Environment Dan Olson

There's not much left of Minnesota's natural landscape the way it looked before white settlement. Visitors to Minnesota's 161 scientific and natural areas, or SNAs, can catch glimpses. Some of the views include tall pines ringing lakes of sky-blue water, or endless bogs, or prairies that stretch to the horizon. Other views, like those at Blanket Flower Prairie SNA on the western edge of Minnesota, take a little more effort to appreciate.

Listen Story audio 4min 11sec Scientist Dan Engstrom, director of the St. Croix Watershed Research Station, studies the sediment on lake bottoms, which can show how — or even if — certain farming practices affect water quality. "We're investing a lot in encouraging farmers to do these things, but are we getting much bang for our buck?" Join Engstrom on the road to one of Minnesota's 11,842 lakes.