the annual Gulf of Mexico dead zone and the health risks posed by excess nitrates in drinking water.

Fortunately, nitrate pollution in the Mississippi River isn't an immediate danger for swimmers, who would have to ingest an unrealistically large amount of river water in a short amount of time for health concerns to become a reality.

There's no real threat to public health from excess nitrates while recreating.

News stories featuring Friends of the Mississippi River

Good Question: Is it safe to swim in the Mississippi River? — WCCO
Is it safe to swim in the Mississippi River in the Twin Cities? A brief primer on current events — MinnPost
Is it safe to swim in Twin Cities rivers, or are they all too polluted? — Star Tribune

Explore all of our Water updates.

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Stewardship

State of the River Report

impaired waters list

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.

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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.

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Land Use & Planning

FMR Updates

Invasive carp

Mississippi River News