Tips and tales about keeping water clean
Last winter, Andy Riesgraf and Emily Fairfax teamed up to establish Beaver Innovations LLC, a UMN start-up company that is focused on finding ways to help beavers and people coexist in harmony.
The duo’s first three beaver co-existence projects are located in Washington County at the Big Marine Park Reserve expansion site and Cottage Grove Ravine Regional Park, made possible by funding from Pollinator Friendly Alliance’s biodiversity project.
Read More
Square Lake is one of the clearest lakes in the Twin Cities area and ranks in the top 1% for water clarity in the entire North Central Hardwood Forest Ecoregion of Minnesota. New park improvements underway this fall are designed to help keep Square Lake clean for years to come.
Read More
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.
Read More
To plant a tree or a garden is an act of hope. We hope that the snow will melt and the sun will return. We hope that that neighborhood deer and rabbits will find enough food to eat, though not so much that our garden fails to grow. We hope that the earth will keep spinning, and the rain will fall, that there will be a warm home to live in, and hands to do the work. It’s a small act of courage in an uncertain world, though really, when you think about it, not so small at all.
Read More
Owning a lake home is the quintessential Minnesota dream, but it also comes with a lot of responsibility. Two of the most common “problem scenarios” for lakeshore owners include creating beaches and installing rock riprap. Learn more about the rules.
Read More
In 2023, CMSCWD launched a comprehensive lakeshore protection and restoration program for the ten most popular lakes in the watershed district, developed stormwater treatment projects for Big Carnelian and Big Marine Lakes, and began planning for a future restoration project on Mill Stream in Marine on St. Croix.
Read More
Over the past ten years, Washington County has focused on inter-agency collaboration for regional issues, as well as implementing local programs to reduce the risk of groundwater contamination and promote water efficiency. Now, they’re looking ahead toward future challenges.
Read More
This fall, the WCD is launching a new initiative to develop a countywide community forestry program, in partnership with cities, volunteers, and the AmeriCorps Climate Impact Program.
Read More
Washington County is working with the Brown’s Creek Watershed District and Applewood Hills Golf Course to design a stormwater reuse system that will collect runoff from Hwy 36 and Manning Ave. and use it for golf course irrigation. The project will reduce groundwater pumping by 7 million gallons per year and provide 30% of the irrigation needs for Applewood Hills.
Read More
Paul Goodwin and his family have established a 49-acre conservation easement on land abutting Silver Creek near Stillwater, MN and are working to convert 14-acres of fallow farmland to prairie and oak savanna.
Read More
East Metro Water 