Welcome to Freshwater’s Member Hub
This member hub is a one-stop-shop for everything related to membership, plus some other great resources for protecting water in your life. If you enjoy Minnesota's waterways, you can make a difference by becoming a member of Freshwater. Thank you for being part of the Freshwater community!
Join, renew, or upgrade your membership today!
Sustaining Membership
Monthly sustaining membership - the BEST way to make a splash for water!
Become a monthly donor for as little as $5/month! Freshwater sustainers are a caring community of people dedicated to keeping our lakes and streams clean. Small, frequent gifts add up to protect water for the long-haul!
💧Our signature Minnesota Weatherguide Environment Calendar and Almanac! Sustaining members get their complimentary Weatherguide every year, shipped right to their homes in September.
💧 Access to key water news and information, from water saving tips to water policies to the latest science and research. Check out the Water Fast Facts below!
💧 Member-only discounts on Freshwater conferences and events such as our annual gala, Water Connects Us.
💧 A meaningful way to make a difference for the lifeblood of our communities, which can be so easy to take for granted! Your membership support is contributing to a future in which we all have clean, safe water.
Annual Membership
Annual memberships, also referred to as one-time memberships, begin at $50 for an individual and $100 for a family for a year. Annual members can choose to renew each year.
An annual gift helps Freshwater engage communities, conduct research, and advocate for change. Freshwater members protect water quality in Minnesota!
💧Our signature Minnesota Weatherguide Environment Calendar and Almanac! New or renewing members will receive their complimentary calendar at the time of their membership or renewal.
Tip: Don't want to worry about remembering to renew every year? Become a sustaining member and we'll automatically send you a calendar each year!
💧 Access to key water news and information, from water saving tips to water policies to the latest science and research. Check out the Water Fast Facts below!
💧 Member-only discounts on Freshwater conferences and events such as our annual gala, Water Connects Us.
💧 A meaningful way to make a difference for the lifeblood of our communities, which can be so easy to take for granted! Your membership support is contributing to a future in which we all have clean, safe water.
Corporate Membership
NEW! This new membership program offers corporate organizations and businesses the opportunity to support the protection and conservation of groundwater and surface water in Minnesota and beyond.
These gifts are critical for Freshwater's work and they demonstrate to your employees and community a company culture that values giving back.
💧Elevate your company leadership in the water community.
💧 Show a commitment to water conservation.
💧 Attract and retain top talent to work at your company.
💧Highlight collaborations with water thought leaders, and support innovative research.
💧 Support workforce initiatives to get more students into water careers.
💧 Additional benefits based on membership level.
Other ways to give
Freshwater offers a variety of ways to support the future of water in Minnesota and the Great Lakes Region.
SCALE UP YOUR IMPACT
Click below to explore ways you can make a positive impact on water, starting with smaller impacts on the left and moving to greater impacts on the right.
GROUND ZERO
You can make a difference.
- Mow your grass at three inches
- Plant drought-tolerant plants and water only when needed
- When it snows, shovel immediately and salt only when absolutely necessary
- Rake leaves from your yard, sidewalk, gutter, and street
- Adopt a storm drain
- Become a Freshwater member
- Install rain gardens
GAINING SPEED
- Hold an annual neighborhood rake and street sweep event
- Work with businesses to reduce chloride use and impervious surfaces
- Organize neighbors to adopt storm drains or a shoreline
- Work with shoreline owners to create a natural buffer
- Coordinate stormwater management practices across multiple properties
- Adopt a shoreline with Adopt-a-River
UP & RUNNING
- Become a Minnesota Water Steward
- Encourage new ordinances that protect water resources
- Influence policy to promote green infrastructure
- Write clean water strategies into city planning documents
- Advocate to preserve scenic and natural areas
- Institute a no-wake zone on a local lake
- Support more pervious surfaces in development projects
WATER FAST FACTS
WATER IN THE NEWS
Airlines race toward a future of powering their jets with corn (New York Times)
Nitrate contamination of Minnesota waters shows little sign of going away, despite years of effort (Star Tribune)
Minnesota teachers learn new ways to bring nature into the classroom (Minnesota Public Radio)
EPA to Minnesota: Take action to protect people from polluted wells in eight counties (Star Tribune)
Metro Detroit's rainy future (Planet Detroit)
A tangle of rules to protect America's water is falling short (New York Times)
Southeast Minnesota struggles for common ground on nitrate pollution as health worries rise (Minnesota Public Radio)
In remarkable turnaround, Minnesota cities consume much less water than decades ago (Star Tribune)
Native lands lack clean water protection, but more tribes are taking charge (Stateline)
As new farm bill gets drafted, some hope for changes to support sustainable farming (Minnesota Public Radio)
Perch Lake reconnects with St. Louis River Estuary (Duluth News Tribune)
Despite concerns, Natural Resources Board approves changes that seek to protect waterways (Wisconsin Public Radio)
Access to clean water is a key concern for most Americans, survey finds (Forbes)
Inundation and injustice: Flooding presents a formidable threat to the Great Lakes region (Ensia)
Minnesota's Drought Task Force meets as longstanding dry pattern continues (Minnesota Public Radio)
Offering up advice for farmers, universities add to US water pollution (Circle of Blue)
Mississippi River mayors want to block water diversions (Minnesota Public Radio)
On ‘Cancer Road,’ a group of southeastern Minnesota families ask if nitrate exposure is to blame (MinnPost)
Big farms and flawless fries are gulping water in the Land of 10,000 Lakes (New York Times)
Nitrate levels in 8 southeastern Minnesota counties near crisis point (Star Tribune)
Lawmakers approve tougher enforcement penalties for water permit violators (Minnesota Public Radio)
‘So many unknowns.’ Minnesota will study PFAS in agricultural pesticides ahead of a near-ban in 2032 (MinnPost)
‘Big, bold idea’: Duluth hopes to heat homes with wastewater energy (Minnesota Public Radio)
Is the fragile geology of St. Anthony Falls imperiled? (Minnesota Reformer)
River Falls fishermen lead the effort to fix a trout stream ‘mucked up’ by troublesome dams (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)
COMMUNITY EVENT BOARD
SHARE YOUR WATER STORY & MEET YOUR COMMUNITY
We believe storytelling is one of the best ways to learn from each other's experiences and helps to foster shared appreciation. Each of us has a unique connection to water, whether inspired by a favorite lake or water-related hardships you experienced growing up, we want to hear your water stories.
Let us know how we can improve your membership experience. Thank you for being a member of Freshwater!
CHECK OUT OUR LATEST BLOG POSTS
