March 22 is the day to acknowledge globally that water is essential for our health – people and everything that lives on Planet Earth. Water is finite and flows through a cycle of use and reuse in watersheds throughout the world. The U.S. Water Alliance advocates for a “One Water” approach which acknowledges water’s value wherever it is in the cycle. 
We call Minnesota our home, and we know how important water is to our great state. Before the cities of our state were settled and governments were formed, the indigenous peoples of our region lived in harmony with lakes, rivers, and wetlands.
World Water Day is an opportunity to reflect on the future of our freshwater resources. We all live upstream and downstream – respecting others’ needs for safe, clean, reliable water is a key step to taking action. At Freshwater, we focus on understanding the science as we seek to advocate, educate, and be a catalyst for long-term systems change.
We work to improve water laws and the governing practices have evolved over generations. We have learned much and we are excited to dive into learnings about how the states and tribal nations surrounding the Great Lakes protect and manage groundwater in our recently launched project, “Groundwater Governance in the Great Lakes States” funded by the Joyce Family Foundation. This project was featured today as part of 2021 World Water Day Great Lakes Open House hosted by several Great Lakes region organizations. Stay tuned to Freshwater’s website and blog posts as we roll up our sleeves on this exciting project with our partners from the University of Minnesota, the U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs, the Great Lakes Indian Fish and Wildlife Commission and Water365.
We invite you to join us in our mission to inspire and empower people to value and conserve water – today and every day.
– John Linc Stine, Executive Director