Lake Pepin is filling in with sediment ten times faster than before settlement, shrinking habitat and threatening recreation. Most of that sediment comes from the Minnesota River, where higher flows and eroding bluffs, ravines, and streambanks are sending more material downstream than ever before.
And yet, the news isn’t all grim. Recent monitoring shows clearer water and a resurgence of rooted aquatic plants in backwaters near Lake Pepin. These plants act like natural filters, trapping sediment and providing food and shelter for fish and wildlife.
The big question: can these promising trends last without stronger efforts to reduce erosion upstream?
👉 [Read the full report by Norman Senjem here]