department of natural resources

DNR team honored for keeping river monitoring program strong despite funding challenges

Apr 22, 2026

You’ve read articles about the Frontenac beavers and the Lake Pepin mussels, both of which describe some of the important creatures that live in the ecosystem surrounding our town. But, if we zoom out to look at the bigger picture, you get the whole Upper Mississippi River. This is what Supervisor...

Lake City lab works to save Minnesota’s mussels

Feb 18, 2026

While researching an earlier article on pearl buttons, I found out that the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has a facility in Lake City known as the Center for Aquatic Mollusk Programs (CAMP). Naturally, I reached out to learn more and spent a whole afternoon absorbing the very...

DNR: New ice litter law intended to keep waterways clean

Dec 27, 2023

Every winter, hundreds of thousands of anglers head for the frozen water to fish. Most ice anglers clean up after themselves, but some don’t — and it’s their behavior that was the impetus for a new litter-on-ice law the Minnesota Legislature passed earlier this year, according to the Minnesota...

Maple syrup making and tasting programs offered at state parks

Mar 4, 2020

It’s a sure sign of spring when the annual tradition of tapping maple trees for syrup returns to Minnesota state parks, according to the Department of Natural Resources (DNR). The DNR is offering several free programs in March and April to help people learn about making maple syrup. Some parks...

New fishing rules on Lake Pepin and other state border waters

Mar 4, 2020

Anglers will find a variety of changes in the 2020 Minnesota fishing regulations booklet, including new possession and length limits on the Minnesota-Wisconsin border waters of the Mississippi River, according to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR). This is the first comprehensive...

DNR simplifies spring turkey licenses

Jan 2, 2020

Firearm turkey hunters this spring will no longer be restricted to a single permit area, according to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR). With the exception of three major wildlife management areas, a spring turkey license will provide the opportunity to hunt all permit areas in...

Rip rap holds secrets

Dec 26, 2019

Kathy Kruger was walking her dogs near some rip rap near the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) office recently when she literally stumbled upon a piece of cement with a message for the city. She tripped and it was on the ground that she saw it, a message scrawled in cement reading: “Goodbye...

DNR: Aquatic invasive species prevention

Jul 3, 2019

A broadly-supported measure going into effect Monday, July 1, will significantly enhance aquatic invasive species prevention and management in Minnesota.The increase in the aquatic invasive species watercraft surcharge on the three-year watercraft registration is increasing from $5 to $10.60. This...

Wabasha County Forestry Day is Feb. 8

Jan 24, 2019

The 2019 Wabasha Forestry Day will be held at the Theilman Opera House at 62643 261st Ave in Theilman on Friday, Feb. 8. The venue does not have handicap accommodations. Registration begins at 9:30 a.m. with the program scheduled to start at 10 a.m. This year’s theme is Woodland Health:...

Tips to be safer on the ice

Dec 13, 2018

The early ice can be dangerously deceptive, according to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR). Ice fatalities tend to occur more frequently during early and late season ice. Already this year, there have been multiple reports of people and vehicles/ice houses breaking through the...