A survey of the attitudes of Minnesotans toward the use, maintenance and development of the Mississippi River in Minnesota was conducted. Background information on the diverse physical nature of the project Universe (those 23 Minnesota counties which the River flows through or is adjacent to) was collected covering the topics of waterflow, soils, population change, changing riparian land use, and recreational opportunities. Great physical and cultural diversity was found in the project Universe. Attitudes of residents were measured by a 40 item mail questionnaire sent to 5,000 residents; 101 in-depth interviews were also conducted. Respondents provided data on their characteristics, evaluated the desirable and undesirable characteristics of the River, evaluated the role of media in providing them with environmental information, expressed attitudes towards the use of the River, how River pollution should be controlled and financed, and provided data on what aspects of their life styles they were and were not willing to change to improve environmental quality. (Author)