The Watershed

This special episode of The Watershed Podcast celebrates 100 years of water quality testing on the Mississippi River and the communities who have fought to bring the river back to life. You’ll hear from Tim Terrill, Darrin Hoverson, Mike, Heidi & Kadence Becker, Lori Becker, Devin Brown, and Tanáǧidaŋ Tó Wíŋ, each sharing a personal connection to the river, from the headwaters in northern Minnesota to the Twin Cities.Their stories span stewardship, family traditions, boat‑building, environmental education, healing, cultural memory, and the deep Dakota relationship with Mni Sota Makoce. Together, they paint a picture of a river that is more than water: it’s a teacher, a relative, and a thread that ties generations together.Back in 1926, a study revealed severe pollution: only three fish were found in a 42-mile stretch of river between the Twin Cities and Hastings. The findings confirmed what residents already feared: the Mississippi was dead. But that study also sparked a century of collective action to restore and protect this vital waterway.  This year, a growing movement in the Twin Cities called Sacred Water Shared Future is honoring that legacy. Through community gatherings, storytelling, education, and conservation, the campaign celebrates the river’s central role in our region while acknowledging its deep history, sacredness, and resilience. The hope is simple and powerful: that 2026 inspires collaboration and shared action and helps set the stage for the next hundred years of healing for the river and all the life it supports.  You can learn more about Sacred Water Shared Future at Sacred Water Shared Future, where you’ll also find a full calendar of water‑focused events happening throughout the Twin Cities. The campaign is hosting opportunities for people to connect with the river in meaningful ways, from rafting trips and bike tours to seminars, workshops, concerts, logrolling, crating, and more. Each event offers a chance to celebrate the river, learn from it, and spend time with others who care about its future. You can learn more about We Are Water MN at We Are Water MN - Minnesota Humanities CenterSpecial thank you to Mumble Media, who conducted all the interviews with these community members. Thank you to our interviewees for this episode.We Are Water MN is a project of the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency and the Minnesota Humanities Center, in partnership with the Minnesota Historical Society; the Board of Water and Soil Resources; the Minnesota Departments of Agriculture, Health, and Natural Resources; and University of Minnesota Extension.We Are Water Minnesota is funded by the Clean Water Fund, part of the Clean Water, Land and Legacy Amendment, which was created by the vote of the people in Minnesota on November 4th, 2008.    You can find We Are Water MN on Instagram and Facebook, where you can follow along for the latest updates!Music Credits: Little Water Dreams by Tom_Hoffmeyer from   Pixabay.

At the headwaters of the Mississippi, six storytellers share how Northern Minnesota’s waters have shaped their lives, their identities, and their sense of place. In this episode, you’ll hear from Connie Cox, Deane Johnson, Chi binesikwe (Karen E. Goulet), Steve Maanum, Emily Schilling, and Dakota & Amy Sather, each offering a different window into the landscapes, memories, and relationships that flow through Itasca.From ancient glacial history and enchanted bogs to water as ceremony, childhood adventures, dragonfly “water memories,” and the joy of learning to fish, these stories reveal the many ways water sustains, teaches, and connects us.The exhibit is being hosted by Itasca Biological Station and the Department of Natural Resources at the Lakeside Museum in Itasca State Park from now until August 10th, 2026.You can learn more about We Are Water MN at ⁠We Are Water MN - Minnesota Humanities Center⁠Special thank you to Mumble Media, who conducted our interviews for Itasca State Park. Thank you to our interviewees for this episode.We are Water MN is a project of the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency and the Minnesota Humanities Center in partnership with the Minnesota Historical Society; the Board of Water and Soil Resources; the Minnesota Departments of Agriculture, Health, and Natural Resources; and University of Minnesota Extension.We Are Water Minnesota is funded by the Clean Water Fund, part of the Clean Water, Land and Legacy Amendment, which was created by the vote of the people in Minnesota on November 4th, 2008.   You can find We Are Water MN on ⁠Instagram⁠ and ⁠Facebook⁠, where you can follow along for the latest updates!Music Credits: Little Water Dreams by Thomas Hoffmeyer from Pixabay 

In this episode of The Watershed Podcast, we explore six powerful stories from community members living in the Capitol Region Watershed District in St. Paul. Andrew Montain, Ray Ruiz, Thia Xiong, Devin Brown, Tanáǧidaŋ Tó Wíŋ (Tara Perron), and Seitu Ken Jones share how water has shaped their lives, their identities, and their connections to place.From shoreline restoration and youth conservation work to competitive fishing, river journeys, Dakota homelands, and family history written in the Mississippi River, each story offers a different way of understanding what water means in this community. Together, they reveal water as a teacher, a refuge, a responsibility, and a relative.The exhibit is being hosted by Capitol Region Watershed District in St. Paul from April 23rd to June 14th, 2026.You can learn more about We Are Water MN at We Are Water MN - Minnesota Humanities CenterSpecial thank you to Mumble Media, who conducted our interviews for Capitol Region Watershed District. Thank you to our interviewees for this episode.We are Water MN is a project of the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency and the Minnesota Humanities Center in partnership with the Minnesota Historical Society; the Board of Water and Soil Resources; the Minnesota Departments of Agriculture, Health, and Natural Resources; and University of Minnesota Extension.We are Water MN is funded with money from the Clean Water, Land, & Legacy Fund that was created with the vote of the people of Minnesota on November 4, 2008.You can find We Are Water MN on Instagram and Facebook, where you can follow along for the latest updates!Music Credits: Calm Water Sound Meditation from Calm water sound meditation | Royalty-free Music - Pixabay

Thanks for listening to The Watershed, a podcast from We Are Water MN.In this episode, we’re joined by Sarah Holger, a woman who lives in the Zumbro River watershed and who has dedicated her career to getting kids connected to the outside world. Sarah dives into her past and shares about a magical swamp that has helped shape who she is today. The We Are Water MN exhibit will be hosted by Oxbow Park & Zollman Zoo in Byron from February 24th to April 20th, 2026. You can learn more about We Are Water MN at ⁠We Are Water MN - Minnesota Humanities Center⁠Special thank you to Mumble Media, who conducted our interviews for Oxbow Park and Zollman Zoo. Thank you to Sarah Holger, our interviewee for this episode.We are Water MN is a project of the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency and the Minnesota Humanities Center in partnership with the Minnesota Historical Society; the Board of Water and Soil Resources; the Minnesota Departments of Agriculture, Health, and Natural Resources; and University of Minnesota Extension.We are Water MN is funded with money from the Clean Water, Land, & Legacy Fund that was created with the vote of the people of Minnesota on November 4, 2008.You can find We Are Water MN on ⁠ Facebook and ⁠⁠Instagram where you can follow along for the latest updates!Music Credits: Calm Water Sound Meditation from ⁠https://pixabay.com/music/meditationspiritual-calm-water-sound-meditation-402559/

Thanks for listening to The Watershed, a podcast from We Are Water MN.In this episode, we’re joined by Brett Ostby, a biologist who works with endangered species, with a special focus on freshwater mussels. Brett explores how human activity has reshaped the way our rivers function, and what those changes mean for the wildlife that depends on them.The We Are Water MN exhibit will be hosted by Oxbow Park & Zollman Zoo in Byron from February 24th to April 20th, 2026. You can learn more about We Are Water MN at We Are Water MN - Minnesota Humanities CenterSpecial thank you to Mumble Media, who conducted our interviews for Oxbow Park and Zollman Zoo. Thank you to Brett Ostby, our interviewee for this episode.We are Water MN is a project of the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency and the Minnesota Humanities Center in partnership with the Minnesota Historical Society; the Board of Water and Soil Resources; the Minnesota Departments of Agriculture, Health, and Natural Resources; and University of Minnesota Extension.We are Water MN is funded with money from the Clean Water, Land, & Legacy Fund that was created with the vote of the people of Minnesota on November 4, 2008.You can find We Are Water MN on Facebook, Instagram, and, TikTok where you can follow along for the latest updates!Music Credits: Calm Water Sound Meditation from https://pixabay.com/music/meditationspiritual-calm-water-sound-meditation-402559/