St. Croix River – East Metro Water

Love Square Lake, Big Marine, St. Croix River?

By: angiehongmn July 9, 2020

Keeping water clean, Partners and UpdatesBig Marine Lake, Carnelian Marine St. Croix Watershed District, featured, Square Lake, St. Croix River, Warner Nature CenterLeave a Comment

CMSCWD includes 17 miles of the St. Croix Riverway stretching from Stillwater Township to Scandia, as well as 31 lakes, three designated trout streams, and hundreds of acres of wetlands. The four largest lakes in the district – Big Marine, Big Carnelian, Little Carnelian, and Square Lake – are in the Top 10 list of cleanest metro area lakes. There are also thousands of acres of high quality, undeveloped habitat in the region.

Where should the district focus limited time and money in the coming decade?

Paddle, Bike, Repeat: Four days on the Namekagon and St. Croix Rivers

By: angiehongmn July 3, 2020July 2, 2020

Outdoor Adventurescanoeing, clean water, featured, freshwater mussels, Minnesota, Namekagon River, St. Croix River, trout, Wild and Scenic River, Wisconsin3 Comments

We started our trip at the County Rd K landing (Namekagon River), near Trego, Wisconsin, and ended four days later at the Lower Tamarack landing (St. Croix River), 47-miles downriver. To avoid using a shuttle or bringing two cars, I brought my mountain bike along and rode back to our put-in at the end of each day to bring our truck and camping gear down to the next location.

Meandering in the woods

By: angiehongmn June 12, 2020June 12, 2020

Aquatic Biology, Keeping water clean, Outdoor Adventures, Partners and UpdatesAfton Alps, Afton State Park, designated trout stream, featured, hiking with kids, south washington watershed district, St. Croix River, stream restoration, troutLeave a Comment

There is an art to meandering in the woods. For Trout Brook and other naturalized streams, the “wiggles” allow for different types of habitat that fish need.

Sometimes people need a pause to wander in the woods as well.

Find wilderness close to home

By: angiehongmn May 22, 2020

Keeping water clean, Outdoor Adventureschildren in nature, featured, outdoor recreation, outdoors, Scientific and Natural Areas, St. Croix River, St. Croix River Association, St. Croix Valley, wilderness1 Comment

Like any good wilderness adventure, our day featured a stimulating mix of peaceful solitude, surprising discoveries, playful rest time, and harrowing travel.

Minnesota climatologists predict another year of major spring flooding

By: angiehongmn February 21, 2020February 22, 2020

Partners and Updatesfeatured, flood insurance, flooding, Mississippi River, St. Croix River, Washington CountyLeave a Comment

The National Weather Service and Minnesota Climatology Department are both predicting another wet spring with major flooding in 2020. There is a high chance of flooding on the Mississippi and St. Croix Rivers, as well as in lakes, ponds, farm fields, and low lying areas. Says Craig Schmidt, a hydrologist with the National Weather Service,…

Feedback from local communities helps to shape Lower St. Croix 10-Year Watershed Plan

By: angiehongmn February 11, 2020February 10, 2020

Keeping water clean, Partners and UpdatesAnoka County, Chisago County, clean water, featured, Isanti County, Pine County, St. Croix River, Washington CountyLeave a Comment

Learn more: Feb. 20 in North Branch or March 2 in Stillwater Over the past two years, 15 local government partners in Anoka, Chisago, Isanti, Pine, and Washington Counties have been working to create a shared watershed plan to guide collaborative work in the Lower St. Croix region for the next 10 years. Known as…

2020 Brings $1.9 Million in New Clean Water Funds to the Lower St. Croix area

By: angiehongmn February 10, 2020

Groundwater, Keeping water clean, Partners and UpdatesCarnelian Marine St. Croix Watershed District, Clean Water Fund, clean water grants, comfort lake - forest lake watershed district, featured, Forest Lake, middle st. croix watershed management organization, St. Croix River, Stillwater, Sunrise River, Washington Conservation DistrictLeave a Comment

On January 22, the Minnesota Board of Water and Soil Resources approved $13.9 million in Clean Water Fund grants to improve water quality in lakes, streams, and groundwater aquifers across the state. Forest Lake emerged as a big winner in this round of funding, with the Comfort Lake – Forest Lake Watershed District securing two…

Nurturing the Wild

By: angiehongmn January 23, 2020January 22, 2020

Outdoor Adventures, Yards and LandscapingCharlie Mackesy, featured, native landscaping, native plants, snowshoeing, St. Croix River, Wild Ones Design With Nature Conference, wildernessLeave a Comment

Design with Nature Conference: Sat., Feb. 29 in St. Paul “What is that over there?” “It’s the wild,” said the mole. “Don’t fear it.” “Imagine how we would be if we were less afraid.” – Charlie Mackesy, The Boy, the mole, the fox and the Horse A friend gave us a new book for Christmas…

St. Croix River impairment underscores need for continued work

By: angiehongmn December 3, 2019

Keeping water cleanfeatured, impaired waters, Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, St. Croix River, St. Croix River AssociationLeave a Comment

Three weeks ago, the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) announced its intention to declare a stretch of the St. Croix River from Taylor’s Falls to Stillwater impaired due to excess phosphorus. In the wake of this news, many local residents have asked who is to blame and what can be done to restore our treasured…

Enjoying the St. Croix River and working to keep it clean

By: angiehongmn July 25, 2019

Keeping water clean, Outdoor Adventuresclean water, featured, St. Croix River, volunteeringLeave a Comment

Picture, if you will, a woman serenely paddling down the St. Croix River on a standup paddleboard with a boy and a dog balanced on either end. The sun is warm, the water is calm, and all is right with the world. Level: Expert Total time to complete: 5 hours Instructions Step 1: Pack your car the night before. (No –…