East Metro Water

It takes a village – planting and tending to raingardens in Washington County

Since 2006, community residents and local government partners have completed nearly 6000 conservation planting projects in Washington County to protect our lakes, rivers, and streams. More than 1600 of these are raingardens, designed to catch nutrient-rich runoff from rooftops, driveways, and streets and soak the water into the ground before it reaches a storm sewer or nearby waterway. Raingardens beautify our local communities and provide habitat for pollinators, but do require specialized knowledge to design, construct, and maintain them for long-term success.

Five years in, the Lower St. Croix Watershed Partnership makes strides toward cleaner lakes and rivers

By: angiehongmn July 31, 2026July 28, 2026

Keeping water clean, Partners and Updatesconservation, featured, nature, St. Croix RiverLeave a Comment

The Lower St. Croix Watershed Partnership includes 15 local government partners in Anoka, Chisago, Isanti, Pine and Washington Counties who are working collaboratively to improve the St. Croix River, as well as local lakes and streams.

Plants tell the story of a lake in recovery

By: angiehongmn July 23, 2026July 16, 2026

Aquatic Biology, Keeping water clean, Partners and Updatesaquatic plants, Brown's Creek Watershed District, featured, featuresd, lake restoration, Long Lake, Stillwater, stormwaterLeave a Comment

Between 1970 and 2002, Long Lake in Stillwater experienced a slow decline caused by farming, development, and stormwater runoff. Since then, the Brown’s Creek Watershed District, City of Stillwater, and local landowners have completed more that 100 projects to restore the lake to good health.

Twenty-six local projects to receive funding from Minnesota’s 3M settlement agreement

By: angiehongmn July 17, 2026July 14, 2026

Groundwater, Keeping water clean, Partners and Updates, Uncategorized3M, Dakota County, featured, fishing, Mississippi River, outdoor recreation, parks and trails, PFAS, ramsey county, Washington CountyLeave a Comment

Twenty-six east metro projects will receive a total of $20 million in funding from a 2018 settlement agreement. These projects are intended to improve local lakes, rivers, and streams, restore wildlife habitat, and add new fishing and outdoor recreation opportunities.

Millions of mayflies

By: angiehongmn July 10, 2026July 7, 2026

Aquatic Biology, Wildlifefeatured, fishing, mayflies, Minnesota, Mississippi River, St. Croix RiverLeave a Comment

There are more than 3000 species of mayflies worldwide and Minnesota is home to 105. Two – the Hexagenia bilineata and Hexagenia limbata – have synchronized hatches and can form swarms so large they actually show up on local weather radars.

Fields of flowers beckon birds and butterflies

By: angiehongmn June 26, 2026June 24, 2026

Yards and Landscapingart, featured, hiking, native plants, prairieLeave a Comment

Prairies once covered one-third of North America and one-third of the land that is now called Minnesota. Rivaling the African savanna, this sea of grass stretched from Saskatchewan to Texas and was home to deer, elk, antelope, prairie dogs, and an estimated 30-60 million bison. For 12,000 years, humans have been part of the prairie as well. Though only 1-4% of the original native prairie remains today, helping hands are spreading seeds and pulling weeds. Piece by piece, the prairie is rising.

Caring for your local neighborhood pond

By: angiehongmn June 19, 2026June 18, 2026

Keeping water cleanfeatured, native plants, stormwater, stormwater ponds, WetlandsLeave a Comment

There are a few clues you can look for to determine if your local neighborhood pond is natural or manmade.

Grimy green, or clear and clean?

By: angiehongmn June 14, 2026June 13, 2026

Aquatic Biology, Keeping water cleanbluegreen algae, featured, lakes, Minnesota lakesLeave a Comment

Bluegreen algae in lakes are fed by phosphorus and can sometimes grow out of control when the weather gets hot. Lakes with elevated levels of chloride (salt) are also more likely to experience algae blooms.

Where two worlds and waters meet

By: angiehongmn June 5, 2026June 2, 2026

UncategorizedBdote, Dakota, featured, Fort Snelling, History, Minnesota, Minnesota River, Mississippi River1 Comment

“The Mississippi River is my heart. She is everything to me,” says Tara Perron Tanaǧidaŋ To Wiŋ, as she greets our group along the edge of the river at Fort Snelling State Park. It’s a beautiful spring day and there are twenty of us gathered for “Learning from place: Bdote,” a tour organized by the Minnesota Humanities Center, Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, and We Are Water Minnesota.

Sign-up for the Memorial Day Wildlife Casualty Count

By: angiehongmn May 21, 2026May 19, 2026

WildlifeDeer, featured, roadkill, turkeys, turtles, WildlifeLeave a Comment

Help gather data that road authorities and local communities can use to design safer roads and wildlife crossings. The Wildlife Casualty Count week of action will take place from May 22 to May 29.