Current Priorities
Water
In the Land of 10,000 Lakes…
In Minnesota, our lakes and rivers are our most prolific natural resources. They define our history, our livelihoods, and our future. Every year, millions of people enjoy Minnesota’s waters by fishing, boating, and swimming.
We have over 11,000 lakes, 104,000 miles of rivers and streams, and 13 million acres of surface water in Minnesota.
We’re committed to working with community members, local leaders, and legislators to protect the quality of our water for drinking, recreation, and wildlife. The majority of responders to our survey tell us protecting the quality of our water is more important than any other area of conservation. Water is a connector of conservation issues—burning coal increases mercury in our lakes, pollution from landfills and other sources of chemicals can leach into our waterways, and disrupting water ecosystems can lead to more aquatic invasive species. We never forget the importance of our water as we advocate for all conservation issues.
About half of Minnesota waters do not meet basic water quality standards.
As extensive as our state’s water resources are, they are also fragile. Today roughly 56% do not meet basic water quality standards. Aquatic Invasive Species (AIS) have spread to an alarming number of Minnesota’s lakes and rivers. Overuse, pollution, and wastewater are now threatening the drinking water supply that many communities rely on. And a lack of funding to update aging water infrastructure threatens economic growth in many communities.
In Minnesota, our lakes and rivers define our history, our livelihoods, and our future. Together we can protect our lakes and land for the next generation.
As Minnesotans, we pride ourselves on our water resources, but for too long, lead water pipes have caused dangerous lead exposure. The 2023 passage of the Lead Service Line Replacement Bill is starting to change that. But our work isn’t done. We’ll continue to track progress over the coming decade and advocate to remove every last lead line in Minnesota.
Our Minnesota Waters program engages lake associations and river organizations in protecting the lakes and rivers that define life in Minnesota. We work to protect our water systems to ensure our lakes and rivers are swimmable and fishable.
