One way to make better use of nature’s readymade bioengineering is through green infrastructure practices such as raingardens, green roofs, and permeable pavement that help to catch water and hold it on the landscape for future use.
Read More
All articles filed in groundwater
What’s in the water you drink?
Free well water testing clinic – Aug. 18-19 at Scandia Community Center
Read More
Fossils, glaciers, and the water we drink
Groundwater provides 100 percent of the drinking water for people in Washington County and 70 percent of the drinking water in Minnesota.
Read More
Rich Fen, Poor Bog
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
Feeling parched in the Land of 10,000 Lakes
According to the University of Minnesota, approximately 20% of all treated drinking water in the Twin Cities metro area is used outdoors, with a majority of this being used on lawns and landscapes.
Read More
Intersex fish and cocaine shrimp
Scientists lay the blame for these strange phenomena on endocrine-disrupting chemicals and pharmaceutical compounds, such as pesticides, medications, and even common household products like shampoo.
Read More
New rule restricts nitrogen fertilizer application after Sept. 1
Beginning September 1, 2020, Part 1 of the Groundwater Protection Rule goes into effect, restricting the application of nitrogen fertilizer in the fall and on frozen soils in areas with vulnerable groundwater. It applies to approximately 12-13% of Minnesota’s cropland and nearly half of the land in Washington County.
Read More
A crack in the rock & a beach in the forest
Crystal Spring Scientific and Natural Area (SNA) in Scandia was established just four years ago. It contains a crystalline spring that pours out of the side of a rock wall, deep in an emerald chasm.
Read More
What goes down, must come up
Ask anyone with young kids and they’ll tell you about the strain of parenting in COVID times. With schools, summer camps, and daycare closed, we dance a wiggly cha cha as we attempt to somehow do a full day’s work while simultaneously caring for stir-crazy children who’ve been stuck at home since March. This summer,…
Read More
Green Lands, Blue Waters – A new menu for Minnesota farmers?
Do you like Kernza® and jam? Would you eat it in a boat? Would you eat it with a goat? Would you try it drenched in milk, ground to flour, or brewed as beer? Kansas-based nonprofit, The Land Institute, has spent more than 40 years researching and developing new farming strategies to protect soil and…
Read More
East Metro Water 