Land & Water​

a thicket of white flowers

‘Highly toxic’ hemlock widespread in Upper Midwest

Poison hemlock can be a killer – and it could be in your backyard. Our colleagues with the Mississippi River Basin Ag & Water Desk report on how it’s spreading through the region.

A group of people gather on a large, elevated, circle structure covered by a roof. Signs with writing and images are positioned around the entrance stairway to the gazebo.

Citizen Working Group Releases Nitrate Report

John Torgrimson covers the release of 2025 recommendations by a regional work group to address nitrate issues in Southeast Minesota.

apple branches

A Warming Climate is Changing Growing Conditions

With average temperatures rising, planting zones are slowly working their way northward through the Upper Midwest; Olivia Cohen reports from the Mississippi River Basin Ag & Water Desk.

A man wearing a gray tshirt with a large cloth glove on holds a tube sandwiches in a form. His other hand (out of the image) is pushing down on a plunger attached to the tube.

Liquid Willowcat Revolutionizes Walleye Fishing

John Weiss reports on a unique business venture that combines scent, color and a love for fishing.

A grassy hillside dotted with clumps of tall yellow daisy-like flowers with dark centers. Flowers are called Rudbeckia or Black-Eyed Susan.

In La Crescent, HELP Grant Sparks Community, Habitat Connections

Ann Wessel reports on new native planting and pollinator habitat projects created in La Crescent through state and local funding programs.

a photo collage of a screen, a bike, and a train

Speak Up, Speak Out – and Listen

Water quality, e-bikes and a new “talking trail” are all In the News in June. John Gaddo has details on how Root River Current readers can speak up, speak out – and listen!

A group of people bend and stand over small bushes being planted in a dry grass field. A hill with leafed out green trees is off the the left and back of the photo.

Hundreds of Shrubs to Protect Vesta Creek Streambank

John Weiss joins a crew of volunteers and conservation groups on a planting project to restore Vesta Creek’s floodplain with native and climate-adapted shrubs.

Four students hold long metal poles with an x-shaped end that is placed on the gravel ground.

Chert Quarry Near Grand Meadow Was Historic Social Center

A historic Grand Meadow-area site was both a quarry and a seasonal crossroads for neighboring Indigenous people. Check out part II of David Phillips’ reporting.

Four high school students, two in chest waders, stand knee deep in a trout stream.

High Schoolers Learning from Trout

John Weiss checks back in with Rushford-Peterson students as they complete their Trout in the Classroom project with a stream release.

A man and a woman and small child stand in a wooded area and look at a large interpretitive map on a stand.

Chert Quarry Near Grand Meadow is Rare, Lucky Find for Archaeologists

In the first of two stories, David Phillips reports on a rare archaeological find near Grand Meadow and visits with the archaeologist who’s been leading the research in recent years.

A man in a bright yellow vest stands in a creek under a cement bridge covered in dried brush.

The Bridges of Fillmore County

John Weiss tours the bridges of Fillmore County with the crew who keep them in good shape.

A woman in a ball cap and light jacket stands inside a greenhouse surrounded by green, leafy plants.

Owl Bluff Farm Expands its Organic Produce Operation

Rose Korabek reports on Houston County’s first Deep Winter Greenhouse and the small-farm research being done in our region.

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