Land & Water​

A woman in a department of natural resources uniform stands on a river bank by long tubes made of natural fibers placed on the muddy bank.

Mississippi River is Eroding Sacred Indigenous Mounds

Seasonal flooding is threatening ancient and sacred Indigenous mounds along the Upper Mississippi River. The Mississippi River Basin Ag & Water Desk reports on efforts to protect these mounds.

Paul Schmidt in the shed on his farm where 64,000 garlic are drying. Schmidt Farm markets seed stock to a variety of garden and seed companies.

An Ancient Crop Makes its Home in Fillmore County

John Torgrimson visits Schmidt Farm’s garlic operation in Carimona Township, Fillmore County.

Tony Rahe stands next to a wall of lettuce in one of his hydroponic growing containers at Rahe of Sunshine Farms in Wykoff.

Hydroponic Farm is High Tech Operation With Small Footprint

David Phillips tours a hydroponic farming operation in Wykoff, Minnesota. Owner Tony Rahe gives access to the two trailers currently housing multiple acres of lettuce, kohlrabi, and radishes that are sold to local schools, at farmers markets, and online.

A low fire burns in vegetation in a ditch along a highway while a worker with fire gear and a drip torch looks on.

Prescribed Burn Team Treats State Highway Ditches With a Dose of Fire

Prescribed burns control noxious plants and spur growth of native vegetation along area roadways. Mike Dougherty follows one crew in southeastern Minnesota working near Interstate 90.

Cattle move through a pasture in a rotational grazing operation. (Photo by Ann Wessel, BWSR)

Rotational Grazing: Pipeline to Water Quality and Soil Health

Ann Wessel reports on a Fillmore County farmer who is converting CRP ground into productive pasture.

EllenTitus of The Nature Conservancy checks on the goats helping restore goat prairie.

Conservation Ballot Initiative Key to Trust Fund Renewal

John Weiss reports on the conservation trust fund initiative on the Minnesota November 2024 ballot. Voters are being asked to extend the Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund through 2050.

<span style="font-size: 14px; color: #6c6b6b; ">Brady Thill, 9, Josie Swing, 10, and Harper Hines, 10, all of Galesville, Wis. have fun in kayaks during the BaseCamp event in Winona. (Photo by John Weiss)</span>

Outdoor Adventures Abound at BaseCamp

Participants in the annual BaseCamp outdoor adventure held in Winona learn about the Mississippi’s history and those who have worked to protect it for future generations. John Weiss shares insights from the 2024 summer gathering.

<span style="font-size: 14px; color: #6c6b6b; ">Three-year-old rainbow trout 'coming of age' in a hatchery raceway. (Photo by Renee Bergstrom)</span>

Go Fish: The Lanesboro State Fish Hatchery

Tom Brudvig takes us behind the scenes at the Lanesboro State Fish Hatchery.

The Root River's North Branch takes an unnatural twist to the north at the site of a former hydroelectric dam. The river channel originally curved to the right – now mostly grown over with trees. (Photo by Dan Brown)

To End Erosion at a Former Dam, Engineers Shifting Root River Back to its Original Bed

Dave Shaffer, with photographer Dan Brown, reports on plans to address a massive erosion problem on the North Branch of the Root River northwest of Lanesboro.

<span style="font-size: 14px; color: #6c6b6b; ">La Crescent volunteers plant trees on Arbor Day 2024. (Photo provided by the city of La Crescent)</span>

More Trees and People to Care for Them in La Crescent

John Weiss checks in with the tree planting and care in Tree City USA, La Crescent.

The Root River Trail is a tourist destination for recreationalists in southeast Minnesota. A six-mile trail expansion will extend the trail from Harmony to the Iowa border. (Photo by Renee Bergstrom)

Trail Extension South of Harmony is Under Construction

Dave Shaffer reports on the bike trail extension to the Iowa border.

<span style="font-size: 14px; color: #6c6b6b; ">Retired geologist Jeff Broberg is framed in the doorway to his Winona County well house at his home near Elba. The water from his well exceeds the guidelines for nitrate contamination. (Photo by Mark Hoffman, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)</span>

Southeast Minnesota Runoff Pollutes Beyond Local Area

Southeast Minnesota’s nitrate pollution affects health and recreation beyond the local area; Madeline Heim traces its impacts to the Gulf of Mexico’s “dead zone”.

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