Cary Hernandez of the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency Received the 2026 Kallemeyn Award for Scientific and Resource Management Achievement
March 12, 2026
This year, on behalf of the community of scientists and resource managers from the United States and Canada working in our watershed, the Lake of the Woods Water Sustainability Foundation presented Cary Hernandez with the Larry Kallemeyn Award. This award acknowledges the outstanding contributions made to water resources management and science in the Rainy-Lake of the Woods watershed.
Cary, a long-time employee of the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, was recognized for many contributions over his lengthy career. In addition to his long list of technical contributions, Cary has been instrumental in finding and securing funding for needed projects working within his agency and across agencies and state sources to get work funded and started. Among his most noteworthy technical contributions, he led the synthesis of the 2021 Lake of the Woods TMDL document, working with 35 resource managers who contributed to the effort and leading the public comment throughout northern Minnesota and in Canada at Kenora. Cary has been a constant member of the International Multi-Agency Arrangement (IMA) working to secure a strong future for the watershed. He has demonstrated foresight on how we move forward on Lake of the Woods to protect its resources and meet the TMDL. The award was presented to Cary by his nominator, Mark Edlund, and a commemorative plaque has been sent to him to mark this recognition.
For more information on the Kallemeyn Award: www.lowwsf.com/kallemeyn-award or contact:
Teika Newton
Executive Director, Lake of the Woods Water Sustainability Foundation