Tips and tales about keeping water clean
Six water bodies in Washington County will likely be added to the state’s impaired waters list due to perfluorinated alkylated substances (PFAS), also known as the “forever chemical.” The affected waters include Tanners Lake (Oakdale), Eagle Point wetland and H.J. Brown Pond (Lake Elmo Park Reserve), Clear Lake (City of Forest Lake) and the St. Croix River/Lake St. Croix from Taylors Falls to Prescott.
Read More
Wetlands protect nearby homes from flooding and help to reduce shoreline erosion along the edges of rivers and lakes. If you have a wetland on or near your property, however, you may need to make some changes in your landscaping and seasonal yard care.
Read More
Bogs are acidic and nutrient-poor for plant growth. Fens are rich in nutrients and are alkaline. The Tamarack Nature Preserve is unique because it has characteristics of both.
Read More
Overall, the MPCA has determined that road salt is responsible for 42% of the chloride in groundwater, lakes and streams. Two other major sources of chloride that are less well-known include agricultural fertilizers (23% of the total chloride) and water softeners, which account for up to 65% of the chloride discharged from municipal wastewater treatment plants.
Read More
Curt Sparks would love to see more people in the community get involved in lake and watershed stewardship, whether it is by joining the watershed district’s citizen advisory committee, participating in activities led by one of the local lakes associations, or merely adopting a storm drain in their neighborhood.
Read More
Cities use street sweepers to maintain a tidy appearance, but these machines can also be an important and cost-effective tool for reducing stormwater pollution.
Read More
Take a break from raking leaves and get involved in efforts to create more resilient woodlands this fall.
Read More
A new regional infiltration basin will collect and filter stormwater from a large area of land that includes commercial and residential property, delivering it to Lily Lake cleaner and with less phosphorus.
Read More
In the coming weeks, there are several steps you can take to prep your yard and gardens for winter and continue to support pollinators, birds and other wildlife.
Read More
Though rivers have long been used as borders to divide one group of people from another, it also strikes me that they have the power to bring us together as well.
Read More
East Metro Water 