Lake sturgeon were nearly hunted to extinction in the late 1800s and early 1900s but can now be found throughout the St. Croix River, as well as in tributaries including the Namekagon and Kettle Rivers.
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Angie Hong is the coordinator for Minnesota's East Metro Water Resource Education Program, a local government partnership with 31 members in Washington, Ramsey, Chisago and Isanti Counties: www.mnwcd.org/emwrep.
In her free time, she enjoys singing, gardening, and exploring the outdoors. For nature-based adventures, environmental education, and conservation inspiration, check out her upcoming book "Exploring the St. Croix Valley: Adventures on and off the Water" or follow her on TikTok and Instagram at @mnnature_awesomeness.
Angie lives in Stillwater with husband Gary, son Charlie, dog Molly, and cats Teddy, Twilight, and Clover.
Aug. 21 clinic will offer free nitrate and chloride testing for homes with private wells
During the clinic, volunteers will run a screen test to measure nitrate and chloride (salt) and will also offer one-on-one consultations to discuss wellhead protection and groundwater concerns, including arsenic, bacteria, pesticides, and Perfluorinated Alkylated Substances (PFAS). PFAS testing will NOT be conducted at this clinic.
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Stories of the St. Croix
How do you tell the story of a place?
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Brown’s Creek winds its way toward cleaner water
This summer, the Brown’s Creek Watershed District completes a large-scale stream restoration project, designed to reduce bank erosion, manage floodwaters during large rain events, and improve habitat for fish along a half-mile stretch of Brown’s Creek that flows between McKusick Ave. and the Brown’s Creek State Trail.
Members of the community are invited to view and learn about the Brown’s Creek stream restoration during a tour on Aug. 12 (6:30pm) and a community festival on Sept. 20 (10am-1pm).
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One fish, two fish, plant for more fish?
Seine netting is one technique that the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) uses to collect fish when developing an “index of biological integrity” for a lake, known as an IBI score. The number and variety of fish caught helps the DNR to determine whether a lake fully supports aquatic life.
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St. Croix Watershed research highlights growing impact of chloride pollution
Chloride is toxic to freshwater organisms like fish, frogs, and aquatic invertebrates and also alters lakes’ internal chemistry, causing a cascade of unexpected impacts.
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Why is my lake green?
Across the state, numerous beaches have closed unseasonably early due to blue-green algal blooms, which can be toxic to both people and dogs.
How can you tell the difference between blue-green algae and run-of-the-mill pond scum?
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Submit a nomination for 2025 Natural Shoreline Awards
The Natural Shoreline Award Program recognizes beautiful lakeshore, riverfront and streamside properties that incorporate native flowers, shrubs, trees and plants. Award-winning properties can be located in Chisago, Isanti, Ramsey or Washington Counties.
2025 Program Timeline:
– July 1 – August 7: Call for nominations
– August 7 – 31: Program judges will tour and evaluate shorelines
– September 9: Award recipients are announced
Learn more and submit your nominations.
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Good for the goose and gander
Given their current abundance, you might be surprised to learn that Canada geese were a rare novelty in the 1920s. In fact, state and federal agencies actually worked together to breed and re-introduce them to the wild during the 1950s.
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Score your shore: A tool to measure the health of your lakeshore property
Maintaining and restoring lakeshore habitat isn’t just good for wildlife, it also helps to protect valuable real estate from literally washing away.
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East Metro Water 