National Research Initiatives

Minnesota River

The Minnesota River is one of America's twenty most endangered waterways. Most of the watershed is highly agricultural, with a significant urban influence in the lowest reaches. The University of Minnesota has a long-term and widespread research involvement in the river basin. In a major NSF-funded project, we addressed decision-making and scientific knowledge in the Minnesota River Basin: scientists continue to stress the importance of understanding cumulative effects and coarse spatial scales such as watersheds and basins, while political, social and economic forces simultaneously cause decision-makers to act at increasingly local scales. We asked how the interaction of landscape conditions and land-use management practices in the Minnesota River Basin affects export of nutrients and in-stream biological communities, in turn affecting decision-making about land use.

St. Croix River

The St. Croix River is a National Scenic Riverway between Minnesota and Wisconsin. The St. Croix drains a forested and agricultural landscape and has very high water quality. Managers and scientists face many societal pressures and management challenges regarding the St. Croix. Over the long term, perhaps 30% of the Water Quality Team's research focuses on the St. Croix. Contact Jim Perry .

Riparian

Riparian areas are the interface between the land and the water. They represent sensitive intersections in the landscape as well as valuable ecosystems in and of themselves. We are conducting an experimental manipulation of two northern Minnesota watersheds funded by the Forest Resources Council and the National Council for Air and Stream Improvement. This research involves 24 forest stands and measures a wide range of in- stream and terrestrial responses. We also participate in NC 230, the North Central Regional Riparian Network, which draws together scientists, educators and outreach people from 12 Upper Midwest states. Contact Jim Perry .