Atlas of Maine

Article Title

Determining Potential Risk Areas for Minnesota Water Features

Authors

Mariel R. Ferragamo, Colby CollegeFollow

Abstract or Description

There are many important water features in Minnesota, but some are under potential threat due to the increase in agricultural pollution of air and groundwater, and infiltration of aquatic invasive species (AIS) (Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, 2018). This study analyzes these risk factors and the existing biodiversity of Minnesota’s water sources to identify potential high risk water features. Using a model that is scaled from 0-24 (low to high risk) it was discovered that over 95% of all water features have some level of threat regarding their natural state, while 15% are at a high risk of invasive species infiltration and pesticide contamination.

About the Author

Mariel Ferragamo, 2020, is from southern Minnesota, and studies Environmental Policy at Colby College.

Source Data Note

All layers are from the Minnesota GeoSpatial Commons.

Rights

In Copyright

Recommended Citation

Ferragamo, Mariel R. "Determining Potential Risk Areas for Minnesota Water Features," Atlas of Maine: Vol. 2018: No. 2, Article 8.
Available at: https://digitalcommons.colby.edu/atlas_docs/vol2018/iss2/8