Crime & Safety
The Threats Wildfires Pose To Minnesota's 10,000 Lakes
Lake clarity and quality are not the only things coming into question. Scientists are also studying how it could hurt fish.
May 28, 2025
WCCO has been reporting for weeks about the impacts of the northeastern Minnesota wildfires on the ground and in the air, but new research shows it could also impact the state's waterways.
Find out what's happening in Across Minnesotafor free with the latest updates from Patch.
"All this is a major disturbance in the watershed that's likely to have a huge impact on overall water quality in these lakes," says Dr. Christopher Filstrup, a lake scientist with the University of Minnesota Natural Resources Research Institute. "You're seeing increased erosion in these watersheds, so you're having more sediment soils coming into the lake, so there's more particles, but also there's more organic matter."
Filstrup's research found more fires lead to murkier water, and more questions.
Find out what's happening in Across Minnesotafor free with the latest updates from Patch.
WCCO
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