Tips and tales about keeping water clean
We are excited to announce the winners of our 2026 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.
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At Wildwood Park in Mahtomedi, there is a baseball field, a playground, and a fishing pier on a secluded lake, surrounded by massive oak trees. Near the water’s edge, bumblebees buzz happily among bee balm, dotted blazingstar, black-eyed susans, and great blue lobelia. The lake is dappled with lilies with giant white flowers, like a Monet painting come to life.
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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.
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A recent report from the Natural Shorelines Partnership noted that Minnesota has lost 50% of its natural shorelines over the past 100 years, and continues to lose shoreline habitat at a rate of 1-2% per decade.
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When the Twin Cities Army Ammunition Plant closed in 2005, it created an opportunity for Ramsey County to restore the surrounding landscape and for Rice Creek Watershed District to nurse the neglected stream back to good health.
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In the Twin Cities east metro, improving lakes that are set to be “de-listed” include Bone Lake – Scandia (Comfort Lake – Forest Lake Watershed District); White Rock Lake – Scandia, Bald Eagle Lake – White Bear Township, and Golden Lake – Circle Pines (Rice Creek Watershed District); La Lake – Woodbury (South Washington Watershed District); and Kohlman Lake – Maplewood (Ramsey-Washington Metro Watershed District).
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Who tracks water quality in the Forest Lake area, and how do we nurse impaired lakes and streams back to good health?
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Lakes International Language Academy & Forest Lake Area High School both gain recognition for environmental initiatives The fourth grade students at Lakes International Language Academy (LILA) have been learning a lot about water this year. “We have a science unit about matter and have focused on water throughout the year,” explains teacher Roberto Izquierdo. “It…
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Like most suburban communities, the City of Hugo uses nearly half of its municipal water supply to provide some form of irrigation. Unlike most communities, the city is telling residents in some neighborhoods to go ahead and keep the sprinklers running. It’s not that Hugo wants to waste water. In fact, the city is keenly…
Read MoreElsewhere across the east metro, homeowners wielding shovels and pitchforks laid traps, disguised as ornamental landscaping, to keep nutrients and other pollutants out of local waterways.
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East Metro Water 