With 90% of the Blue Earth River watershed surrounded by agriculture land, farm drainage is a major cause of the increased runoff pulling pollution into the rivers.

Rafferty said that comparing Blue Earth River samples taken June 26, just after the dam failure, to the 2007-2021 long-term statistics, preliminarily show that the maximum pollution values were ...

Above: The Blue Earth River contributes nearly half of the Minnesota River’s flow here, at the confluence. The potential to improve the health of both rivers now is substantial. Photos by Roy ...

In the Blue Earth River's case, that means six Olympic swimming pools' worth of sediment is being pushed downriver. As a result, the river is shallower — between 1.5 and 4 feet when the water is ...

The Blue Earth River's water levels rose dramatically and tested the structural integrity of the dam. The dam has held up, but the specter of collapse hasn’t waned.

Rafferty said that comparing Blue Earth River samples taken June 26, just after the dam failure, to the 2007-2021 long-term statistics, preliminarily show that the maximum pollution values were ...