Aquatic Biology – East Metro Water

Finding frozen frogs

By: angiehongmn December 19, 2025December 16, 2025

Aquatic Biology, Wildlifefeatured, fish, frogs, lakes, Minnesota, salt, turtles, winter1 Comment

When the snow falls and lakes freeze over, Minnesota’s wildlife employ a variety of adaptations to stay alive.

Try chicken grit as an eco-friendly alternative to salt

By: angiehongmn December 5, 2025December 1, 2025

Aquatic Biology, Keeping water cleanchicken grit, chloride, featured, salt, winterLeave a Comment

One way that homeowners, businesses, HOAs, and community organizations can help to reduce water pollution from winter salt is by using chicken grit as a no-salt alternative.

Beaver Love: A new initiative aims to help beavers and people co-exist in harmony

By: angiehongmn November 28, 2025November 25, 2025

Aquatic Biology, Partners and Updates, Wildlifebeavers, featured, forests, lakes, Washington County, WetlandsLeave a Comment

Last winter, Andy Riesgraf and Emily Fairfax teamed up to establish Beaver Innovations LLC, a UMN start-up company that is focused on finding ways to help beavers and people coexist in harmony.

The duo’s first three beaver co-existence projects are located in Washington County at the Big Marine Park Reserve expansion site and Cottage Grove Ravine Regional Park, made possible by funding from Pollinator Friendly Alliance’s biodiversity project.

a boat on the Mississippi River near Lake City

Fish, with a side of anti-depressant?

By: angiehongmn November 18, 2025November 4, 2025

Aquatic Biology, Keeping water clean, Wildlifefeatured, fish, fishing, medications, pharmaceuticals, Septic Systems, wastewater, water pollutionLeave a Comment

How and why are chemicals like estrone, DEET, cocaine, antidepressants, oxycodone, and veterinary antibiotics ending up in our lakes and rivers?

Cattails to the rescue?

By: angiehongmn November 7, 2025November 3, 2025

Aquatic Biology, Keeping water clean, Partners and Updatescattails, chloride, featured, invasive species, phosphorusLeave a Comment

Could cattails help to solve phosphorus and chloride pollution in some of our lakes and wetlands? A new pilot initiative led by the South Washington Watershed District (SWWD) aims to find out.

Subtle signs of a changing climate

By: angiehongmn October 10, 2025October 7, 2025

Aquatic Biology, Keeping water cleanalgae blooms, bluegreen algae, Carver Lake, climate change, cyanobacteria, featured, lakes, Minnesota, ramsey washington metro watershed district, south washington watershed district, Washington Conservation District, WoodburyLeave a Comment

Bluegreen algae blooms have become more prevalent in urban lakes, as well as in pristine northern lakes including Lake Itasca, the Boundary Waters, and Quetico Wilderness Area.

Meet our 2025 Natural Shoreline Award winners!

We are excited to announce the winners of our inaugural Natural Shoreline Awards, sponsored by the East Metro Water Resource Education Program and Lower St. Croix Watershed Partnership. These awards recognize Minnesotans who are protecting lake, stream, and wetland habitat in Chisago, Isanti, Ramsey and Washington Counties.

Flowers bloom in the shadow of a great white bear

By: angiehongmn September 5, 2025

Aquatic Biology, Keeping water clean, Local Achievements, Partners and Updatesfeatured, Minnesota Board of Water and Soil Resources, Minnesota lakes, rice creek watershed district, Washington Conservation District, water conservation, White Bear Lake, wildlife habitat1 Comment

White Bear is a lake with a storied past. At 2438 acres, it is the second largest lake in the Twin Cities metro, and its history features a legendary fight with a giant bear, steamships, gangsters, famous authors, legal battles, and even an amusement park. Recently, efforts led by the Washington Conservation District have focused on improving habitat and reducing stormwater runoff from small communities located along the southeast shore of the lake.

Zebra mussels and starry stonewort spread to more Minnesota lakes

By: angiehongmn August 29, 2025August 28, 2025

Aquatic Biology, WildlifeAIS, Aquatic Invasive Species, featured, starry stonewort, zebra musselsLeave a Comment

This summer, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources has reported new infestations of aquatic invasive species – zebra mussels and starry stonewort – at a dozen lakes across the state. The discoveries underscore the inherent challenge of protecting Minnesota waterways in a state with more than 11,000 lakes, thousands of natural and manmade connections, and countless ways to access the water from public and private lands.

Living dinosaurs roam the rivers

By: angiehongmn August 22, 2025

Aquatic Biology, Wildlifefeatured, fishing, Namekagon River, St Croix River, sturgeonLeave a Comment

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.