Water Action Day brings Minnesotans to state capitol for education and advocacy

Despite a snowy spring day, more than 450 people attended the third annual Water Action Day at the Minnesota State Capitol on April 10. Organized by a statewide coalition of environmental and citizen groups, the event offered a full day of training and education, lobbying legislators, speakers, and a rally in the capitol rotunda. Water issues in Minnesota range from agricultural pollution in the southern part of the state, to oil pipelines and mine proposals in the northern part.

Several groups working to protect the Boundary Waters and surrounding area from mining pollution participated in the event, including Duluth for Clean Water, Friends of the Boundary Waters Wilderness, Friends of the Cloquet Valley State Forest, Minnesota Center for Environmental Advocacy, Minnesota Environmental Partnership, Save Our Sky Blue Waters, Save Lake Superior Association, Save the Boundary Waters, and WaterLegacy.

“Minnesota is the home of clean water, and participants let their representatives know that we want to keep it that way,” the Friends of the Mississippi River wrote in a report on the event. “We also know it will take a lot of work to protect our waters, but our Water Action Day policy priorities helped break this ambitious but vitally important goal into achievable steps.”

MPR News’ Climate Cast program also featured a special conversation with two Minnesota water experts about climate change and water to mark the occasion.

Priorities for Water Action Day participants included ensuring healthy land for healthy water, investing in a clean water future, and restoring public trust by pushing for policy based on science and transparency.

Here are social media highlights from some of the many people and organizations who attended, as well as legislators who met with their constituents: