You may have seen that the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) released the 2026 draft impaired waters list, which identifies lakes, rivers, streams, and wetlands across the state that don’t currently meet water quality standards. Let’s dig in.

When I step into my garden, time slows down. The green surrounding me, the birdsong, and an afternoon breeze — all of it recalibrates my nervous system in ways I never anticipated when I first planted seeds here. I thought growing my own food was the point. And it is, partly. But the peace I found in the garden was something I hadn't known I was looking for. Now I find myself wondering what my life might have looked like if I'd had access to these resources sooner.

Across the Cannon River watershed, people and organizations are coming together to care for the land in ways that are both practical and deeply rooted in history. A recent restoration event at Sharing Our Roots Farm in Northfield showed what that can look like in practice.