Mississippi Watershed Management Organization

09/24/2026

What can a beaver teach us about a healthy river? 🦫🌊

Beavers don’t just build dams, they can reshape waterways, create habitat and influence entire ecosystems. At our next Mississippi Musings workshop, world-renowned beaver expert Dr. Emily Fairfax will take us into the fascinating world of these ecosystem engineers and the dynamic impacts they have on rivers and healthy habitats. (She also served as a scientific consultant on the animated film Hoppers!)

Then, we’ll explore our own connections to the Mississippi River through music with Ben Weaver and a hands-on art activity led by Kimberly Boustead.

📅 Thursday, Oct. 1 | 5–7:30 p.m.
📍 MWMO Stormwater Park + Learning Center

This event is free, but registration is required.

🔗 Register Here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/mississippi-musings-dynamic-systems-tickets-1997899404902?aff=oddtdtcreator

08/21/2026

08/08/2026

How do we move through change — in our environment, our communities, and ourselves? 🌊

Join interdisciplinary artist and choreographer Victoria Bradford Styrbicki for a free movement workshop exploring our relationships to water, community, and change.

Through simple movement exercises, flag-based signaling, and creative improvisation, participants will explore the idea that water holds memory — of storms, pollution, healing, migration, and care — and consider the stories our own bodies carry.

📅 Saturday, Aug. 15 @ 9–11 a.m.
📍 MWMO Stormwater Park and Learning Center
🎟️ Free; registration required

Space is limited. Register here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/how-do-we-move-through-this-tickets-1994899786964?aff=oddtdtcreator

06/30/2026

📅 July 15, 2026 | 5:30–7:30 p.m.
📍 Stormwater Park and Learning Center

Join us on a journey from your neighborhood to the Mississippi River as we explore the personal side of stormwater science and policy.

In this Mississippi Musings workshop, Mississippi River paddler Devin Brown will share what draws her to the river and the story of her journey from the headwaters of the Mississippi to Hannibal, Missouri. MWMO Planner-Project Manager Aaron Goemann will then explore the people, history, and challenges that shaped Minneapolis' storm sewer system. The evening concludes with a hands-on art activity led by artist Kimberly Boustead, inviting participants to reflect on what a healthy river looks like to them..

Enjoy light refreshments and take time to explore the Stormwater Park and Learning Center.

This event is free, but registration is required.

Register Here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/1992789043674?aff=oddtdtcreator

06/26/2026

There's still time to join us for Share the River this Saturday!

From 9 a.m. to noon, stop by the MWMO Stormwater Park and Learning Center for a free introductory canoe ride on the Mississippi River with guides from Wilderness Inquiry. Before or after your paddle, enjoy refreshments, explore hands-on activities and exhibits, connect with local environmental organizations, and discover new ways to engage with the river that connects us all.

Whether it's your first time in a canoe or you're simply looking for a fun morning outdoors, Share the River is a great way to experience the Mississippi River alongside your community. Drop in anytime during the event—no registration required.

Please note: Participants must weigh at least 30 pounds to fit the provided life jackets.

We hope to see you there!

06/14/2026

💧 It's Day 14 of River Days of Action, and we're ending where a lot of river stewardship begins: with the rain that falls in our own neighborhoods.

When it rains, water flows off roofs, driveways, streets, and sidewalks, picking up pollution along the way before eventually making its way to the Mississippi River.

A rain barrel is one of the simplest ways to interrupt that journey.

By collecting rainwater from your roof, a rain barrel helps reduce stormwater runoff while providing free water for gardens, trees, and native plants. It's a small piece of infrastructure that turns a rainstorm into a resource.

Over the past two weeks, we've highlighted ways to paddle, bike, volunteer, learn, plant, create, and connect with the river. The common thread is that caring for the Mississippi River isn't one big action. It's thousands of small ones.

A rain barrel won't solve every water quality challenge facing the river. Neither will a native garden, a clean storm drain, or a canoe ride. But together, those actions add up.

🌦️ Learn how to install and use a rain barrel at home: https://www.mwmo.org/learn/preventing-water-pollution/rainbarrels/

06/13/2026

🌱 It's Day 13 of River Days of Action, and we're getting our hands dirty.

Well, technically muddy.

Seed bombs are a simple way to help native plants get started. By wrapping native seeds in a protective layer of clay, they can be easily transported, stored, and planted when conditions are right.

Why native plants? Because native flowers provide food and shelter for pollinators, support local wildlife, help absorb stormwater, and keep soil in place. Much of that work happens underground, where their deep root systems can extend several feet below the surface, helping rainwater soak into the ground and reducing erosion and runoff. In other words, they're doing a lot of behind-the-scenes work to support healthy watersheds.

Swipe through to see how easy it is to make your own seed bomb.

06/12/2026

🕳️ It's Day 12 of River Days of Action, and we'd like to talk about one of the least appreciated pieces of infrastructure in the city: the storm drain.

If you thought storm drain water goes to a treatment plant, you're not alone. But storm drains are designed to move rainwater off streets as quickly as possible. That means leaves, trash, motor oil, pet waste, and that pile of debris you've been meaning to sweep up since the snow melted can all end up in the Mississippi River untreated.

Not ideal.

The good news is that thousands of people are already helping. More than 16,800 volunteers have adopted nearly 29,000 storm drains through the Adopt-a-Drain program.

Grab a broom, rake, or pair of gloves and clear debris away from a storm drain near you. It only takes a few minutes and helps keep pollution out of local waterways.

Ready to level up? Adopt a drain with Adopt-a-Drain MN and make it your mission to keep it clear year-round. You even get to name it! Urban watershed stewardship has perks.

🔗 Learn more: adopt-a-drain.org

06/11/2026

🎧 It's Day 11 of River Days of Action, and today we're highlighting an exciting resource from our friends at Owámniyomni Okhódayapi.

For many people, Owamniyomni (St. Anthony Falls) is a place they've visited dozens of times. We've crossed the Stone Arch Bridge, watched the water rush over the falls, taken photos, met friends, attended events, and enjoyed the riverfront.

Our friends at Owámniyomni Okhódayapi offer self-guided audio tours, public interpretive tours, and private group tours that explore Dakota values, Dakota language, the significance of the river, and the Mnísota Dakota Tribes' vision for cultural and environmental restoration at Owamniyomni.

At MWMO, we spend a lot of time talking about the Mississippi River, and one of the things we find most fascinating is how many different ways there are to understand its story.

A geologist might see bedrock and waterfalls. An ecologist might see habitat and food webs. An engineer might see locks, dams, and infrastructure. These tours offer an opportunity to explore Dakota perspectives and relationships with Owamniyomni and the Mississippi River.

🌊 Learn at your own pace with the audio tour, join a public tour, or schedule a private group experience.

🔗 Learn more: owamniyomni.org/programs/



Photo Courtesy of Owámniyomni Okhódayapi.

06/10/2026

🛶 It's Day 10 of River Days of Action, and MWMO is inviting you to get out on the Mississippi River in one of the easiest ways to experience the river from the water.

On June 27, Share the River returns to MWMO after a two-year hiatus. No paddling experience? No problem. No canoe? We've got that covered, too.

Experienced guides from Wilderness Inquiry will handle the paddling while you sit back, enjoy the ride, and experience the Mississippi River from a perspective most people rarely get to see.

While you're here, explore the MWMO Stormwater Park and Learning Center, enjoy light refreshments, and take part in hands-on activities that connect your time on the water to the bigger picture: how the river works, why it matters, and what it takes to care for it.

📅 June 27, 2026
🕘 9 a.m.–12 p.m.
📍 MWMO Stormwater Park and Learning Center

🔗 Learn more: https://www.mwmo.org/events/share-the-river-2026/

After a couple years hiatus, Share the River is back! Join us on Saturday, June 27 from 9 a.m. to noon for a free, low-stakes way to experience the Mississippi […]