Faribault historian and filmmaker Sam Temple was commissioned by Clean River Partners to create a water-themed film in a language other than English. What emerged was “Las Aguas Vivas de Faribault” (The Living Waters of Faribault), a film that shed light on a hopeful moment in time, in a place not so far away.

As communities in the watershed face extreme weather, like heavier rainfall and flooding, many are looking for ways to enhance local water quality. One effective approach is to plant native plants.

Road salt is present everywhere during the winter months. In large quantities, it poses a threat to fish, wildlife, and human health. So, what’s the solution?

Clean River Partners offers many ways to engage with the waterways that surround us. But sometimes, a person just needs to be near water. To watch it move, and to listen quietly to its voice.

Clean River Partners is celebrating its 35th anniversary this year. That’s three and a half decades of protecting and improving soil and water quality in the Cannon River Watershed.

Fall is quickly approaching, leaves are turning the beautiful colors we love to drive around and look at, and the age-old debate arises about whether or not we should clean up the leaves in our yard. You’ve heard it, I’ve heard it — we’ve all probably participated in the conversation — so we want to dive into this conundrum to determine if or when it’s better to leave the leaves. 

Trash that finds its way to a river affects so much more than just the water. It impacts entire ecosystems, as both humans and wildlife depend on it for survival. Having a clean watershed is essential for our community to thrive. Clean River Partners emphasizes this in the work they do, and every year they host the Cannon River Watershed Cleanup. There are many different sites with cleanups to target the entirety of the river.

Mayflies. We heard about them a lot this summer. Images and videos of them under streetlights, blanketing cars, and clouding sidewalks went viral on social media. They often get a bad reputation and are called a nuisance “river bug,” but the presence of mayflies along the Cannon and Straight Rivers actually indicates improved water quality. 

In a world where convenience often outweighs sustainability, it’s time to reevaluate some of our daily choices. One seemingly small but actually significant decision is whether to invest in a reusable water bottle.