
(Raymond Grumney/The Minnesota Star Tribune)

(Raymond Grumney/The Minnesota Star Tribune)
A large share of lakes and streams are polluted in southern Minnesota, where runoff of farm chemicals makes them unsafe for swimming and fishing much of the time. But watersheds are cleaner in the more heavily forested northern part of the state.
Here's how to pick the right shovel, from the classic to the crack-jumper, back-saver or the plow.