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.
💧 Opportunities to provide input on Freshwater policy initiatives and receive exclusive updates. Stay tuned for members-only notifications to provide your input.
💧 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!
💧Opportunities to provide input on Freshwater policy initiatives and receive exclusive updates. Stay tuned for members-only notifications to provide your input.
💧 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 civic-minded students and professionals 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
Environmental groups sue EPA over water pollution from large livestock farms (Star Tribune)
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)
Researchers discover concerning danger hiding within freshwater lakes (MSN)
Petition aims to put moratorium on CAFO expansion (Pierce County Journal)
Long-awaited litter-capture boom system installed at Lake Hiawatha (Star Tribune)
3M to pay more than $10B to settle ‘forever chemicals’ cases (Minnesota Public Radio)
What you need to know about the Talon Metals plan to mine metals for EVs in Minnesota (MinnPost)
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)
Why parts of America are ‘certainly in a water crisis’ and what can be done about it (ABC News)
Report: Removing PFAS from Minnesota wastewater would cost billions (Minnesota Public Radio)
Water PFAS clean-up costs could trickle down (NBC News)
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!
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