Spring 2025 AIS Treatments

SWWD is continuing efforts to control growing infestations of aquatic invasive species (AIS) like curly-leaf pondweed (CLP) and Eurasian watermilfoil (EWM) in the 2025 growing season. Spring treatment will be conducted at Markgrafs and Wilmes (north basin) for curly-leaf pondweed. Why is treatment occurring? CLP and EWM cause significant nuisance conditions on District lakes, making […]

Spring Cleaning “To Do’s” Should Include Picking Up Dog Poo

This year’s spring cleaning list should include picking up pet waste to prevent water quality contamination in the South Washington Watershed District. Pet waste is considered pollution, and when not picked up, it can negatively impact water quality. Waste from pets contains nitrogen and phosphorus, as well as pathogens and disease-causing bacteria. But what does […]

Call for Artists: Public Art at Wilmes Lake Alum Treatment Facility

The South Washington Watershed District (SWWD) seeks proposals to commission a professional artist or team of artists to design, fabricate and install a work of public art at the newly completed Wilmes Lake Alum Treatment Facility in Kargel Park, Woodbury, Minnesota. The selected artwork will be installed in a visible location on an exterior screen […]

SWWD 2025 CCIP

SWWD Coordinated Capital Improvement Program (CCIP) 2025 Request for Proposals To facilitate improved stormwater management in existing developed areas, the District administers a Coordinated Capital Improvement Program (CCIP) to provide financial assistance to local land use and public works authorities for projects that benefit District water resources by directly improving water quality and/or the resilience […]

Call for Artists: Artist in Residence 2025

The South Washington Watershed District (SWWD) seeks a creative fine art aerial photographer and/or aerial videographer to celebrate and document the landscapes, ecosystems, natural resources, and diverse inhabitants that call southern Washington County home. The lengthened term of the artist’s residency is designed to allow exploration throughout the seasons and remove arbitrary timeline limitations from […]

Winter 2025 Newsletter

Project Update Celebrating Trout Brook This October, SWWD marked the official end of work on the Trout Brook stream restoration project. To celebrate the occasion, SWWD worked with the Minnesota DNR to stock just over 2,500 fingerling brook trout into the stream. The site was identified over 10 years ago for restoration work to reduce […]

Grit! The Chloride Free Alternative to Road Salts

To combat chloride pollution in the watershed, South Washington Watershed District will provide free grit this winter. Chicken grit or grit, is a chloride free, non-chemical alternative to salt for deicing roads, sidewalks, and driveways during the winter. How does grit work? Grit works physically to provide traction on top of ice, unlike deicers which […]

SWWD Celebrates the Confluence of Art and Water Resources

The South Washington Watershed District celebrated the conclusion of the 2024 SWWD Artist in Residence program with an artist exhibition, Connecting at the Confluence. A first time program for the District, hosting a resident artist to capture the natural resources of South Washington. Beginning in 2023, SWWD sought to incorporate something unique into its programming […]

Fall 2024 Newsletter

Project Update Trout Brook Restoration Wrapping Up The summer of 2024 has seen the completion of the final stages of SWWD’s restoration at Trout Brook! In late July, our contracting team at MNL was able to successfully transfer Trout Brook’s flow to the newly constructed meandering channel while also completing floodplain restoration activities. Over the […]

SWWD Continues In-Lake Management of Aquatic Invasive Species

SWWD is continuing AIS management in fall 2024 and will be treating several bodies throughout the district for aquatic invasive species (AIS), including: Colby Lake, La Lake, Ravine Lake, and Wilmes Lake (south basin). Serval lakes have extensive infestations of Eurasian Watermilfoil (EWM) and curlyleaf pondweed (CLP). Treatments will be conducted using herbicides to address […]