Minnesota - Healing Our Waters Coalition

Great Lakes Restoration

in Minnesota

Great Lakes restoration investments are producing results in Minnesota. Fish and wildlife are returning as habitat is restored and pollution is cleaned up. We can’t cut funding now—delays will only make problems more expensive and harder to solve.

Federal Investments are Producing Results in Minnesota

From 2009 through 2020, the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative has invested over $115 million in more than 325 projects in Minnesota to restore habitat, fight invasive species, clean up toxic pollution, and reduce polluted runoff. Steel walls that line working rivers in Duluth are being converted into natural shoreline, allowing fish and wildlife to return. Cleaned up waterways like the St. Louis River are inviting once more to folks for kayaking, canoeing, and fishing.

But Serious Threats Remain

Lake Superior continues to be threatened by toxic pollution from old industrial sites. Habitat degradation leads to polluted runoff entering streams that flow into the lakes. And to keep drinking water and wastewater safe, Minnesota needs $9.9 billion over the next 20 years to repair and replace crumbling infrastructure. We need the federal government to continue partnering with Minnesota to invest in Great Lakes restoration and affordable water infrastructure to protect our lakes.

Contact Your Member of Congress

Let your members of congress know they should take action to protect the Great Lakes! Contact your senators and representative and tell them:

The Great Lakes are our most important source of fresh water, providing drinking water to 30 million people. We must continue our efforts to clean and restore them.
Although we have made progress the lakes still face serious threats.
We can’t afford to stop now. These projects to clean up our lakes will only get harder and more expensive the longer we wait.

FEATURED SUCCESS STORY

Northern Minnesota River has Stronger Riverbanks, Less Erosion

Installing fallen trees, re-establishing flood plains, and planting new trees along Minnesota’s Flute Reed River helped stabilize the river, reduce sedimentation, and provide habitat for fish and wildlife.