South Washington Watershed District adapts to changing times and new challenges

New development continues to be one of the biggest challenge facing the watershed.

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Stormwater Detective

Even now, contractors frequently empty dirty wash water from carpet cleaning or wash cement off of tools straight into storm drains that connect directly to the lakes and rivers we swim in and fish from.

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As the Water Drop Rolls

Elsewhere 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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How’s the Water Minnesota? (Part 2 – Rivers and Streams)

In the Twin Cities metro area, development has impacted most of the rivers and streams and only 37% are meeting water quality standards for aquatic life.

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How’s the Water Minnesota? (Part 1 – Lakes)

Deeper lakes fare better than shallow ones, and the lakes in less developed portions of the metro are doing better than those in cities or adjacent to farms.

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Wearing high heels in the winter and other things you shouldn’t do

We have a growing problem in Twin Cities area lakes, streams and even wells that is almost entirely caused by the 365,000 tons of salt we are putting down on roads, parking lots, driveways, and sidewalks each year.

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Pharmaceuticals in Minnesota Lakes

Drug and medicine “Take-Back” events are scheduled for April 26, 10am-2pm, at the County Government Building in Stillwater and June 14, 10am-2pm, at the County South Service Center in Cottage Grove.

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Healing from Groundwater Contamination in Washington County

In 2008, the MN Department of Health initiated a study to determine if long-term residents of Oakdale, Lake Elmo and Cottage Grove were impacted by drinking the PFC contaminated groundwater before carbon filters were installed in 2006.

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How to cross a river with a baby

Most parents of young children avoid international travel, particularly to locations where treacherous unpaved roads, tarantulas, and rodents of unusual size are common. We are different. When my husband Gary and I began discussing vacation destinations for this winter, the conversation quickly moved from, “nothing involving long car rides,” to “preferably some place warm,” before…

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