Minnesota – East Metro Water

Earth Day is more than just a feel-good event

By: angiehongmn April 21, 2026

UncategorizedEarth Day, environment, featured, History, Minnesota, St. Croix River, United States, WisconsinLeave a Comment

In 1965, protests in Stillwater, Minnesota ignited a national conversation that eventually inspired Congress to pass the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act in 1968.

Two years later, Senator Gaylord Nelson (WI) helped to organize the very first “Earth Day” on April 22, 1970. During this inaugural event, 20 million Americans — 10% of the U.S. population at the time — participated in teach-ins and rallies, calling for sweeping changes to end the environmental destruction they saw happening across the nation.

Heron, heron, heron, egret

By: angiehongmn March 6, 2026March 6, 2026

Uncategorized, Wildlifebirds, black crowned night heron, egret, featured, great blue heron, green heron, migration, Minnesota, Mississippi RiverLeave a Comment

Way down south along the Mississippi River, great blue herons are on the move. This week they crossed the border into Missouri. By the end of the month, we’ll welcome them back to Minnesota.

Live, love, laser loon

By: angiehongmn February 23, 2026

Uncategorized, Wildlife, Yards and Landscapingbirding, birds, featured, lakes, lakeshore, lead-free, loons, Minnesota, nature, photography, shoreline landscaping, travelLeave a Comment

2026 = Lead out, natural shorelines in!

Learn about Minnesota’s strange but beloved loon.

At Pig’s Eye, hope and despair abound in equal measure

By: angiehongmn February 17, 2026February 17, 2026

Keeping water cleanDakota, featured, habitat restoration, Minnesota, Mississippi River, Pigs Eye, St. Paul, water pollutionLeave a Comment

Once, it was C̣hokáŋ Taŋka, the Dakota village of Kaposia, and a bountiful mecca for fishing, hunting, and gathering. Later, it was a highway of pollution, filled with human sewage, garbage, and carcasses from the local slaughterhouses. Today, it includes a regional park and DNR Scientific and Natural Area, surrounded by rail yards and heavy industry.

Minnesota Pollution Control Agency launches new SMART salt module for rural communities

By: angiehongmn January 31, 2026January 29, 2026

Keeping water clean, Partners and Updates, Uncategorizedchloride pollution, featured, Minnesota, MPCA, rural roads, salt, winterLeave a Comment

Road maintenance in rural communities like Grant and Stillwater Township is significantly different than in larger cities like Oakdale and Woodbury. A new rural roads training module aims to help small communities stretch their limited public works budgets while also protecting local lakes and streams from salt and sediment pollution.

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.

Minnesota Water Stewards goes statewide

By: angiehongmn October 23, 2025October 22, 2025

Keeping water clean, Partners and Updatesfeatured, Freshwater Society, Minnesota, Minnesota lakes, Mississippi River, nature, North Woods and Waters of the St. Croix Heritage Area, St. Croix River, St. Croix Valley Foundation, volunteering, Washington Conservation District, Washington County ParksLeave a Comment

David, Kim, Barb and Mike are part of an elite cadre of volunteers helping to engage communities across Minnesota and western Wisconsin in grass-roots projects to protect and restore lakes, rivers, and streams.

Beginning in 2026, Freshwater is taking the program statewide and removing the enrollment fee so that more people can participate. Locally, the St. Croix Valley Foundation has provided grant funds to Washington Conservation District (WCD), Freshwater, and North Woods and Waters to train-in a new cohort of volunteers, starting in 2026.

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.

Stories of the St. Croix

By: angiehongmn August 8, 2025August 5, 2025

Outdoor Adventuresfeatured, History, Minnesota, St. Croix River, WisconsinLeave a Comment

How do you tell the story of a place?

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.