Septic Health Check: A Deep Dive into Inspections & Maintenance Topic Summary: Northwoods will be conducting an inspection of a septic system in Itasca County, highlighting the key aspects we assess as septic inspectors. Individual septic systems often provide superior waste treatment compared to municipal treatment plants, thereby ensuring that the water returned to the environment […]

Join Itasca Waters and Minnesota Sea Grant in learning about how climate change plays a role in harmful algae blooms (HABs) as part of the Itasca Water Wisdom online webinar series, co-sponsored by MNSG. Cyanobacteria, also known as blue-green algae, present a complex management challenge in lakes because they can rapidly form dense surface scums, or blooms, that […]

Topic Summary: Stormwater runoff refers to rainwater or melting snow that flows over land surfaces without infiltrating the ground. In natural landscapes, much of this water is absorbed by soil and vegetation. However, on shoreland properties with impervious surfaces like rooftops, driveways, landscaped areas and compacted soils, the water cannot penetrate the ground, leading to increased […]

Wildfires are becoming more frequent and severe worldwide, leading to significant physical and chemical changes in aquatic ecosystems within affected watersheds. These changes can impact both public water supplies and ecosystem health. In the U.S., research has mainly focused on the wildfire-prone West, where surface waters are a major source of drinking water. Despite growing […]