Minnesota
Minnesota lawmakers assert protections for public waters
A new state law expands legal protections for hundreds of miles of Minnesota waterways whose status had been uncertain.
In the final days of the session, lawmakers passed language clarifying that a waterway that meets the legal definition is a public water, even if it’s not on a decades-old state inventory.
The change was included in an omnibus environment and natural resources budget bill, which Gov. Tim Walz signed into law last week.
“This is a backstop to say water courses that meet the definition in state law are water courses that belong to all of us as Minnesotans, and are due these protections that we’ve outlined for public waters,” said Carly Griffith, water program director for the Minnesota Center for Environmental Advocacy.
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The bill’s passage followed a lengthy legal dispute over Limbo Creek, the last free-flowing stream in heavily-farmed Renville County.
The county board did not require an environmental review of proposed improvements to the upper reaches of the creek, because it wasn’t listed on the public waters inventory.
Environmental groups and the Department of Natural Resources argued the stream met the legal definition of a public water, warranting greater protection. A lower court agreed, and the Minnesota Supreme Court upheld that decision in 2022.
In Minnesota, “where water is really central to our identity,” the state has taken an expansive view of what counts as a public water, Griffith said. That definition includes natural and altered waterways with a total drainage area greater than 2 square miles. “So that means it can include streams and creeks that aren’t the Mighty Mississippi River, but that are important to the local communities that rely on them,” Griffith said. She estimates the new law will affect at least 640 miles of waterways across the state.
Griffith said there are errors in the state’s public waters inventory, which was created in the 1980s when the technology used to identify drainage areas was less advanced. The new law includes $8 million over the next eight years for the DNR to update the inventory.
Some farm groups are concerned the new law could expand legal protections to more waterways and create uncertainty for farmers. Public waters have more regulations, including restrictions on draining and filling, and requirements to maintain vegetative buffers.
Pierce Bennett, public policy director for the Minnesota Farm Bureau Federation, called it “a pretty dramatic expansion” of what could be labeled public waters, leaving farmers “in a little bit of limbo.”
“Our view is that this would allow for a lot of waters that aren’t currently under that inventory to just simply be put in,” Bennett said. “And that is concerning.” He said farmers shared their concerns about the bill with legislators throughout the session, and plan to work with state regulators to understand its impacts.
“We need to have a greater understanding of what this might mean for the future,” Bennett said.
Minnesota weather forecast. (FOX 9)
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) – Most of Minnesota will be under a marginal risk of severe weather on Thursday, with rain and rumbles expected.
Thursday weather forecast
Local perspective:
A line of storms is expected to develop in west-southwest Minnesota on Thursday and grow in coverage as well as intensity tracking east into the early evening.
Large hail and damaging winds are the prevalent threats, but an isolated tornado is also possible along the line.
Isolated showers are expected to form in the western part of Minnesota on Thursday morning.
Rain chances in the Twin Cities area increase in the afternoon, as a line pushes through with possible thunderstorms.
Stay Sky Aware with FOX 9 for the latest.
The Source: This story uses information from the FOX 9 weather forecast.
A TikTok creator is no longer banned from parks in St. Paul, Minnesota, after appealing the city’s restriction, according to his agent.
St. Paul Parks and Recreation Director Andy Rodriguez earlier this month accused Josh Liljenquist of going to Pig’s Eye Park to “harass, record and profit from vulnerable adults residing there without said individuals’ permission.” Liljenquist, who is known for giving away food and cash in his videos, denied the allegation.
On Wednesday, Liljenquist’s agent shared a new letter from the city.
“Based on an evaluation of the facts of this situation as they were relayed during your appeal meeting, I will be rescinding your ban from our parks, effective immediately,” the letter from Rodriguez read.
Rodriguez also wrote the city expects “all residents and visitors to our parks to abide by the rules.”
“Our responsibility is to ensure park spaces remain safe, respectful, and accessible for all, and we appreciate your partnership in that effort,” the letter read.
Liljenquist told WCCO he has only recorded at Pig’s Eye Park once, and it was with the Ramsey County Sheriff’s Office’s consent. He said he and his videographer always get consent from individuals they film, too.
Local organizations that work with people experiencing homelessness are split on Liljenquist’s impact. Sue Phillips, director of the Metropolitan Interfaith Council on Affordable Housing, said his content “is exploiting people experiencing homelessness/housing instability.” Feeding St. Paul founder Michael Brendale, on the other hand, said, “Josh has changed many lives, taken people off the streets.”
Liljenquist told WCCO he films his efforts instead of making them private in hopes of “inspiring other people to do it, showing that it doesn’t take a lot of money, it doesn’t take a lot of resources to go out there and do something for somebody.”
The National Weather Service confirmed that at least five tornadoes touched down in southeastern Minnesota on Friday, including four that hit Olmsted County. At least another three twisters were confirmed in southwestern Wisconsin.
The NWS was still analyzing data and other information to determine if more tornadoes occurred in the area.
The storms started Friday afternoon, with the first tornado touching down north of Sargeant in Mower County around 1:45 p.m. The short-lived EF0, with top wind speeds of 80 mph, traveled about 3 miles northeast into rural Dodge County near the unincorporated town of Oslo. It lasted for about five minutes in total, the weather service says, and caused minor damage to a grain silo before dissipating.
A new tornado formed a few minutes later, less than a mile away south of Oslo. The storm was also considered an EF0, with wind speeds around 80 mph. Lasting less than 10 minutes, it traveled 4 miles into Olmsted County, causing light damage to farm outbuildings and trees.
The line of storms seemed to pick up intensity as it entered Olmsted County.
Around 2:17 p.m., the EF2 tornado that would later hit Marion Township first touched down just northeast of Stewartville. The weather service estimates that the twister had wind speeds of about 130 mph and traveled nearly 10 miles northeast, before dissipating around 2:31 p.m. Multiple homes were severely damaged with roof removal and partially collapsed exterior walls.
An EF1 tornado was also confirmed to have hit near Potsdam around 2:30 p.m.
The first portion of the tornado was weak, the weather service said, with mainly EF0 damage. On the second portion of the 12-mile track, the tornado intensified to produce approximately 100 mph winds with tree and farm outbuilding damage. It lifted around 2:54 p.m.
A second EF2 tornado was confirmed in Olmsted County around 2:46 p.m. about 5 miles east-northeast of Viola and traveled about 7.5 miles, ending in Wabasha County, a few miles south of Plainview, around 3 p.m. Maximum wind speeds were around 125 mph. The storm affected mainly rural areas and damaged trees and outbuildings. One farmhouse lost a roof and a garage roof, the weather service said.
No injuries were reported in the Minnesota-Wisconsin outbreak.
Friday was a historic day for the NWS La Crosse office, which issued 26 tornado warnings – the most for any one day since the office opened in 1995.
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