Keeping water clean – Page 2

Brown’s Creek winds its way toward cleaner water

By: angiehongmn August 4, 2025

Aquatic Biology, Buckthorn, Keeping water clean, Local Achievements, Partners and UpdatesBrown's Creek State Trail, Brown's Creek Watershed District, featured, fishing, stream restoration, troutLeave a Comment

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).

St. Croix Watershed research highlights growing impact of chloride pollution

By: angiehongmn July 18, 2025July 17, 2025

Aquatic Biology, Keeping water cleanchloride, featured, lakes, Minnesota, salt, St. croix Watershed research station, water pollution, winterLeave a Comment

Chloride is toxic to freshwater organisms like fish, frogs, and aquatic invertebrates and also alters lakes’ internal chemistry, causing a cascade of unexpected impacts.

Why is my lake green?

By: angiehongmn July 10, 2025

Aquatic Biology, Keeping water cleanalgae blooms, beaches, blue-green algae, featured, lakes, MinnesotaLeave a Comment

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?

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.

Mississippi River – Looking forward, looking back

By: angiehongmn June 6, 2025June 4, 2025

Keeping water clean, Uncategorizeddams, dead zone, featured, Mississippi River, nitrogen, wildlife habitatLeave a Comment

The Mississippi tops American Rivers’ list of Most Endangered Rivers. And yet, as we look toward the future, there are reasons to remain optimistic.

Learn more and find ways to engage during “Mississippi River Days of Action” on June 1 – 15.

State funds help to amplify the work of local government partners in the St. Croix Watershed

By: angiehongmn May 5, 2025May 2, 2025

Keeping water clean, Partners and Updates, UncategorizedClean Water Fund, featured, Minnesota, St. Croix RiverLeave a Comment

Nearly 8000 square miles of land in Minnesota and Wisconsin drains to the St. Croix River. Within this larger basin, 915 square miles of land on the Minnesota side is included in the Lower St. Croix watershed. This encompasses 127 lakes, over 1,000 miles of rivers and streams, and approximately 152,000 acres of wetlands.

In its first four years, the Lower St. Croix Watershed Partnership reduced phosphorus to local waterways by 10,959 pounds per year, which is nearly double what the group hoped to achieve over the course of its 10-year plan.

Likely Stories: A Photographic Journey through Climate Adaptations in the St. Croix Watershed

By: angiehongmn February 7, 2025February 7, 2025

Keeping water clean, Local Achievements, Uncategorized, Wildlifeart, climate change, climate resiliency, featured, nature, photography, St Croix River, St Croix Watershed Research Station, Washington Conservation District, wild rivers conservancy, WildlifeLeave a Comment

“Likely Stories,” the project that emerged, can best be described as a photographic journey through climate adaptations in the St. Croix Watershed. As part of this project, the artists seek to document the local impacts of climate change, such as black ash swamps, decimated by Emerald ash borer, tamarack “ghost forests,” algae blooms on the river and inland lakes, and future changes at the Allen S. King power plant. Equally important, they also hope to showcase examples of individuals, communities and organizations that are taking action to build climate resiliency.

When temps plummet, turn to sand or grit instead of salt

By: angiehongmn January 24, 2025

Keeping water cleanfeatured, ice, salt, winterLeave a Comment

By the time temps drop below 15°F, salt pretty much stops working and the ice will remain solid, no matter how much salt you dump on the ground.

Chasing rainbows in the shallows

By: angiehongmn January 15, 2025January 15, 2025

Keeping water cleanfeatured, iron bacteria, oil spills, stormwater pollution, streams, WetlandsLeave a Comment

Seeing rainbows in the water at a stream or wetland near you? It could be from pollution, but not always! Learn how to tell the difference between natural sheens and spilled oil.