Ford Plant closes, Hidden Falls returns

When the Ford Assembly Plant closed in 2011, the Capitol Region Watershed District and City of St. Paul seized the opportunity to engage the wider community and transform the site into a thriving residential neighborhood with parks and recreational amenities.

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Feeling Loony in Forest Lake

At the Forest Lake Lake Association (FLLA) meeting on Wednesday, May 17, 6:30-8pm, Rob Rabasco, coordinator of Minnesota’s Loon Restoration Project, will talk about efforts underway to protect loon habitat across the state, augment natural loon nesting with artificial nesting platforms in targeted locations, implement loon-friendly lake management plans, and increase survival rates for loon chicks. Robasco is one of three invited speakers for the event.

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Continuing a legacy of soil and water conservation

Last week, SWCD staff and supervisors from around the state met with state legislators during the annual Soil and Water Conservation Districts Day at the Capitol.

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Trout return to Afton’s Trout Brook

The stream restoration project creates different types of habitat that fish need, including deep pools with slow-moving water, shallow riffles with fast, turbulent water running over rocks, and runs with deep, fast water and little to no turbulence.

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Growth and change at William O’Brien State Park

By 1947, there were 30 state parks in Minnesota but none located close to the Twin Cities area. That’s when Alice O’Brien stepped up to donate 180 acres of land near Marine on St. Croix, which formed the seed for a new park to grow.

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Planning ahead for a rainy day

Comfort Lake – Forest Lake Watershed District launches wetland enhancement project, wins Climate Adaptation award.

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Bringing public art into stormwater management

A growing number of watershed management organizations are recognizing the value of public art to beautify otherwise boring stormwater management projects, illustrate connections between built and natural environments, and explain technical processes in new and creative ways.

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To dam or not to dam?

The Minnesota DNR has removed more than 50 dams statewide during the past thirty years and has found that an average of 73% of the lost species return to these rivers once the dams are gone. Despite the obvious ecological benefits, however, dam removal isn’t always an easy decision.

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Jim Pechacek and Caroline Mecklin selected as 2022 Outstanding Conservationists

Jim and Caroline are stewarding farmland in the St. Croix Valley that has been in the family for more than 140 years.

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Sweeping streets and clearing drains for a cleaner St. Croix River

This winter, the Lower St. Croix Watershed Partnership will allocate $40,000 in state funding to help 16 local communities develop targeted, enhanced street sweeping programs in order to reduce stormwater runoff pollution to the St. Croix River and its tributary lakes and streams.

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