Minnesota cabin ownership is a cherished family tradition for many, but rising property taxes threaten this legacy. With average owners earning around $58,000, these aren’t just wealthy families. Legislative dismissal of their concerns could lead to the destruction of natural shorelines and a loss of memories, necessitating advocacy for fairer tax policies.
How to Protect Your Property from Wildfire By Jeff Forester, Executive Director of MLR and author of Forest for the Trees, How Humans Shaped the Northwoods As smoke from wildfires in northern Minnesota fills our skies, my staff and I at Minnesota Lakes & Rivers have been thinking about the communities experiencing these impacts firsthand—communities… Read more »
Have you ever wanted to try surfing? As a kid I wanted nothing more. I spent days at school plotting my move to California or Hawaii and imagining the laid-back, beach-dwelling lifestyle of the surfers I saw on TV. However, like most childhood dreams, it didn’t pan out. Instead, I’m enjoying a heat wave in… Read more »
Preserving Minnesota’s Lake Heritage for generations past and present By Dylan Kinny, MLR Development Coordinator At Minnesota Lakes and Rivers we talk a lot about the state’s lake heritage. We all have a general idea of what that means to us. It differs whether you grew up on a lake, own a cabin, or just… Read more »
By Sami Selter Assoc. Exec. Director, MN Lakes & Rivers Curbs are the shorelines of the city. This past summer, Minnesota Lakes & Rivers, with funding from the Minneapolis Foundation, piloted the Minneapolis Lake Steward program. The initiative encouraged both homeowners and renters to take simple, positive steps to protect our lakes—planting native gardens, picking… Read more »
Guest Blog A Cleaner, Healthier Future for Our Lakes & Ponds Starts Now! Hello neighbors, If you’ve noticed murky water, algae blooms, or fewer fish in your lake or pond, you’re not alone. These issues are often caused by fertilizer runoff and low oxygen levels—but the good news is, we now have a natural, effective… Read more »
By Sami Selter, Associate Executive Director What Minnesota’s Lakeshore Communities Need to Know About Enhanced Wakes. The Healthy Waters Initiative In 2020, as the pandemic drew more people to Minnesota’s lakes, communities raised urgent concerns about the rise of wake-surfing boats and their impact on our waters. With most existing research either limited or industry-funded,… Read more »
Sami Selter, MN Lakes and Rivers Associate Director In recent years, MLR has been at the forefront of one of the most visible—and divisive—changes on Minnesota’s lakes: the rise of enhanced wake boats and the growing popularity of wake surfing. On a summer afternoon, it’s easy to see the appeal. Watching a surfer carve across… Read more »
If you’ve ever spent a quiet morning on a Minnesota lake, you may have heard the eerie, beautiful call of the common loon echoing across the water, anchoring us to the wildness of this place. Loons are more than a symbol of our northern heritage, they are a vital sign of lake health, an indicator… Read more »
It’s SHORE important For many Minnesotans, owning a lake home is a dream fulfilled—a place for family, reflection, and connection to nature. But the strip of land between home and water plays a vital role in protecting the lake itself. Common landscaping choices like lawns to the water’s edge and riprap, often promoted as the… Read more »