HISTORY OF THE MINNESOTA RIVER

By: Nicholas KingeterWater Resources Center at MNSU

Historic River Basin Biomes

“… the plateau that opens here presents neither hills nor woods. It is a high, grand, and beautiful prairie”

Joesph Nicollet, 1838

Other biomes: Deciduous Forest Wetland

Resources: http://classroom.willstegerfoundation.org/

Pre- European Settlement

Early Explorers described many features we can no longer see or are rarely seen, including:

Wild rice Buffalo Elk Prairie Fires

Native Americans & the Minnesota River

8,000 BP Traces of first inhabitants. Native Americans live in villages near the Minnesota River thriving on hunting, fishing and cultivation of food crops. The vast prairie landscape was populated with bison, elk, wolves and grizzly bears.

Dakota called the river "Minnay sotar" meaning sky-tinted water. Dakota and Objibwe dominated territory

Massacre of 1862

Native American Settlements

European Settlement

Fur Trade Beginning in the 1700s, the Minnesota River

valley became the gateway to the western plains and a source of commerce for the fur trade.

European fur traders rarely caught any animals themselves. The Ojibwe and Dakota trapped and skinned the animals for them. The Europeans built trading posts, where Indians could bring furs to trade for raw materials and finished goods. As European-Americans moved in, they established many towns and cities, plowed the prairie, and drained the wetlands.

The Impacts of Fur Trading

1800’s in Minnesota 1803- Louisiana Purchase, Minnesota River becomes part

of the United States 1849- Minnesota Territory is formed 1858- Minnesota Statehood 1899- First US pollution-control law, the Rivers and

Harbors Act, forbids liquid-waste dumping, other than from sewers into navigable waters.

1900’s - Cleaning Up the Minnesota River

1933 The US Civilian Conservation Corps workers plant trees, build dams, and pursue other environmental projects.

Late 1930s In drought years, the river bottom was farmed. 1945 Minnesota's Water Pollution Control Commission is

established. 1948 Federal Water Pollution Control Act. 1967 Minnesota Pollution Control Agency replaces the Water

Pollution Control Commission. 1972 Federal Clean Water Act. 1974 Federal Safe Drinking Water Act. 1975 First Minnesota River Fish Consumption Advisory due to

elevated PCBs 1992 Governor Arne Carlson launches clean up program for the

river which he says "needs tremendous improvement." He issued a challenge to make the river fishable and swimmable by 2002.

The Minnesota River- Now

2000 - City of Mankato constructs a $25 million wastewater treatment plant expansion to reduce impacts on the river.

How can I help? http://mrbdc.mnsu.edu/make-difference