A couple of hours west of the Twin Cities, on US 212, Renville County is one of the state's most intensive agriculture areas. It's also intensively farmed, or "agged," as conservationist Tom Kalahar attests.

After year-long negotations with landowners, the state DNR bought a good chunk of the rare calcareous Seminary Fen, near Chaska. MnDOT's recommendation to build a river crossing west of the spot also seems a bright spot in preserving the fen.

Just how much has the river recovered in the past 30 years? Quite a way, according to experts and amateurs alike, including those who regularly fish the river (one of the best kept secrets in the region). And yet we still have a way to go.